- #Hp mediasmart server ex470 update install#
- #Hp mediasmart server ex470 update update#
- #Hp mediasmart server ex470 update driver#
- #Hp mediasmart server ex470 update full#
HP hasn't done much to change this-a good thing.
#Hp mediasmart server ex470 update install#
Once the server is fully accessible, the install wizard walks you through the rest of the Windows Home Server installation process-adding users, setting up remote access, managing desktops, configuring backup, and so on. You'll be prompted for a server name (pick carefully, because changing this is a bit of a pain in the nethers) and a strong administration password, which means a minimum of seven characters with a mix of upper and lowercase, numeric, and symbol characters. Just keep clicking on Okay and have a little patience.
#Hp mediasmart server ex470 update update#
The first set of software updates takes a few minutes, as both Microsoft and HP vie for software update time. This is standard Windows Home Server stuff, though HP also adds its own HP Update, which keeps track of MediaSmart updates. When you have the client software installed on at least one Windows PC, that system will automatically find the MediaSmart on the network and start the setup routine. That's fine for OS X and Linux clients, but for Windows PCs, there's really no reason not to install the software: You'll just be missing out on cool features. My Mac, for example, saw the MediaSmart just fine and even allowed its user to access a protected folder. As a basic NAS, the MediaSmart works fine over standard IP with no client software.
#Hp mediasmart server ex470 update full#
To make full use of the MediaSmart, you need to install the HP software, though it's worth noting that computers on the network don't require it to access the device. This last is required if you want Windows Home Server to do things like remote control, advanced backup, and PC management. One is a management console (for the MediaSmart) that you can activate from the task bar another is an encrypted network session manager that runs on top of TCP/IP. I tried the standard software just for grins and came up empty. And I do mean the HP Windows Home Server software that comes with the MediaSmart, not the standard Microsoft Windows Home Server software. Not thinking ahead here is a great way to turn your slick entertainment area into a rat's nest of cables.- Next: Plunging InĪfter unboxing the MediaSmart, all I had to do was power it up and connect it to my simulated home network, then install the HP Windows Home Server software on at least one Windows PC on the network. That's a no-brainer, but then those external boxes will require data and, probably, power cables, too. Adding an external drive is simply a matter of connecting the drive and waiting for Windows Home Server to add it to the overall storage limit. The MediaSmart can expand quite a bit using new internal drives, but many folks will want to use the external ports instead of rearranging the internal drives, since swapping them means backing up your internal data, putting in the new drives, and restoring the original data to the NAS. And even if your entertainment center can hold it, you've also got to think a bit about future expansion. It's not well designed for slipping into an entertainment center, for example. That means wherever you place your HP MediaSmart right now had better be near an Ethernet cable.Īnother thing to consider is that even though the MediaSmart is headless, it's still built as a super-mini-tower. And you likely won't see one of those until well into 2008.
#Hp mediasmart server ex470 update driver#
But because Windows Home Server can't install software in the same way as a regular Windows operating system, the dongle will have to have a driver and an install program specific to WHS. The box runs a stripped-down version of Windows Server 2003, so you can theoretically attach a USB wireless dongle. External drives, which connect via USB ports (three on the front and one in back) as well as an eSATA port in the back, can vary in storage size and provide easy expandability.Ī caveat here: First, the MediaSmart connects to your network only via a wired Ethernet port-at least for now. The server's four bays accept drives of any capacity (the EX470 I tested comes with one 500GB unit), but the capacities must match. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.