Tweak3D.net - How to Build a Server

Posted: May 30, 2001
Written by: Tuan "Solace" Nguyen

Operating System Installation

Finally, you’re done building the server, and now you’re wondering which operating system you should use. Generally, I recommend using Windows 98SE or Windows 2000 Professional/Server. If this is your first time setting up a server, Windows is probably the best choice for you.

You may have heard the benefits of using Linux, BSD, or any other of the oddities on a server, but the truth is, if you’re not using the server for mission critical applications, it’s not worth installing one of these operating systems. Some of the reasons why you would choose these “workstation and server” operating systems are because you need high security and speedy networking. The drawback comes when you have to sit down and learn how to use these operating systems. Linux, for example has a steeper and longer learning curve than Windows and it’s more technically difficult to manage.

For a good web/FTP/file server that has a high uptime, choose Windows 2000 Professional. Windows 2000 Server has many corporate and enterprise features that too, has steep learning curves and is often times, unnecessary for a home server.

If you’re primarily a gamer, going with Windows 2000 Professional or Windows 98SE would be the two best choices. I pick Win98SE over Me because 98SE is faster than Me is and 98SE seems to work with more drivers. The only drawback with 98SE is its love for rebooting after even the slightest configuration change.

I’ll be covering the installation of Windows 2000 Server and Linux in the next couple of articles so look out for those.

Conclusion

Although it’s not difficult, building a complete server from the ground up can be a stressful task. Figuring out what you need and how much it’ll cost is always a pain. Make things easier for yourself and layout a plan for the server because a plan can save time and money.

The server I just built is suited for the home and the office. There are many things that we can do with this server but I’ll go into detail about features and function in a later article. The configuration I went with is powerful enough for almost any home user and even powerful enough for a large office, although targeted at the small office.

Component wise, I used a lot of new devices that are hardly outdated. If all you have is left over parts from older systems, they can be just as effective in a server. Remember, your server isn’t going to be the primary machine you use to work and play. It’s going to be sitting there, in a corner, or underneath your desk, doing what you built it to do. It’ll be lonely and no one will tend to it, but hopefully, if you do everything right, it’ll stay lonely.

A good server hardly needs attention. A good server will stay on for long periods of time -- I’m talking weeks and months, not hours. Because of this, you’ll want to pick from the best components that you can, avoid making poor compromises and take the time to learn about what it takes to run a server efficiently. Also, don’t build a server if you don’t need one!

Hopefully, you’ve learned how to setup a good server that’s powerful and efficient enough to handle whatever your needs are. Check back later to find out how to setup Windows 2000 Server and the highly acclaimed Linux OS. Until then, thanks for reading.

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