HP EX470 MediaSmart Home Server (AMD Live, Windows Home Server, 500 GB Hard Drive) Reviews

• Microsoft should be proud of their work, and a pretty HP box too!

  
  By A3RQ1ZKL3TYXDC on 2007-11-28
  First, I am programmer that works from home, with some expertise in setting up a usable home network. This little box allows me to remote in when i am on the road, replace a few NAS drives, simplify backup, AND share music and photos. There's only one REAL BIG complaint that I have, and that's working with 64 bit systems. I will go into that...
  
  I added 3 1TB drives to this in minutes without shutting the system down. The drive sleds are very innovative, as they require no tools to use. You just need to lift a handle, pull out the sled, and place the new HD in using pins that flex to hold the HD in place. You then just put the drive back in its bay and lock the lever/handle in place. Visually, there is a light for each drive that will show you it is ready for use. You must use the WHS console to add the drives to your existing storage, and the light goes from purple to blue - and is ready to use. What is cool here is that your users don't see 4 different drives, but just 1 with all the space as if the existing drive automatically grew. If you want to replace a drive with larger capacity, it is simple as well. You use the console to remove the drive. When you remove a drive, WHS will copy the data off of that drive to the others (if they have room to do so) and then tell you when it is safe to dismount it.
  
  Before this, I was using 4 seats of gotomypc professional for just under $600. 3 for my machines, and 1 for my wife's. I got the pro level because I wanted to administer all of the boxes centrally. My wife is definately not as technical as I am, but she needs access to her files from work and home (she works in higher ed, and is also working on her master's). Using the network shares and the web interface, she no longer has to rely on her laptop being on with gotomypc running. She can still remote in if her laptop is on, but she now can get the files she needs, and edit them at work. And send them back so she has the most up to date at all times. I am keeping 1 account of gotomypc active, because you cannot remote into a 64 bit OS from the web interface at this time. But the cost savings here almost pay for this alone!
  
  I have three NAS drives, and two of them are going away as obsolete. I mainly used them for backup using Retrospect. I still am keeping Retrospect for my Windows x64 boxes and my linux clients, as the backup doesn't support 64 bit OS's at this time. I am backing up to the WHS thru Retrospect, and it is being backed up to the other NAS. The WHS allows you to duplicate shares to multiple drives, so this is in a since like having 3 backups of the data. For the 32 bit Windows clients, this backup is near perfection. It's mindlessly simple to set up, and it keeps multiple backups and automatically disposes of the older ones if you need the space. The mindless backup for 32 bit clients is easily paying for the rest of the cost of this box.
  
  So for 64 bit users, this may not quite be for you just yet. Microsoft has stated that they are working on the 64 bit client for WHS, but gives no release date. As soon as they get this, it will serve my needs much better. Both remoting and backup can be solved for 64bit OSs if you have the know-how, so it's not as terrible as some might make it, but is annoying enough that I deducted 1 star for each.
  
  The sharing functionality for music/video is really nice. Two of the pre-existing shares are called "music", and "video" and if you have a media center extender/XBOX360, it will show up there as a media center with whatever playable content you happen to put there. It won't magically allow you to play iTunes AACs, but any format that your media center could play, it will work. If you do have iTunes - it may add more value because you can have the system create a music database from ALL of the iTunes user's machines. I use iTunes and so does my wife, but this won't work for us because I'd like to be able to use the music directory directly available to iTunes for each of us, so that we both share the same song list, and if she buys a song, then it shows up in my iTunes library and I can make a playlist with that song in it. This is *almost* how it works with the iTunes sharing here. I can see a shared system named "HP MediaSmart Server" but you can't copy the songs locally, and you can't edit the playlists it contains. Kind of a bummer, but it may work for you.
  
  The photosharing web application is a nice idea. You can make albums using photos from your machine - but suprisingly you can't just pick from the "photos" share on the drive. So if you want to do that - you must map a drive to the "photos" share and choose them that way. Not very efficient to copy from the network instead of directly from the disk! You can then create a list of people to share the album with, and send out a message to look at your album. You can choose existing users you've set up for remote access, or create a visitor profile. This allows you send it to Grandma and not have to create a "Grandma" user on the server itself. Very nicely done.
  
  Another small caveat is if you use TZO for Dynamic DNS currently. You need to call TZO to get your existing account setup correctly on the box.
  
  Update 3/11/08:
  
  I've had the EX470 for 4 months now, and I am still confident that at this time it warrants a 3 of 5 star review. There is still no connector to Vista Ultimate 64bit. I have not used the photo sharing application because there are just much better options on the internet. I do stream to my XBOX 360 and PS3 - but you can't stream MP4 based video - so this means no M4Vs, no DivX/Xvid. It has no problems streaming MPEG movies, so this is a limitation of both the PS3 and 360.
  
