Windows Home Server Bible [Paperback]

Greg Kettell (Author), Jennifer Ackerman Kettell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2008 | ISBN-10: 047022956X | ISBN-13: 978-0470229569 | Edition: 1

When was the last time you backed up your home computer? If your household is a hodge-podge of unconnected laptops, desktops, and printers, it's time to bring order and peace of mind by creating your own secure home network with Windows Home Server (WHS) and this comprehensive guide. From protecting your data against hardware failures to organizing all of your family's digital media onto one central hub, this practical reference covers all the techniques and step-by-step instruction you need to succeed.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Transform digital chaos into a well-organized home network

When was the last time you backed up your home computer? If your household is a hodge-podge of unconnected laptops, desktops, and printers, it's time to bring order and peace of mind by creating your own secure home network with Windows Home Server (WHS) and this comprehensive guide. From protecting your data against hardware failures to organizing all of your family's digital media onto one central hub, this practical reference covers all the techniques and step-by-step instruction you need to succeed.

• Choose the out-of-the-box WHS solution or repurpose a spare PC

• Go wired or wireless, run Ethernet cable, and configure a router

• Walk through installation and get up to speed on the WHS Console

• Establish user accounts, set up shared folders, and create a print server

• Schedule backups for PCs or Macs and recover from crashes

• Build a media hub and stream to computers, Xboxes, and PlayStations

• Monitor your home remotely with a webcam

About the Author

Greg Kettell is a software engineer with over 20 years experience in managing servers and programming enterprise applications, single- and multi-player games, and internet applications. He’s written and contributed to books on HTML, Dreamweaver, ColdFusion, Microsoft Office, Access, and various graphics packages. Greg is a home theater enthusiast and amateur astronomer who misses the Arizona night sky since moving to upstate New York.

Jennifer Ackerman Kettell is a web designer and the author of several books on software applications, graphics, and web design. Some of her titles include Microsoft Office 2003: The Complete Reference and The Absolute Beginners Guide to FrontPage 2003. Jenn is also a fiction author and avid (some say obsessive) researcher. Greg and Jenn live with their two children, two dogs, and two cats in a house that sometimes seems to be made more of fur than wood and tile. The kids want to add to the menagerie, but shouldn’t hold their breath.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047022956X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470229569
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #444,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a book for knowledgeable users, January 13, 2010

By 

ChessOak (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Windows Home Server Bible (Paperback)

I'm pretty disappointed with this book. I mistakenly assumed that a "bible" would be comprehensive and informative. Instead I find it to be slow, repetitive and emphasizing the obvious. In fact, it repetitively emphasizes the obvious. I remember that after reading the first 128 pages or so, I still had not leaned anything useful. The installation steps walk through can easily be accomplished by reading the installation dialogs - in fact, I had installed my WHS without reference to this book and nothing was missed or omitted.

In the section on building one's own computer, there is no mention of the one single aspect that makes it hazardous - the lack of Windows Server 2003 drivers on many consumer-oriented components.

Discussion of specific products and price points for hard drives, etc. makes this book feel very dated.

In many places the language is tortured and convoluted and I have to read, and re-read a sentence to understand it. (Next time I encounter such a sentence, I will update this review to illustrate my point.)

The many, many screen shots of the most trivial dialogs does not aid comprehension, it merely slows the reader down. Cross-references are trivial and the detailed cross-reference will link you back to the overview.

Truly, if you have installed a few Windows operating systems, have built a few home computers and were hoping to learn more of the server side aspects, then this book is not the right book. a good 50% of this book will be wasted on you.

Update: I have ordered the book Microsoft Windows Home Server Unleashed (2nd Edition) and found it much more useful. I would recommend that book over this book if you are an "enthusiast."

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book save your time and money $$$ !!!, July 5, 2008

By 

Bok H. Shin (Torrance, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Windows Home Server Bible (Paperback)

I'm so glad that I've purchased this book. I didn't need to purchase HP MediaSmart server. I saved $500. This book showed me how to turn my old PC into Windows Home Server and opened my eyes to home automation. (big plus for me) I've got 3 PCs, 1 notebook, PlayStation @ my home plus CCTV. If you have more than 1 PC @ home this is a must read. Book is well paced and easy to follow. It has full of useful information. Windows Home Server Bible, Amen.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is Your Time Worth?, December 5, 2009

By 

11bravo (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Windows Home Server Bible (Paperback)

I found this book to be very useful after building my WHS home server. The first several chapters I read straight through, dealing with installation and initial setup. The troubleshooting tips and alternate methods helped when loading the server clients on my other computers (e.g., trouble with the install cd, so used "direct from server" method shown in the book).

Later on, I found the index to be very useful in researching topics for things I knew I wanted to do, but didn't know how to do them. After I had the sever up and running, I read the chapters that pertained to my setup, with others to be read if/when I utilize those functions.

Given the layout and functional categorization of the various chapters, this book is very easy to use, reading what you need, and saving other chapters for need.

WHS is a product that is quite well done by Microsoft, and this book will help you get the best out of your server. Easy to follow, with good screen shots and step by step instructions. My only complaint is that sometimes the type is a bit hard to see in the screen shots (e.g., looking for 1 line in a full shot), but otherwise a very nice book to have in hand.

I can't say this is the best book on WHS, but it certainly gets the job done and is a good reference to have on your bookshelf. I certainly prefer a hard copy over on-line help, and the cost was certainly offset by time saved.