Windows Home Server FAQ

Originally Posted by Kenworth

Hello gents, I come here in distress. I have read every post in this thread and you all had convinced me to use my old box for WHS. Problem though, my D-Link DI-634M won't configure to access outside the lan. I have tried everything including DMZ the whole thing, nothing. I am not looking for somebody who has a DI-634M but somebody who has a comparable D-Link that may have a magical resolution. And yes, I have scoured the net doing everything they suggest (port forwarding, virtual server, etc...) and I am to the point where I may just pickup a new router but this one is reported to work fine simply by checking the UPnP box and the server configures it automatically (and it has been solid for the last 3 years to boot).

Thanks in advance for any help threre is out there.

If its in the DMZ then its not your router

http://www.canyouseeme.org/

Maybe your port is blocked by your ISP.

Thanks guys. The link let me know that my ISP is blocking port 80 which is no biggie, I can just run around with https if need be. I had a friend hop on it and mess with it a little to make sure it was accesible. Looks like the router will be around a little longer.

Thanks again gents.

Originally Posted by Kenworth

Thanks guys. The link let me know that my ISP is blocking port 80 which is no biggie, I can just run around with https if need be. I had a friend hop on it and mess with it a little to make sure it was accesible. Looks like the router will be around a little longer.

Thanks again gents.

My ISP blocks port 80 as well. Been running https with no problems.

Originally Posted by vischo

http://www.canyouseeme.org/

Maybe your port is blocked by your ISP.

Thanks. I'll have to try that at home tonight.

this may have been answered, but I didn't see it.

I have completed my new WHS and plan on giving my old one to my parents. They are in La and I'm in Ga. Would I be able to do a remote desktop connection to the server to do any updates or maintenance. I know I do this with Server 2003 on some contractors machines from work, just didn't know if WHS worked the same.

Once in the RDP, I should be able to open the WHS Console and work if needed, correct? I can do that now on my home network.

Originally Posted by kraw

this may have been answered, but I didn't see it.

I have completed my new WHS and plan on giving my old one to my parents. They are in La and I'm in Ga. Would I be able to do a remote desktop connection to the server to do any updates or maintenance. I know I do this with Server 2003 on some contractors machines from work, just didn't know if WHS worked the same.

Once in the RDP, I should be able to open the WHS Console and work if needed, correct? I can do that now on my home network.

You can do two things:
1) Run a VPN to access the remote server securely through RDP and access the WHS console from there. I have had success running Hamachi on server OS's, its free and point-to-point (with mediation) and AES-256
2) Run a Dynamic DNS service to track the dynamic IP address of your parents house, and either open ports (UNsecure) or work with an SSH tunnel or management of that router to allow only you access when needed. (Bonus: if you have a static IP you can allow access only from your IP or subnet)

Option 1 is best for security and ease

Originally Posted by kraw

this may have been answered, but I didn't see it.

I have completed my new WHS and plan on giving my old one to my parents. They are in La and I'm in Ga. Would I be able to do a remote desktop connection to the server to do any updates or maintenance. I know I do this with Server 2003 on some contractors machines from work, just didn't know if WHS worked the same.

Once in the RDP, I should be able to open the WHS Console and work if needed, correct? I can do that now on my home network.

This addon: http://www.whsplus.com/2009/04/07/to-desktop/ lets you minimize the dashboard and get to the servers desktop. You'll need remote access website setup.

I'm having a problem with my WHS. On occasion when I cut and paste a file from my desktop to a WHS share it kills the ethernet on the WHS. The server will lose all internet connectivity and it will not come back until I reboot. Only on the rare cut and paste. Never on a copy and paste.

I was just trying to do a remote desktop connection to WHS and again, same thing. As soon as I hit connect on the desktop the servers ethernet instantly shuts down and I have to reboot.

Any ideas?

Edit - onboard NIC must have crapped out. It's wierd when they don't die completely and some things still work. I didn't want to have to use that slot with a discrete NIC but that's my only option now. At least it fixed the problem.

So now that I can remote into the server i'm finding that it won't show me my actual current desktop.
I have the server currently connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. When I log in on my desktop remotely i'm not see the same screen as on my server. I have several apps set to startup and I need to remote in an administrate those apps.

For example, I have Juice auto start which is a podcast downloading app. It's open on my server and I can see it on it's monitor. When I remote in from the desktop that screen is not open. When I try to launch it, it tells me another instance is already open. Ok, well, how do I see that? I need to interact with the current window for that app.

