[Samster]

Not sure of this is the right part of the forum but perhaps the mods can move it if not.

My wife and I have a desktop and a laptop but after redecorating the house we’d like to consider getting rid of the desktop and using the laptop only. However, I know it’s possible to still use the box as server (?) and use it for storage etc so we’re not clogging up the laptop with photos and music (we do not download a lot).

So I suppose the question is - what can I do with the desktop? My thoughts were to have it in a cupboard somewhere out the way but I’m not sure what type of cabling/wireless technology is required.

I’m a bit of a novice with this sort of stuff so please excuse me if it makes not sense but I hope someone has some ideas!

[etaf]

just connect it to a router and you can then share the harddrive(s) to the network for storage
Depends really on how much space it has available as to how useful
Also in a cupboard may not have the airflow and could result in desktop overheating

remember if you store all your important data onto this machine you will need to back up the data - when the desktop fails / harddrive fails you will possibly lose ALL the data

What network kit do you have now

[JohnWill]

Truthfully, I'd forget about sticking your computer in a closet and consider an inexpensive NAS. Think about the power requirements alone to continuously run the machine, that will quickly add up to more than the cost of the NAS.

I use two D-Link NAS units here, each in RAID-1, a DNS-321 and a DNS-323. Once a week, the DNS-323 backs up everything to the DNS-321 so I have two copies (that's the backup previously mentioned). The DNS-323 also includes a print server to allow connection of a USB printer that can be accessed by any computer on the network.

These units consume about 6 watts in standby vs. 150 or more for the typical desktop. Do the math, and don't forget cooling if you stick it in a closet...