From time to time, when a certain technology reaches its peak, I again have faith in what I have devoted a huge part of my personal and professional life to. Windows Media Center is a great example of this, because it basically includes everything that I'm interested in about this or that technology: it's very innovative, it's beautiful, and it's for entertainment, people want to get their hands on it right away. the first time they see him. However, products like Media Center are fairly rare, and now that I look forward to the first beta release of Media Center in early 2002, things haven't changed for the better since then. Even Windows Vista, which at first was surrounded by so much energy and promise, eventually became much less exciting due to endless delays and omitted features. It was like that for a while.

However, this year my interest in such information technology flared up again, this time thanks to Windows Home Server, a product that is similar in many ways to Windows Media Center. While Windows Home Server (WHS) is somewhat workhorse, in the sense that you will never sit in front of a WHS machine and work with it in the same way as you would with Vista or Media Center. No, the WHS is designed to sit quietly under the table and do its thing. But it's the way he does this "thing" that's amazing. And while few consumers buy it today, WHS, like the Media Center in its time, is needed by a huge number of users around the world, whether they understand it now or not. Perhaps when Apple copies it three years later in its Apple Home Server, or somewhere else, leaving about 50 percent of the functionality for it (you know, like they once did with Media Center and Apple TV), users will finally then they will get it for themselves. However, be that as it may, I do not think that we will have to wait long. WHS is here today and it's a winner.

Functions

From a conceptual point of view Windows problem Home Server is that it does not have a simple interface that can be described in one or two sentences, which would help it sell quickly. Under the protective shell of WHS server software based on solid as a rock Windows kernel Server 2003, which will mostly be sold with new PC-like server hardware from companies like HP. (However, enthusiasts will be able to simply install the software on an additional or new PC). It provides three main services: automatic backup, recovery, and PC health monitoring; storage of documents and files, including digital photos, music and videos; the ability to remotely access both the server and the PC on your home network.

The biggest innovation in WHS is the way it interacts with storage devices: you can easily add or remove them and never have to deal with different drive letters or problems with hidden files Windows. WHS is highly extensible, so that third parties can optionally install add-ons to WHS that extend its functionality in some way.

Let's take a closer look at each of these features individually.

PC backup and recovery

WITH Windows release Home Server, Microsoft introduced three levels to users Reserve copy For latest versions its software. Backup Center and Windows Recovery Vista works with whole PC backup based on image file creation. Vista also includes the Previous Versions feature ( Previous Versions), which allows you to restore old versions of documents or other files directly from file system; the same function is performed by the System Restore tool. Windows Live OneCare 2.0 has a more convenient backup tool that can centrally back up all PCs on your home network that have OneCare enabled.

Windows Home Server offers you a third level of backup. As with OneCare 2.0, this feature provides a centralized backup of all PCs connected to your home network's home server. However, the WHS solution is better than what is in OneCare, firstly, because the backups will be stored in a more suitable place - the so-called "back room" of the home server, and secondly, because it uses less disk space, without creating duplicate files that haven't changed.

Windows Home Server Backup provides two main functions: it creates backup of the entire PC and then updates it daily, backing up new files so that you can later restore your computer to a point in time using the Computer Restore CD. It is also possible to search and restore some specific files or folders, as it would be when using Previous Versions on a local system.

PC and server status monitoring

Windows Home Server includes system health monitoring that works with both the server and the PCs connected to it. This function is again similar to the one in Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which offers us a similar ability to control the state of the home network. The health status of the entire system - the server and all clients - can be viewed using the WHS connection icon located in the system tray on each connected PC. If it is green, then everything is fine. Yellow color indicates a possible risk. Red indicates a critical issue. And blue indicates that this moment time, the PC in question is being backed up.

WHS determines the health of a system in many ways. For the server, it monitors the state and scope free space hard drives. On clients, backups are controlled to ensure that the system continues to function without problems, and, on systems with Windows Vista, in conjunction with Windows Security Center, the relevance is checked anti-virus databases system antivirus and other security software. Thus, if any computer in your home has outdated antivirus signatures, you can fix it and thus prevent system security problems.

The notifications that appear when a problem is detected can be very annoying, and those who have worked with OneCare are well aware of this. On the other hand, individual users can disable these messages from appearing in the system tray, which is a good idea for non-admin users.

