Home server - asking for help

[Rostislav Abraham]

Hello everyone,

 

I just built myself a new PC and want to use the old one as a home server.

My plan is to run a plex server (shouldnt be hard to setup) and to make a storage for photos and videos for me and my parents.

Since I am studying in another city I would like to leave the server at home and if I need to connect to the server, I would use remote desktop from windows 11 pro (I dont want to use another OS just because I don't wanna waste a lot of time setting it up. But if you think using another OS wouldnt be too hard and time-consuming then try suggesting it - I love building PCs so maybe I will reconsider my decision to use Windows).

 

My questions are:

1) do you have some suggestions for moving photos/videos from mobile phone (and/or other PCs) to the server? All members of my family have an iPhone, so I bet the process will be harder than on an Android device, but I suppose it's doable. I dont really need to transfer photos from another city, doing it at home (i guess over wifi) is good enough.

2) will I be able to move files from/to the server from my gaming PC while connected with windows remote desktop? (for example if i would like to look at movies from the other city)

3) do you have any other suggestions for what to run on the server?

I figured it can also be used as a gaming PC when I come home for the weekend.

 

I guess the specs are important to list:

Intel i5 9600K

Z390 motherboard

rtx 2060super

 

I really enjoy building PCs but the software side of things is not my cup of tea so I'm sorry if my questions look dumb.

Thank you very much for any help and suggestions

[Dedayog]

3 minutes ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

Hello everyone,

 

I just built myself a new PC and want to use the old one as a home server.

My plan is to run a plex server (shouldnt be hard to setup) and to make a storage for photos and videos for me and my parents.

Since I am studying in another city I would like to leave the server at home and if I need to connect to the server, I would use remote desktop from windows 11 pro (I dont want to use another OS just because I don't wanna waste a lot of time setting it up. But if you think using another OS wouldnt be too hard and time-consuming then try suggesting it - I love building PCs so maybe I will reconsider my decision to use Windows).

 

My questions are:

1) do you have some suggestions for moving photos/videos from mobile phone (and/or other PCs) to the server? All members of my family have an iPhone, so I bet the process will be harder than on an Android device, but I suppose it's doable. I dont really need to transfer photos from another city, doing it at home (i guess over wifi) is good enough.

2) will I be able to move files from/to the server from my gaming PC while connected with windows remote desktop? (for example if i would like to look at movies from the other city)

3) do you have any other suggestions for what to run on the server?

I figured it can also be used as a gaming PC when I come home for the weekend.

 

I guess the specs are important to list:

Intel i5 9600K

Z390 motherboard

rtx 2060super

 

I really enjoy building PCs but the software side of things is not my cup of tea so I'm sorry if my questions look dumb.

Thank you very much for any help and suggestions

1. Use a cloud system, like Dropbox or Tresorit, etc.  Can access anywhere.

 

2.  You can ,or you can just use Plex.  I watch movies on my phone all the time at work, or traveling.

 

3.  Anything you want.  Make game servers, as well.

 

[Rostislav Abraham]

7 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

1. Use a cloud system, like Dropbox or Tresorit, etc.  Can access anywhere.

 

2.  You can ,or you can just use Plex.  I watch movies on my phone all the time at work, or traveling.

 

3.  Anything you want.  Make game servers, as well.

 

Wouldn’t using cloud system require me to pay a monthly fee? That’s what Im trying to avoid.

 

Thank you for response :)

[Zalosath]

1 minute ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

Wouldn’t using cloud system require me to pay a monthly fee? That’s what Im trying to avoid.

 

Thank you for response

A home server just moves the monthly fee to electricity cost.

 

16 minutes ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

Hello everyone,

 

I just built myself a new PC and want to use the old one as a home server.

My plan is to run a plex server (shouldnt be hard to setup) and to make a storage for photos and videos for me and my parents.

Since I am studying in another city I would like to leave the server at home and if I need to connect to the server, I would use remote desktop from windows 11 pro (I dont want to use another OS just because I don't wanna waste a lot of time setting it up. But if you think using another OS wouldnt be too hard and time-consuming then try suggesting it - I love building PCs so maybe I will reconsider my decision to use Windows).

