Windows 2 Apples

In this episode a few comments on my continued attempt to merge the worlds of Microsoft and Apple and my struggles with the HP MediaSmart Server.

After a few more weeks of working with both my new HP Pavilion PC and still young Intel iMac the novelty and newness of both systems has worn off and I simply view them as computers. Each operating system and hardware configuration brings something unique to the table. On the flip side, each system comes with unwanted baggage ranging from minor annoyances to extreme frustration.

Because of the relatively quick startup of my Vista Business virtual computer running under VMWare, I had assumed the long delays I’m accustomed to in starting Windows systems could be traced primarily to the many layers of antivirus and security software. By the time the HP Pavilion has booted to the desktop I have had a chance to read and respond to several emails on my Macintosh.

The HP pavilion takes noticeably longer to display the desktop then do either the Sony XP or my Vista Acer laptop. I’ve estimated it takes at least four times as long to display the Vista desktop on my HP than my iMac.The Macintosh is as close to an instant on computer as I have ever laid hands on.

Even in face of the long boot times, I still find the Windows operating system and more importantly the selection of an external hardware options and applications provide more flexibility than can be had using Macintosh computers.

As indicated in a previous podcast, Apple has made backup easy and almost foolproof. Windows on the other hand typically requires an investment in a third party application or service that may or may not adequately backup your system, applications and data. I purchased the HP EX 475 MediaSmart sever, in an effort to solve this problem for my collection of XP and Vista computers as well as create a means to manage shared files on our intranet.

The HP MediaSmart sever uses the recently released Microsoft home server software specifically designed to not only backup and share files with computers connected to your home network but to also allow internet based remote access to stored files and control of selected computers.

With one exception, setting up the MediaSmart Server to backup my existing windows computers and serve files to computers on my internal network was straightforward. The snag occured when I began assigning passwords for connected computers, I was prompted to use strong passwords which should include alphabetic as well as numeric characters. My first attempt used a complex string of lowercase letters and numbers but I was unable to move forward in the install process. I felt that my password was meeting the specified criteria, but after spending several minutes trying to move forward I was greeted with a message indicating the server software had failed to install properly. I called HP support.

After approximately 10 minutes of trouble shooting the HP tech mused it could be a corrupted server software installation and instructed me to reinstall the server operating system. This went smoothly but failed to get me past the road block assigning passwords.

Another call to HP support resulted in the observation that I could not move forward in the install because my password did not include both upper case and lowercase letters. It would have been nice if Microsof had flagged this with an in your face popup so common now in Vista. Once I had created a password with upper case, lower case and numeric characters, I was able to complete the installation. My next hurdle was activating the web server and this proved to be a two day ordeal.

I have to admit I was impressed with the knowledge and patience of the BellSouth technical support team but also discouraged by the conflicting advice how to configure my router and modem so that the HP home server could be used to host my portal website. For many months I had been able to use all of my computers with my Linksys router configured incorrectly according to BellSouth tech support. They all seemed rather confused when told the system had works so well for so long. One assured me it was impossible to have made a connection at all. In my defense, our modem and router had been configured by the BellSouth installer.

After several calls to my ISP provider and HP, each time receiving a different explanation how to configure my Linksys router with my BellSouth modem, I finally discovered the key was to set the DSL modem to bridge mode and the default connection for my Linksys to PPPoE rather than the default Linksys Auto Config DHCP setting. After the modem was set to bridge mode and the router to PPPoE, I was able to activate the local WEB portal and invite clients to log on and use the server as an internet connected external hard drive.

For the most part the HP MediaSmart home server was relatively easy to configure for use as unattended backup of all our XP and Vista PCs as well as a Ethernet connected storage device. However, I suspect HP needs to brace for an unusually heavy barrage of customer support calls if the Home Server market takes root.

I now have my HP Pavilion Vista PC and Sony XP fully backed up and our clients and consultants can access the server to upload and download files needed to complete projects. All computers in our office, including the Mac or able to access the server using the wired and wireless intranet at as well as log on and access shared folders via the MediaSmart web portal.

The ability to allow others to access your personal server, share files and exchange data using a simple high speed Internet connection and browser has to be experienced to be appreciated. Now my Mac and Windows machines are able to communicate almost as if siblings rather than rivals.

Lessons learned:

Get a second opinion before reinstalling any operating system.

Assign Strong passwords to each account making sure they are at least 7 characters long and include both upper and lower case alphanumeric characters. Example: Gooday2008Yes

If using DSL, your modem should normally be set to bridge mode and your router ro PPPoE.

Plug and play, or as some prefer to call it plug and pray, is expected and I suspect a marginally safer option than manually forwarding router ports. Once the web service is turned off in the home server the open router ports are closed. I highly recommend when the web service is initially activated and deactivated you use the free on line application Shields Up found at grc.com to test for open ports.

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