[tech] Mac(?) server advice?
Since buying my work laptop from techjob, I am now the proud owner of a home network of 2.1 machines: two macs and my palm.
I don't keep my desktop mac running all the time, because it is noisy. But that's where all my personal stuff is. I keep having to boot it to get things off it, and to put things on it (because, dammit, they go with other things on it and they don't belong on a laptop which is at higher risk of theft).
So naturally, I'm thinking, "boy, I wish I had a tiny silent headless server that would just sit there on my network and keep my stuff available to my other two machines and make backups more convenient."
Sounds like I want a network fileserver, yes? Anybody have experience with the market for network filesevers for home use? Recommendations as to brand/model, admonishments to run screaming in another direction entirely?
Criteria:
1) It can make a little noise, if it must, while running, but it has to idle silent.
2) It has to fit in less than a quarter square of a cubic foot. (Form factor doesn't much matter within that parameter, though a 12x36x1 plank might be a bit challenging....)
3) Has to be able to run headless.
4) Has to have an ethernet port. I'd rather this thing not rely on wifi.
5) Has to support either SMB or AFP.
I don't keep my desktop mac running all the time, because it is noisy. But that's where all my personal stuff is. I keep having to boot it to get things off it, and to put things on it (because, dammit, they go with other things on it and they don't belong on a laptop which is at higher risk of theft).
So naturally, I'm thinking, "boy, I wish I had a tiny silent headless server that would just sit there on my network and keep my stuff available to my other two machines and make backups more convenient."
Sounds like I want a network fileserver, yes? Anybody have experience with the market for network filesevers for home use? Recommendations as to brand/model, admonishments to run screaming in another direction entirely?
Criteria:
1) It can make a little noise, if it must, while running, but it has to idle silent.
2) It has to fit in less than a quarter square of a cubic foot. (Form factor doesn't much matter within that parameter, though a 12x36x1 plank might be a bit challenging....)
3) Has to be able to run headless.
4) Has to have an ethernet port. I'd rather this thing not rely on wifi.
5) Has to support either SMB or AFP.