You will need to set up accounts for each computer on the network and it is suggested that the login names and passwords should be the same as the ones used to login to that computer for easier access to the shared folders. The HP MediaSmart Server LX195 comes with 650 GB of storage space, but you can also attach up to four external drives to the USB ports and either configure these drives as additional storage, or as backup to the main server.
Backups can be done from either or both Windows and Mac computers. Each has their own software package installed to manage the backing up. PCs use Windows Home Server Console and the Mac uses Time Machine to handle the backups. Restoration can be on a file-by-file basis or use PC Restore CD to restore an entire hard drive.
If you are out on the road, you can set your HP MediaSmart Server up for remote access. This is done by setting up the server with a Web site address that will allow you to connect through the Internet and use your user name and password to access files. One thing to make note of is that some versions of Windows do not allow remote access.
The HP MediaSmart Server also supports Media Streaming which means that you can access your media from any of the attached computers there are a couple of different streaming engines, including an built-in iTunes server. This means that all music files copied to the music folder can be available for everyone on the network.
If you want to backup your backups to an off-site location, the Amazon S3 Storage service is available. Keep in mind that you will have to set up an account with Amazon and pay separately for the service.
There is also a photo publishing system that allows you to post photos from your HP MediaSmart Server to several different photo sharing Web sites as well as to the HP Photo viewer. The HP Photo viewer is an application that lets people remotely access the albums that you have created.
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