  In terms of add-ins - I have tried a lot of them, but kept 2 - Jungle Disk and LobsterTunes. Jungle Disk uses the Amazon S3 SOAP APIs to back up your home server's share files online. It is slow, but it works and is very cheap to use. It does not backup the WHS OS or local files - just the shares. LobsterTunes exposes my music collection to my smart phone. It does not stream them, but makes a local copy on the device - so make sure you have an unlimited and fast data plan for this. I've used it to pull up obscure music for a friend to sample, and it's a keeper. I have also installed Raxco's PerfectDisk software to keep the drives from becoming overly fragmented.
  
  I have upgraded the memory to two gigabytes as well. This should be the standard in these servers. It made a HUGE difference in throughput and response times from the WHS OS. I have also installed my own SSL certificate because I was sick and tired of seeing the bad certificate message everytime I used the web interface. Most people won't get this problem because they are using the standard windowshomeserver.com domain. Those that use custom domains will know what I mean.
  
  Microsoft had promised a patch due at first in January, then slipped to February, then March. Known as Power Pack 1, it is supposed to add support for 64 bit Windows clients, allow you to back up the OS itself, and other smaller niceties. I wouldn't hold your breath for this patch. The slippage occurred because of a nasty bug in WHS ( google for KB #946676). This bug causes files to get corrupted if you attempt to modify the files directly on the home server. It will only affect WHS boxes that have multiple hard drives for storage. Now, all storage drives on the OS will show as one drive, with WHS constantly monitoring and moving the files around to "balance" the amount of space used on each drive. The problem is that in order to show the shares as a single drive, their contents are mapped and cached in memory. It's basically like a switchboard operator that knows where your files are supposed to be. Most of the time, there is no problems, but the mechanism to update the switchboard operator's lookup is not keeping up with the balancing when there is a lot going on. So instead of getting Klondike 5-3226, now your getting mostly that, but maybe a bit of Klondike 5-3227.
  
  I've only had this happen once, to my wife. She wanted to archive some of her Outlook email, so she created a PST on the server and moved the emails over to the new PST. The corruption occured in the middle of this - and she lost all of the emails that were copying over to the share. This was an easy solve issue, because the WHS backup had run and she only ended up loosing the last 5 emails she received. Now, I have trained her to save locally and copy to the server, and pull down from the server first, modify and repeat. There have been no problems since.
  
  

• HP QUALITY

  
  By A2I98OOPNIJNYY on 2007-11-21
  I have owned and operated HP micro and mini computers since 1982. The name "Hewlett Packard" has for me always stood for quality (except when Compaq was acquired). I just got my EX470 direct from HP. Since the holidays are here I couldn't wait for a preordered unit from Amazon - so I paid a little more to get it direct from HP. [If you are not in a hurry then Amazon is the way to go - as I would not trust any other mail order house to order sophisticated electronics]. The EX470 is a one 500GB windows home server. The EX475 has two 500GB drives. I opted for the one 500GB drive so that I could fill the other 3 bays with 1 TB Seagates (7200.11) so that I could have 3.5TB of needed storage. [See Tomshardware dot com for a great review of those drives. If you are interested I ordered the drives for a great great price from NewEgg.] It is important that you have at least 2 drives in this unit to enable the server to make 2nd backup copies of important files that are backed up from your several PCs on your network, otherwise you risk losing your backup in the event that a hard drive on your server quits.
  
  Anyway, the unit is a piece of art - you can't stick the thing in a closet - as it is too pretty! Very well made hardware. This is not a piece of plastic that rattles, rather it is tightly assembled, dense (surprisingly) and well, beautifully put together. Mark my words, you are getting far more for your money by buying this hardware than anything you have purchased for less than $600 in the past! I simply plugged in the power and the gigabit lan and presto - we're connected. After a minute or so system test you incert the appropriate discs into one of your networked computers and within 15 minutes you are up and running.
  
  I have yet to configure the remote capabilities of the server and will wait until I understand what I am doing. One thing you don't want to do is make all your personal data available to anyone on the internet! So I will go a little slow in that department. Once I get my other Seagate drives on Monday I hope to add to this post. If for some reason I gave too many stars to this review I will make it known in that supplement that my opinion has changed. However I doubt that that will happen! :) Buy it - you'll like it.
  
  UPDATE: OK it is now January 9, 2008. Since my initial review I have replaced the original Seagate 500GB drive with a 1TB Seagate 7200.11 one, and installed 3 other 1TB Seagate's in the other 3 bays. In addition, I have also added a Rosewill eSATA external HD enclosure and added another 1TB Seagate drive. Now I have 5TBs and I feel I will need more space after a year or so.
  
  For those of you who are kicking the tires on this Windows Home Server, I would stick with HP. In a few more weeks both HP and Microsoft will be coming out with a series of software upgrades and enhancements. There will be features for you to actually backup all or part of your Windows Home Server. 64 bit clients as well as 32 bit clients will have complete functionality. Moreover, McAfee virus protection will be added on a 6 month free trial (which is good if you plan to do remote sharing). [Microsoft is also working on a fix of certain corruption problems people have had using certain software to edit and save to the server directly.] So far I am completely happy with my purchase. I am looking forward to the exciting new add-ins that will be available for this unit in the future. I would give this unit six stars if I could. :)
  
  

• Amazing capabilities... and really fun to look at!

