Home Server Add-Ins


How To Install Add-Ins On Your HP MediaSmart Server

It may seem like installing add-ins is second nature to MediaSmart owners, but given that I've seen several people now ask how to do it in the forums, I thought I'd put together a simple guide explaining what add-ins are and how to install them. What Is a Home Server Add-In? First, those new to the MediaSmart Server and the Windows Home Server OS may not know what an Add-In is. Add-ins are programs and applications that can be installed to add new functionality to your server. Add-ins are written specifically for home servers, and because the home server is designed to be adminstrated and managed remotely, these applications are designed to snap into the home server console. Like any computer program, any third party can create and distribute an add-in to do just about everything. Many are useful and safe, but I always recommend using caution when installing third-party applications to your server. How To Install an Add-In to Your HP MediaSmart Server Step 1: Locate and Download the Add-In There are a variety of places you can find and download add-ins. Most add-in authors distribute them from their website or blog, and other sites have comprehensive lists for...

Add-In Review: HP Easy USB Transfer

Simply put, HP's Easy USB Transfer add in allows you to more easily move files between a USB drive and any 3.0 loaded HP MediaSmart Server or HP Data Vault. That's right, download and install a free add in so you can move files to your server. On the surface, it's not entirely clear why such an add-in is really necessary. After all, we've all been moving files from our USB drives to our MediaSmarts for years. Plug it into the PC, open up the share on the server, and drag and drop. How is this add-in any better? The major difference is where you plug in the drive. With the Easy USB Transfer add-in installed, you plug the USB drive directly into an open port on the MediaSmart rather than in your own PC. The upside with this approach is twofold: Plugging the drive directly into the server bypasses the need to send files over the network. This can result in much faster transfer speeds, particularly for those relying on 100Mbps fast Ethernet. With the drive plugged into the server, once you initiate the transfers, you can turn off your computer while it chugs away. Those with the occasional...