 

My questions are:

1) do you have some suggestions for moving photos/videos from mobile phone (and/or other PCs) to the server? All members of my family have an iPhone, so I bet the process will be harder than on an Android device, but I suppose it's doable. I dont really need to transfer photos from another city, doing it at home (i guess over wifi) is good enough.

2) will I be able to move files from/to the server from my gaming PC while connected with windows remote desktop? (for example if i would like to look at movies from the other city)

3) do you have any other suggestions for what to run on the server?

I figured it can also be used as a gaming PC when I come home for the weekend.

 

I guess the specs are important to list:

Intel i5 9600K

Z390 motherboard

rtx 2060super

 

I really enjoy building PCs but the software side of things is not my cup of tea so I'm sorry if my questions look dumb.

Thank you very much for any help and suggestions

Set up Wireguard on the home server and connect to that while you're away.

 

Can't comment on what your parents could use to send photos/videos to it, I don't have an iPhone. There's probably an app.

[Dedayog]

31 minutes ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

Wouldn’t using cloud system require me to pay a monthly fee? That’s what Im trying to avoid.

 

Thank you for response

Set up an ftp server then.

 

Also, Dropbox does 2GB free on Basic.  Not sure how many files you need to transfer, but at some point if scale becomes an issue... 

[NikolakiH]

9 minutes ago, Zalosath said:

A home server just moves the monthly fee to electricity cost.

True, but at least you'll have control of your own data.

 

27 minutes ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

1) do you have some suggestions for moving photos/videos from mobile phone (and/or other PCs) to the server? All members of my family have an iPhone, so I bet the process will be harder than on an Android device, but I suppose it's doable. I dont really need to transfer photos from another city, doing it at home (i guess over wifi) is good enough.

Immich (https://immich.app/docs/overview/introduction) runs in docker and is an easy way to move pictures and videos from your camera roll onto your server. You can get it on the Apple app store, and you can set it to backup automatically in the background or just open the app to do it manually every once in a while. If the PC is at your family's house, all you'd have to do is make them a username/password on the server and log their phones in. It's great for looking at photos from your phone on your computer, but its not as great the other way around since you can only access it in the browser.

 

38 minutes ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

3) do you have any other suggestions for what to run on the server?

I figured it can also be used as a gaming PC when I come home for the weekend.

You can also run Tailscale (https://tailscale.com/kb/1017/install), a service that automatically makes Wireguard connections between your devices for you. You could use this to remotely access your Immich/Plex without worrying about port forwarding, CGNat, or Wireguard credentials. You can also add your family to it in various ways.

[Rostislav Abraham]

1 hour ago, Dedayog said:

Set up an ftp server then.

Thank you, I didn’t know about that.

 

1 hour ago, NikolakiH said:

True, but at least you'll have control of your own data.

Yup, that was partly why I want to host it myself and not use a cloud service.

Thanks also for the Immich and Tailscale suggestions.  

[Needfuldoer]

[ Moved to Servers, NAS, and Homelab ]

[Rostislav Abraham]

2 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

[ Moved to Servers, NAS, and Homelab ]

Thank you, Im new and most likely overlooked the category.

[Bersella AI]

13 hours ago, Rostislav Abraham said:

1) do you have some suggestions for moving photos/videos from mobile phone (and/or other PCs) to the server? All members of my family have an iPhone, so I bet the process will be harder than on an Android device, but I suppose it's doable. I dont really need to transfer photos from another city, doing it at home (i guess over wifi) is good enough.

2) will I be able to move files from/to the server from my gaming PC while connected with windows remote desktop? (for example if i would like to look at movies from the other city)

3) do you have any other suggestions for what to run on the server?

1. Give a try to Nextcloud, a complete solution in cross-platform file syncing. This requires a copy of software installed on the server via either Ubuntu Snap, Docker, VM or standalone PHP scripts, and an app installed on iPhone or Android. Tutorials including, for example, setting up Nextcloud on Docker, can be found on the web.
2. AFAIK no. File sharing through Samba is recommended for doing so. A VPN/tunnel is also required for remote access.
3. Besides file hosting, a home server can also take duties of media server, self-hosted game server, router, supervisor of VMs, CPU/GPU computing farm, among others. It depends on you anyway.