Storage of documents and media files

While it's very easy to create a folder for storing files on any Windows system, and in Windows Vista this process has become even easier and safer, Windows Home Server allows you to perform these basic operations. different ways. From a logical point of view, the server is an ideal place to store file archives of any kind, although for many modern users this concept may seem unfamiliar. I've been using a Windows Server based server for many years and I find that the process was finalized in WHS. In my case, about 1 TB of disk space is required, but this figure is most likely too large for you. I think the entry level WHS will be sold with a 512GB hard drive. To increase productivity, you need two media. I'll explain why.

For an entry-level WHS can and will be used as a Windows machine to work with files. It includes standard file storage partitions such as Music, Photos, Public, Software and Videos and creates in them separate folders for each user (they are called “paul”). These areas have standard permissions by default. So even if the guest user has read access to files in the Public folder, only the user with the correct permissions can access full access to the paul area. The user interface for entering such settings is even easier than in any desktop Windows versions, and of course you can create your own sections if you wish.

But not everything about WHS is so simple: in addition to having simple and intuitive access to files and managing this access, WHS has a unique and innovative approach to file storage. For starters, any hard drive you attach to a server is added to the storage array so you don't have to deal with different drive letters. All you have to do is plug in a hard drive, external or internal, and tell WHS through its console (see below) that it's ready to use. WHS will work with any amount of disk space you can give it, limited only by your server's USB 2.0, Firewire, ATA, and S-ATA connections.

WHS also uses an innovative approach when it comes to the reliability of data storage. Instead of burdening users with complex technologies like RAID, WHS provides you with a very simple interface that ensures that all important files are duplicated across at least two physical media, so if something happens to one of them, you won't lose any important information. I set up WHS so that all my digital photos are duplicated in this way, but for videos I turned this feature off. The Duplicate Files feature has default settings and works automatically if you have two or more drives connected. However, you can customize this feature however you like.

Finally, WHS makes it easy to remove storage devices. So, if you want to disconnect the old hard drive and put in its place a new and more capacious one, it will be very easy to do. WHS will copy all the data from the old drive to the other drive and then remove it from the storage array so you can detach it. (Obviously, this will require free space on other media). Perfect!

Remote access

I currently have a Log Me In Pro subscription from Logmein.com for about $100 per year. This service allows me to connect to my home from anywhere in the world. Windows server Server 2003 R2, which until recently was my main data archive. Yes, for those who travel as much as I do, this type of service is extremely important: I can’t even tell you how many times I, already on the road, suddenly remembered that I forgot to copy an important file to my laptop. With Log Me In, I can download this and other files and even access my server's UI to perform other tasks.

Windows Home Server includes an excellent set of functionality, and best of all, they won't charge any extra fees for their use. With these remote access features, you can access your home server as easily as from any PC on your home network using a simple and efficient web interface. (You can only remotely access a PC on your home network if you are using Windows XP Pro, Media Center 2005, Tablet PC with SP2, Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate.) The remote access feature consists of three interrelated features:

Access to shared folders WHS
The contents of any WHS public folders such as Music, Photos, Public, Software and Videos, as well as any other public folders, are accessible through the web interface. There is even a special search box, similar to the similar Windows Live Search box, using which you will definitely find everything you need.

Access to home network PC
With PCs connected to WHS (in other words, PCs that have the WHS Connector client software installed), you can set up remote access similar to what you can use with a Windows client or server using Remote Desktop Access ( Remote Desktop). Of course, the convenience of using this feature will depend on the speed of your connection. But despite this, it's still great that a similar function can be used to access desktop machines while on the road.

Accessing the WHS Console
You can also access the WHS management console when you are connected to the WAN but are disconnected from your home network. The control interface is similar to that used within local network, although there may be some problems with the connection speed, and also do not forget the fact that the console will have to be used in a browser window, and not through a regular console window.

Not only did Microsoft make it possible for us to take advantage of such great features, but they also did a great job of making them easy to set up and use. Remote Access is disabled by default, so to start using Remote Access, you will need to use dialog box Settings to activate this feature and configure it. Enabling remote access can be both childishly simple and terribly complex, depending on which router you use on your home network. If you have a UPnP compatible router, then WHS will automatically configure it for remote access and you'll be fine. If not, you will need to manually configure your router using the instructions found in the WHS Help. The last way appears to be very problematic: I have never been able to properly configure my router myself, although updates to its firmware have allowed WHS to automatically configure it.

