I am interested in buying and maintaining my own server, but I am dumbfounded when it comes to servers.. So I was wondeirng if anyone had any good ideas on what a good, yet cheap and reliable server would be..

--rob

if you don't know alot about servers, then can i ask why you want to buy and maintain your own? much better to rent one from a colo shop to get the feel of it. assuming you mean web server and not file server, mp3 server, etc.

I know alot of servers. I don't know alot about buying servers.. I have worked on servers as part of my job so I'm pretty good with them. I just never have bought one or known exactly which is the best and so forth.

Yes, but what do you intend to do with it?

The answer you seek is dependant on the question you ask.

Hi cal and kal (and happy birthday technikal)

There is nothing extrodanrily different between a server and a PC/Workstation other then the hardware is more robust since it is meant to be operational 24/7 and lacks user amnemities (i.e. sound).

Remember you get what you pay for.

Personaly I am a Compaq fan when it comes to servers. You can find relatively good deals up on ebay.

Compaq? oh...you must mean H-P

Happy birthday Tech

My web server is basically another machine on my network running Apache/MySQL, minus speakers and other useless stuff... Getting an older PC and buying new components for it would be a good start if you were running low on "funds", I guess.

Well, it's mostly to run LAN parties and have lots of people access a main computer where alot of file updates are and such.

Good god, what happened to my Compaq Proliants? I happen to love the new HP servers that are built on the Proliant framework but the support has gone to crap.

Compaq is a rock solid server and there are a lot of deals to be had.

If you're just using it on a LAN and for gaming etc, you may as well just go out and buy an entry-level PC, wipe the HD, and install Linux (or Windows 2000, etc). Doesn't need to be anything special to be a "server".

Hey John! How have you been? Whatcha doin now-a-days?