Changes Coming To My Home Network

[kyrathaba]

Well, there are some changes coming in the near future to my home network.

Specifically, we're having a custom L-shaped computer desk built for our master bedroom.  A fellow I went to high school with has a furniture building business with his father.  They're building us a solid-oak desk with a light-satin finish.  It will have a place in the corner for the desktop monitor (at least 22", I'm thinking), and bi-level hutch-style shelving all the way around the L-shape of the desk.  Plenty of room for books, CDs, peripherals, etc.

I'm planning on taking the plunge into NAS.  Any recommendations on this are appreciated.  I've been looking at the D-link DNS-321.

Our home has the following devices:

1 desktop computer in the boys' bedroom (will add desktop to master bedroom, and replace defunct desktop unit in girls' bedroom upstairs)
3 notebook computers, all with Wifi
2 Nintendo DS Lite units with Wifi
X-mas may bring Wifi-enabled version of the iPad for the oldest child (not sure, they're still pretty high-priced for the feature-set)

So, soon to be a total of 6 PCs (3 desktops, 3 laptops).

Now, I'm not interested in running cable all over the house for a true gigabit home network.  Even if I were, my wife wouldn't permit it  We buy, download, and backup movies sometimes from Amazon Unbox, so I figured we could put those on the NAS for streaming to individual PCs.  I'm the only one in the house with data that truly needs to be backed up (hours of programming, etc.), so I was planning on installing SteadyState on all children's computers (already on the one in the boys' room).

Oh, and I salvaged the 250 GB drive from the defunct desktop PC in the girls' bedroom, so I can put it in an enclosure and have an extra external drive.

Thoughts?  Suggestions?

[kyrathaba]

Our new solid oak computer desk and hutch-style shelving is almost ready.  I'll upload a photo as soon as it arrives.  

Thinking about getting a desktop unit and monitor to go with it.  I will probably still use my laptop quite a bit.  My wife and I tend to dork around on our laptops while watching t.v. at night.  However, I'm sure I'd spend some time on the new desktop.  In particular, we're putting a 40+" HDMI-enabled LCD television in the same room (bedroom), and I'd like to be able to connect the desktop to the LCD t.v. for watching downloaded movies (Amazon Unbox, etc.), and would probably do some e-reading and programming using the t.v.'s display in tandem with a wireless keyboard (while lying in bed:  one or two nights a week, I have unexplained insomnia, and programming or silently surfing Youtube vids with earplugs in would be a nice option).

I'm not a high-powered gamer, but am willing to spring for a relatively low-cost (say, sub $80) graphics card.  Not heavy into video-editing either.  Mainly I use my computers for C# programming, web-surfing (forum visiting, etc.), and email.

I briefly became enchanted with Pogoplug, but after allowing myself a cool-down period, in which I lurked some Pogoplug user forums, I came to the conclusion that it's not a mature, mostly debugged technology... yet.  May later add NAS.

So, I'd like to get the most bang for my buck.  I'm looking to get the computer and at least a 20" monitor for sub $850.

Suggestions?

[steeladept]

If it helps, the NAS units I keep seeing as the best bang for the buck seems to keep going to the Drobo by Data Robotics.  That said, I haven't looked into it much myself, and what I see about the D-Link offerings look intriguing for when I look into it for myself.  I like playing around with VMware, though, and really want to get one with iSCSI interface if possible (for learning that aspect).  Certainly not critical, but if it doesn't add too much to the cost...but I digress.

[steeladept]

As for the PC - I always like to look at the DIY Kits at Newegg, Tiger Direct, etc. 

[kyrathaba]

Thanks for mentioning Drobo.  It looks interesting.

[kyrathaba]

The desk has been built, stained, and delivered, and I'm very happy with it.  Now I'm trying to resist the urge to immediately buy a monster desktop and 24+" monitor, for the desk.

[app103]

That is one seriously beautiful desk! 

[kyrathaba]

Thanks, app!  I couldn't agree more   Made by a father/son team of woodworkers who own their own shop.  They hand-pick the oak.  All of the work is done by this two-person team. 

That's actually four separate pieces, screwed together at the corner.  Ran me about $1,300 but the quality is SO much higher than much of what's available elsewhere.  Told my wife that, barring a house fire (perish the thought), it'll outlast us and be of use to one of our kids, someday.

[kyrathaba]

Another cool thing is that I designed the desk myself, using (of all things) MS Paint.  Sent it to the guy via email.  He had to make some modifications but it came out close to my originally envisioned piece of furniture.

[cranioscopical]

Very satisfying to have something made exactly to fit your requirements. 

[Deozaan]

If it helps, the NAS units I keep seeing as the best bang for the buck seems to keep going to the Drobo by Data Robotics.

-steeladept (October 10, 2010, 10:04 AM)

I didn't know the Drobo was considered NAS. I thought it was essentially just an external RAID.

[mouser]

Yeah i love that you designed it yourself and had it custom made by a father+son team 

[kyrathaba]

Yeah i love that you designed it yourself and had it custom made by a father+son team

Doing my small part to stimulate the economy, by helping the little guy...

[kyrathaba]

My boys are getting a Win7 machine for Christmas (replaces an old WinXP machine).

My question is: If I add their computer to my Windows 7 Homegroup (I created the Homegroup on my laptop), and turn on sharing on their computer, I can view the selected directories and files, correct?  But I still can't do any real-time monitoring, such as would be possible using UltraVNC passively, right?