Here's what you need to do: In order to enable remote access to a specific PC, you will need to do some things with each PC, since it is not possible to do this through the WHS console. There are some differences between the course of action in XP and Vista. If we talk about Vista, then you need to open the Start menu, click right click mouse on the My Computer icon and select Properties. Then select Advanced system settings; in the System Properties window that appears, switch to the Remote tab. In the Remote Desktop section, select "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)". If you select the “more secure” version, the function will not work. Once remote access is enabled, Microsoft will give you a free URL that will look something like this: "something.homeserver.com" with whatever name you like instead of "something". This is not bad, although I would like to use the real Domain name(like something.com).

Installation and setup

Depending on how you choose to buy Windows Home Server, installing and configuring it will be long and hard, or long and easy. If you are going to install WHS on your own hardware, you should understand that this process will be quite laborious and will require many reboots, and subsequent settings will require some experience and time from you. However, those who buy new hardware for their home server will not face all these difficulties. Although in this case, you will have to spend some time setting up the server. However, all these steps, most likely, will have to be performed once. After you install the server, you will no longer refer to these actions and your “communication” with the server will take place remotely.

Initially, the setup process will involve installing the WHS Connector software, which comes on a separate CD. On client PCs (Windows XP SP2+ or any Vista version). The installer will connect your PC to the server in order to carry out subsequent backup processes and then complete the installation process. You will then be able to launch the WHS management console using the WHS Connector icon from the system tray. This unusual application is a remote desktop window that allows you to remotely control the server.

Once you install WHS, you will be presented with a very simple interface with buttons with Computers & Backups, User Accounts, Shared Folders and Server Storage at the top. There is also a network status icon and links to set up settings, as well as help. Here is what is available in the WHS management console user interface:

Computers & Backup

From here you can manage computers that are connected to WHS (that is, that have the WHS Connector software installed). By default, full backups of every PC connected to the server will be made, but you can change these settings at the driver level. For example, you could make it so that one specific hard drive on the system under consideration, and the rest were ignored. By default, WHS backs up PCs at times when they are lightly used (for example, at night), but you can manually trigger the backup process using the Connector icon in the system tray or using this interface. You can even start backing up from other PCs on the network.

User Accounts

Here you can create user accounts to give each user their own access to various server functions. You can use a guest account, but more often than not, you'll need to create new accounts for other users on your home computers to use. For example, I create an account for Paul, assign a complex password to it (the default required by WHS), and give this user full access to all shared folders.

If you intend to use remote access, you will need an even more complex password. To make it easier for you to work, you can account that you use on your PC and on WHS had the same username and password, although this is not required. However, if you choose to use this method, you will not need to enter a username and password every time you want to access file partitions via network interface Vista.

Shared Folders

Here you can see all the shared folders that are configured on the server, as well as manage the data duplication option, which determines whether certain files will be copied to another medium to ensure reliability. Here you can add new folders and configure existing ones, define access rights to these folders for each user.

Server Storage

In this section user interface WHS lists all hard drives currently attached to the server, whether they are configured for use by the server or for storage of any other information. Here you can add a new storage device to the server or restore the hard drive if it has any errors (this situation will be displayed in the WHS Connector icon as a system malfunction). If necessary, you can also remove the hard disk using that interface.

Settings
This little link opens the most complex UI in the entire console, the Settings dialog, which is divided into seven sections by default (although there will be more in pre-installed versions of the server).

These are the sections:

• general. This is where you set the date and time, region, Windows Update, and other basic settings.
• backup. Here you will find various settings for PC backup, including time window for data backup (default 12:00 am to 6:00 am); number of backups per month, per week and per day; etc.
• passwords. WHS by default requires the use of very complex passwords, because if some hacker can access your server from the network, he can take full control of the system, so all your valuable files, and also, if an attacker needs it, and all files on other PCs on your home network will be at risk. Here you can change the security policy regarding the passwords used.
• media sharing. Although they are disabled by default, WHS can distribute digital media files to Music, Photos, and Videos public folders using standard Windows Media Connect technology. If you enable this option, PCs and other compatible devices on your network (such as the Xbox 360) will "see" these server partitions and be able to access their content over the network.
• remote access. Here you can enable the Web server of your home server, configure your home router for remote access and networking, and set up your custom domain name (something.homeserver.com). Enabling these features, along with the shared media folders described above, pretty much provides the full functionality of this release of the WHS software.
• add-ins. Here you can install or remove any WHS add-on (see below).
• resources. Provides the same information as the About WHS window.

