forum.excito.org

Hi,

I must say that bubba2 looks impressive but since I'm kind of new to linux and not that much of a "techie" could someone please help me with a comparison between windows home server, synology 207 and the bubba2?

I guess that the strong points of whs and synology are usability which is important for me, and I'm therefore extra curious about that aspect of the bubba2.

I've previously had a nas-unit based on linux (freecom fsg-3) but never managed to download and install any new applications at all. Therefore I'm also interested in the preinstalled functionality and have the following short questions:

1. How well does it work with my outlook mail-client and calendar?
2. How easy is it to set up a vpn?
3. Is it possible to install wordpress or b2evolution as a blogengine?
4. Is it possible to install gallery2 for handling images?
5. Is it possible to install joomla for content management?
6. Can I stream music, movies and internet radio to my other computers?
7. Can I install an external tv-card (maybe usb) and use it to stream tv as well?
8. Can I install mediawiki or another wiki-application?
10. How hard is it to get the back-up application to work?
11. How secure is it to use the mail- and webserver of the bubba2 I have a static IP-adress at home.
12. Is is possible to use all of the services above at the same time or is performance inadequate?

EDIT: I guess no is your answer, as I have no experience with either Windows Home Server or Synology... Here goes anyways:

Hello,

My answers are based on the first Bubba as I'm still waiting for Bubba 2 to arrive...

1. Email works just fine with Outlook. Don't know if there is further support for IMAP calendar functionality in Bubba 2.

2. I have still not found a linux VPN client that works with my employer’s VPN solution, but perhaps I'm unlucky. If you want to connect to your server from outside, there is always ssh, and that works like a charm.

3-5. I'm sure it is. If it is feasible is another question. Search these forums, I'm sure someone else has either done it or asked for it to be made possible before.

6. Yes

7. On the current bubba there would be a problem with the limited USB bandwidth. This should be improved in Bubba 2, but since I haven't had any experience with the new device I cannot answer this question.

8. I don't know mediawiki. But several forum members run wikis on their bubbas.

10. Not sure what backup application you are referring to.

11. That is up to you. Again I cannot comment on Bubba 2 as I haven't seen it yet, but the first model comes configured for home network use. It is not suitable to be directly exposed to the internet without some reconfiguration.
But as the new model has been designed to be acting as a router and firewall, I suspect you will get more such things out of the box.

12.
I find my bubba (first edition with only 64 MB memory) able to handle almost anything I can throw at it. The only time I have performance issues is when there is some torrent/ftp download/upload going on in the background and there are like 200 people connected to it. Or just one with a really fast download. Then it struggles. No point trying to stream video at that time, but then such things should happen when I'm not at home, that is the whole point of the thing. It is currently my email server, print server, FTP server etc. And it is hosting my web pages. It works just fine. It draws less power than my toilet light bulb and it is quiet enough to be constantly on in a one room flat without causing problems with my sleep.

Cheers,

Cheeseboy