Category: Windows Home Server
Remote access to your files and folders over the Internet is one of the huge advantages to having a Windows Home Server. Lets take a closer look at how to go about it. This article assumes that you have already set up your Windows Home Server for remote access over the web and configured a custom domain name.
So, you’ve got yourself a Windows Home Server and you’ve setup all your home PCs to backup to your home server on a regular basis. But what about backing up the Server itself? There are a couple ways to go about. You could choose an online backup solution which protects in case of natural disasters, fire, theft, etc. You could also choose to backup to a external USB drive… which is the option we’ll take a look at here.
One of the great features of Windows Home Server is the ability to connect to the Server and access your files remotely over the Internet. I love being able to work at the coffee shop and download any files or documents on my server through the WiFi connection. And, since I (try) to save everything or importance on my WHS, any files I create or update can be saved back to my server immediately so I don’t need to remember to do it later. If Windows Home Server is able to automatically configure your router for you, setup really is a snap. Your router will need to support UPnP, so if your router supports that option, make sure you have it turned on in your router settings.
I know what you may be thinking…. “Why would I want to exclude my PC or laptop from being backed up by Windows Home Server? Isn’t that the main reason to have a Home Server?” Yeah, you’re right, it is a big reason. However, there may be reasons why you would want to turn off the backup for one or more computers. My example: I have a test PC here at home that, as you can guess, I use for testing. I can play around with settings, applications, whatever, without fear of “hosing” my everyday PC. I don’t really need to back anything up. Granted, this is not a “typical” reason that would likely apply for Average Joe PC User.
There are a few reasons why you may want to configure your Windows Home Server with a static IP Address. One of the reasons, and the reason I wish to assign a static IP, is to setup remote access. Before I take a look at some of those features like Remote Access, I’ll focus on laying the groundwork by setting up WHS with a static IP address.