Expanding the functionality of a home server with add-ons

While WHS is already an excellent product in its own right, even for this first release, Microsoft was farsighted enough to allow users to extend the functionality of the product with SDK (Software Development Kit) add-ons. Developers can use this SDK to create new, unique features that they can use on the server. There are already many excellent add-ons available for download, many of which are free, and there will no doubt be more in the future. For a list of available add-ons for WHS, visit the We Got Served website for WHS.

What is not in WHS?

Despite its excellent set of features and the benefit of being able to use add-ons, Windows Home Server isn't perfect. The installation and configuration process is likely to be difficult for many users, although enthusiasts, who will no doubt be running WHS from this first version, are unlikely to have any problems. The management console is especially bad in this regard: it is implemented as a unique type of remote access window for which the only accessible view is the kind of console per se that resides within the local application window. This means that through this window you will not be able to access the main desktop, you will only be able to occasionally see and work with dialogs and other windows that run on the server. I would like the WHS team to create a real local application to manage the server. The current implementation of the console leaves much to be desired.

Another problem is in the process of configuring the router. While WHS can automatically configure most UPnP-enabled routers, there are a huge number of consumers who have purchased Wireless-G routers and are not looking to upgrade in the near future. If WHS can automatically configure your router, then it will be very easy and pleasant for you to work with it. If not, then you are out of luck, to put it mildly, since I personally could not, following Microsoft's instructions, manually configure the router to work with WHS. In my case, updating the router firmware solved the problem and everything is working fine now. But I'm sure this WHS omission will get a lot of regular users in trouble. There must be an easier way. For example, one could include a router in the home server hardware package, or even integrate this functionality into system unit devices. This would of course limit your device placement options, but I'm sure number one on the list of user complaints about the WHS bill would be the router setting.

While the WHS remote access capabilities are excellent, Microsoft does not account for potentially the largest market, not including Windows support Vista Home Premium. Home Premium does not have the remote access features needed to do this, but they must be added as part of the WHS Connector installation.

Windows Home Server does not support x64 clients. I can't imagine why this was done, but I hope Microsoft fixes this as soon as possible.

Anyone who has ever worked with Windows Media Center will want to see the same functionality in WHS. How wonderful it would be if the WHS system unit could be placed next to the TV, connect them, and only then use the functional Opportunities Media Center through the extender and your HDTV. So far, Media Center has been using the resources of regular home PCs, and in my experience - my family has been using this system for over a year with an Xbox 360-based extender in the living room - this is not the best solution. Media Center must be connected to the server and available for use, like other content, through technologies Microsoft Windows media connect.

WHS also lacks the ability to back up the server itself, or its content, to a second machine or dedicated storage device. (Or perhaps an online service). While third-party vendors will no doubt seek to implement this capability, WHS should include some built-in functionality of this kind. Many users will simply transfer their most valuable files from desktop computer to the server, not realizing that the server is physically no more secure than their regular PC. You can still lose your files.

Finally, while this is not a clear downside to WHS, I would like to point out one obvious problem with this product: consumers are not used to buying home servers. It's one thing to buy USB hard the drive is purely for file backup use, and it's quite another thing to spend $500-1000 on a PC-like server that sits in a corner somewhere and is never directly used. This is a concept product that will require some experience from the user. At the very least, when you buy an iPod, laptop, or other device of comparable price, you will have something that you can directly use. It looks like some people will be satisfied with submitting a Home Server.

How to get Windows Home Server?

Windows Home Server can be purchased in two ways: as a standalone software product that you can install on your own hardware (any modern PC will do; see the Microsoft website for details), or pre-installed on new home server hardware. Software version The product will not be sold in retail packaging, but is available from NewEgg.com and other online resellers in OEM packaging, which is targeted at system builders. you can find OEM version of Windows Home Server for about $200 which is quite reasonable. (Note that the current version of WHS installs and runs on 32-bit hardware; the next major release will most likely be 64-bit exclusively.)

If you're looking to purchase a Windows Home Server with new hardware, you should look to manufacturers such as HP, Iomega, Lacie, and more. Some of these devices are highly innovative and even attractive. I intend to write a review of the HP Home Server as soon as this product hits the market. And while I can't say anything about this product yet, I'll add that many Home Server vendors will be making some additions to the core functionality of WHS. Some of these additions will be quite valuable.