Originally Posted by Archer75

So now that I can remote into the server i'm finding that it won't show me my actual current desktop.
I have the server currently connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. When I log in on my desktop remotely i'm not see the same screen as on my server. I have several apps set to startup and I need to remote in an administrate those apps.

For example, I have Juice auto start which is a podcast downloading app. It's open on my server and I can see it on it's monitor. When I remote in from the desktop that screen is not open. When I try to launch it, it tells me another instance is already open. Ok, well, how do I see that? I need to interact with the current window for that app.

I run into this too.

Its because server 2003 is allowing more than one instance of the same user account to load and coexist at the same time. I've been trying to figure out how to make it remote desktop like XP where there is only ONE instance per user. So if I log on remotely it logs me off locally and the other way round.

If that makes sense.

Originally Posted by thebeephaha

I run into this too.

Its because server 2003 is allowing more than one instance of the same user account to load and coexist at the same time. I've been trying to figure out how to make it remote desktop like XP where there is only ONE instance per user. So if I log on remotely it logs me off locally and the other way round.

If that makes sense.

I'd also like it to NOT log me off when I close the connection. I need these apps to keep running.

Originally Posted by Archer75

I'd also like it to NOT log me off when I close the connection. I need these apps to keep running.

console into your server. go to start -> run. type in: mstsc /console
it'll open the rdp connection. login as you would normally do, and when you're done, just close the rdp session window by clicking "x", it'll keep all your running apps as you're 'disconnecting' instead of logging off.

Originally Posted by Archer75

I'm having a problem with my WHS. On occasion when I cut and paste a file from my desktop to a WHS share it kills the ethernet on the WHS. The server will lose all internet connectivity and it will not come back until I reboot. Only on the rare cut and paste. Never on a copy and paste.

I was just trying to do a remote desktop connection to WHS and again, same thing. As soon as I hit connect on the desktop the servers ethernet instantly shuts down and I have to reboot.

Any ideas?

Edit - onboard NIC must have crapped out. It's wierd when they don't die completely and some things still work. I didn't want to have to use that slot with a discrete NIC but that's my only option now.

I would also check your switch. I had something similar happening to me while back and it was driving me nuts - I thought it was the nic on the server as well, but turned out that my switch was dying... I had one of those linksys gigabit switches that overheated a lot..

Originally Posted by sparkie99

I would also check your switch. I had something similar happening to me while back and it was driving me nuts - I thought it was the nic on the server as well, but turned out that my switch was dying... I had one of those linksys gigabit switches that overheated a lot..

I added a new NIC and problem solved. The problem was just to the server. No other computer on my network.

Originally Posted by sparkie99

console into your server. go to start -> run. type in: mstsc /console
it'll open the rdp connection. login as you would normally do, and when you're done, just close the rdp session window by clicking "x", it'll keep all your running apps as you're 'disconnecting' instead of logging off.

I do that exact thing when I remote into my HTPC but it always logs me out. Doesn't do that on my server though. Strange

So any thoughts on getting it to show me my current active desktop when I remote into WHS?

Originally Posted by Archer75

So any thoughts on getting it to show me my current active desktop when I remote into WHS?

Completely log off of any current session(s), and console in and lauch all your apps. After you disconnect and console in afterward, it should always log you into the current desktop.

Is there a solid defrag utility for WHS?

I've read where using the MS one is not recommended. Since I'm pretty new to the WHS gig, I figured I'd ask here...

I've been noticing some network performance slowdowns, and am not sure where they're coming from. Figuring a defrag wouldn't hurt anyway.

Originally Posted by l337zax

Is there a solid defrag utility for WHS?

I've read where using the MS one is not recommended. Since I'm pretty new to the WHS gig, I figured I'd ask here...

I've been noticing some network performance slowdowns, and am not sure where they're coming from. Figuring a defrag wouldn't hurt anyway.

there is perfectdisk and diskeeper

Originally Posted by sparkie99

Completely log off of any current session(s), and console in and lauch all your apps. After you disconnect and console in afterward, it should always log you into the current desktop.

Yes, that works. I just wish I could have a desktop that is the same no matter who logs in. So that way I can auto start my apps.

I had my sever set to auto login and start these apps. Using your method I can't do the auto login. And I have to remote in after every boot up to start those apps. Maybe not a huge deal unless a power glitch causes the server to reboot and I would not now those apps are not running.

I set utorrent to run as a service but it didn't work properly. The other apps I can't run as a service.