Conclusion

Windows Home Server is an excellent discreet product: you probably need it, but don't realize it yet. Although most of the functionality of this product is available in other software, I don't know of any software product that could, like WHS, offer them all at once, and even at such a reasonable price. PC Backup and Restore extends the functionality of Vista Backup and Restore Center and Windows Live OneCare, but is networked and automated without requiring expert knowledge from the user. Separation of documents, files and digital media content based on similar separation in Windows client operating systems is not new, but its use on a separate server, as well as the potential copying of files on two media, is a huge advantage. Monitoring the “health” of your PC and network will be invaluable to you if you are system administrator in my house, which I am in mine. Whereas I pay $100 a year for a remote access option that is only possible for one PC or server, WHS gives you the same option for free, plus it allows you to connect to all your PCs and servers and get a domain name.

The functionality of WHS can be extended very easily with add-ons. This is very important for those areas of the market that Microsoft has not addressed in its product, and may lead to new WHS features that are better than the built-in ones. Anyone interested in or already using WHS should pay attention to the thriving market for add-ons to this software product. There are many interesting things, most of which are of very high quality.

Of course, this is still the first version of WHS and lacks functionality in some areas. I would like to see some integration with Media Center so that, for example, TV shows can be recorded and then stored on the server. In fact, it would be even better to include all the Media Center capabilities in the WHS bundle right away, so that consumers can free up their PCs for more traditional uses such as the Internet, high-performance applications and games, without worrying that when the PC is rebooted or at startup DX10 new generation games may interrupt the TV program recording process. The installation and configuration process also needs to be improved, as in its current state it can scare away ordinary users. As in other matters, the management console, which should be remade as a real local application. Its current implementation leaves much to be desired.

All in all, WHS is a great solution to all those problems that you didn't even know existed. But make no mistake - these problems are very real and require a solution, which is WHS. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Home Server team does next, but even with this first release, they've done some magic. Anyone who doubts if it really is that good and simple should take a look at this product. Warmly recommend.

And so, I use Asus rt-n13u of the first version as a router. There is also a "white IP address" issued for not a lot of money by the provider.

Setting up a router for the needs of WHS 2011 can be done in 2 ways

1) Automatic

In this option, UPnP must be enabled on the router
What is UPNP can be read

Briefly - auto tuning network devices. After activating this function, WHS 2011 should determine the router model, assigned ip address, configure access rules on the router firewall.

As you can see, I have it turned off - I am a supporter manual setting:)
After that, in the server settings, in the administration panel, all available information about the connection of your WHS 2011 to the Internet should be displayed

2) Manual setting

There are not too many differences from automatic - here all the rules on the router need to be done by hand. UPNP - disabled. We need to configure -> NAT settings - Virtual server - this section may be called differently for you.

We go to the router and set up the rules. I have a little more rules, but I left those that relate to today's article in the figure.

For full operation, the following ports (TCP) must be opened and forwarded to WHS 2011:

443
80
4125

Now some comments on the drawing -
Local IP address - the address of your server

That's actually the whole setup. As you can see, setting up a piece of hardware for WHS 2011 is not a difficult task and no special knowledge is needed here.

Now a few words about the pros and cons of both options.
I am a supporter of manual settings. Yes, it may take a little longer, but it is reliable.
Automatic tuning is also not a bad option - but it didn’t work normally for me. WHS 2011 won't detect my router type...

Experienced Internet users know that access to the Web, as well as a number of network functions is carried out using servers - specially configured PCs with an installed OS. They are widespread in large companies, Internet service providers and other structures.

However, it often becomes necessary to organize a home server, for example, for a small office or personal needs. WHS 2011 is suitable for this - operating system Windows Home Server from Microsoft. After completing the basic setup, you will have access to a wide range of tools: from opening an Internet channel to filtering traffic for security purposes. If you are interested in a wider range of functions, then study detailed overview on OS.

How is the installation done?

The configuration process begins directly with the installation of the operating system. You can do this in the following ways:

• With installation disk;
• from a Flash drive (you will additionally need to select it in the BIOS menu).

The procedure is the same as installing a regular Windows OS. After rebooting the system and loading the working window, you will need to configure the . This procedure can be divided into several sections. Firstly, downloading the drivers that are needed for the components to work: processor, motherboard, Ethernet port and so on. Secondly, basic data: server name, connection type, password and other parameters necessary for work. Thirdly, setting global parameters.

1. Working environment. Here you select the performance priority, which depends on the power of the processor.
2. home group. A group is created for quick connection to a server of other computers and devices on the network.
3. Remote access. If you have a registered domain, you can add it to the system so that you can get remote access from anywhere in the future. This allows you to use the Internet to connect to the server for downloading files and other operations.

Ready, basic setup WHS 2011 is over.

Use licensed software

Home Server - powerful tool, which allows you to solve a wide range of tasks related to gaining access to the Internet. And in order to fully experience all the possibilities, you need to use licensed products. This will not only eliminate the need to make changes to the system using extraneous files, but also allow you to receive timely updates. You can purchase the original key for Windows Home Server in specialized online stores.

In this article, we will look at how to install your own DLNA server on Windows using the Home Media Server (HMS) program as an example.

Nowadays, it is increasingly required to have a DLNA server in the home network, since most modern TVs does not support data transfer protocols such as SMB or NFS, but only works via DLNA.

What is DLNA?

DLNA (English Digital Living Network Alliance) - a set of standards that allow compatible devices to transmit and receive various media content (images, music, video) over a home network, as well as display it in real time. That is - a technology for connecting home computers, mobile phones, laptops and consumer electronics into a single digital network. Devices that support the DLNA specification, at the request of the user, can be configured and networked automatically. (Source - Wikipedia)

Installing DLNA Home Media Server (HMS)

The installation of HMS is very simple, but we will still explain in detail how it works.

First you need to download the installer. At the time of writing, the official website was down. And it didn’t work a month before, so below is a link to download from our server latest version HMS:

(47.2 MB)

Let's get started with the installation.

We start the installer:

Here we are prompted to select the directory in which the installation files will be unpacked. Select a directory and click the " Run". After unpacking, the installation will start automatically.

Attention: Unpacked files are not automatically deleted after installing the program, I advise you to delete them manually after the installation is completed

After unpacking, we automatically start installing the program:

There are not many settings here. In this window, you select the directory where the Home Media Server (HMS) program will be installed and "Program Group" - the name of the folder in the Start menu.

After selecting the installation folder and folder name in the Start menu, all that remains is to check the box “create a shortcut to launch the program on the desktop”, if necessary, and click the “ Install«.

At the end of the installation, which takes less than a minute ( depends on your hardware), we are prompted to immediately launch the Home Media Server (HMS) program.

This completes the installation of the program.

DLNA Home Media Server (HMS) initial setup

So, we have a freshly installed DLNA server, let's run it and see what it offers us to configure first, and also make a couple of useful settings. Let's get started.

After the first launch of the program, we see the initial settings window.

In this window, we are prompted to select the device to which the media content will be broadcast. There are many templates in the list.

If you have not found your device or a device similar to yours, then you can leave the standard DLNA Device, as practice has shown, this does not greatly affect anything. Once selected, move on.

And then a choice of folders appears before our eyes, from which we will take media content. Folders with your media content can be selected now, or you can add them later. We'll take a look at how to do this below. After selecting the folders, click the " Ready«.

After the initial settings, we are offered to make a backup copy of the settings, image cache, database, and set up an automatic backup schedule. Let's not dwell on this now and move on. To do this, press the button " close«.

After that, the main window of the program appears in front of us. Let's move on to a few "important" settings at once.

On the left are the types of settings, on the right are specific settings.

Let's jump straight into additional settings and configure the autoload of the DLNA server with the PC turned on.

To do this, select points 2 and 3.

Now let's go to the tab " Server” and write down the name of our DLNA server. As we will see it online.

After changing the name, you need to add folders with media content (if you didn’t do this in the “initial setup or decided to add more folders. Everything is simple here. Press the button “ Add» (2) and select the folder you want to add. After that, it needs to Scan» (3) to get the files from the folder/folders to the server.

If you did everything right, then you should have your files on the right side (as in the screenshot highlighted in yellow).

If you have your files there, then we have quite a bit left. Launch and use. Everything is very simple here - press the button " Run«.

If you have "Windows Firewall" turned on, then the system will ask you whether to allow it access to the network. Choose which ones to allow access to and click " Allow access«.

Conclusion

We have installed the Home Media Server (HMS) program, or, to put it simply, we have set up a DLNA server on the Windows operating system.

It remains only to start the playback device (TV, media set-top box, mobile phone etc.) and check if our device is on the network and if it contains the files we need.

We hope this article has helped you. If something does not work out for you or you have questions - write comments, we will try to help.

OS installation.