  
  By A2EWEE0LE0T183 on 2007-11-14
  I've been haivng fun with this product for the past few days. The setup was a breeze - I was up and running in under 1/2 hour. I had heard of some people in the windows home server beta having trouble with setting up remote access, but it worked fine for me.
  
  My favorite features so far... streaming my music and videos from the server over to my Xbox 360. My second favorite... having all of my PCs automatically backed up (and it's fast - the backups each night take only a few minutes on my 2 Vista and 2 XP PCs).
  
  The remote file access works as advertised but I wish it had a better interface... like the photo sharing app. that HP includes.
  
  I'll share more as I play with it more, but so far, it's surpassed my expectations.
  
  

• Does not work with 64bit Clients!

  
  By A2Y9JX0WRNZGD7 on 2007-11-26
  Was looking forward to this box all week. I get home from work, plug it in and put the disk in my PC and...You can not install HP MediaSmart Server on this version of Windows. Where did it say on amazon or hp that is won't support 64bit? Nowhere! Except here after I wasted my time getting this box http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01212412&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3548165&lang=en
  
  

• HP EX470 MediaSmart Server good and bad

  
  By A3KHG1OYOE57JQ on 2007-12-18
  Had good experience setting up and getting it running. Had one issue on first install because the setup is so SLOOOOOW. Once I learned to just go get a cup of coffee and give it time it was ok. I had to deinstall and reinstall the admin software.
  
  Imagine my surprise when I installed the client SW on all my machines then when I fired up my laptop it demanded a password! Since all 7 of my home computers are single user I never use passwords. But now we do because WHS demands that they be used and by installing the HP software on a client it magically now requires a password to use the machine.
  
  It appears to me that on all "my" machines where I use the userid of Rob, WHS set up the start up page of my computers to demand a password for the first time. On the wife's machine since her USERID matches her WHS account, it now demands that she enter her WHS password in order to gain access to her laptop. A little feature.
  
  Also, I discovered that logging on to the admin for WHS is totally different than logging on as a user. In fact, I have been logged on to both at the same time many times from ALL of my networked computers. If I am logged on to one computer then log on as admin on another computer it terminates the session on the first and creates a new one on the second one. Once I figured out the difference I was ok but till I figured out this little feature it was interesting.
  
  I treat the box as hot swappable and just left it running while I added or subtracted drives. I installed two unformatted WD .5TB drives to go with the factory .5TB drive it came with. They dont show up in the user account but do show up in the administrator account as unused. I sellected them, added them and within a few minutes (surprisingly quickly) the added 1TB of space showed up on my user account. I then added a 160 MB drive and same experience. Two days later, I received another .5TB drive from New Egg and in the admin account told the Server to empty the 160MB drive and left it alone for half an hour. When I came back, the now reduced total drive space showed up as a single number in my user acccount and the admin account showed the 160MB drive unused. I swapped out the 160 for the .5TB drive and within a few minutes it showed up, I added it in the admin account and it showed up in my user account as added space to the virtual single drive. Very easy and quickly done.
  
  I have 200+ movies in ITUNES and am on the way to 600+ so I need a lot of space and it needs to be expandable. This little box does that very nicely. My migration plan is to continue to migrate to 1TB drives in the future when the price point gets where I want it or I really need the space.
  
  I hoste ITUNES on my quad-core server to 3 AppleTVs but have outgrown the HD space on that server. So the ITUNES library is hosted on a separate 1TB NAS. I use the HP EX470 MediaSmart Server as the backup and share point for the growing ITUNES library file.
  
  The good news is that the HP SW went out and found the existing ITUNES library and imported a copy to HP EX470 MediaSmart Server (sloooowly but surely). The bad news is that the HP ITUNES SW does not look below the album layer in the ITUNES library. ITUNES saves all added movies as MPEG4 files INSIDE a "Movies" album folder in ITUNES library. This works fine for ITUNES but . . HP EX470 MediaSmart Server does not look below the folder level (album) so once it does an import it treats the "Movies" folder in my master ITUNES library as "old" and does not import any movies added below the movies folder level.
  
  I use CUSOFT to convert my DVDs to MPEG4 and drag them into ITUNES. I have now started dragging imported movies to both ITUNES on the quad-core server and to the "Movies" folder in HP EX470 MediaSmart Server and it works just fine. Would be nice if HP could actually fix this little problem but
  
  Another little feature is the ITUNES share folder in HP EX470 MediaSmart Server saves imports from each separate computer in to a unique folder created internal to the HP EX470 MediaSmart Server ITUNES share folder. It does not apparantly create a single integrated ITUNES library. It does save off the ITUNES data files that you can then point to from any ITUNES client and play.
  
  I also discovered that HP EX470 MediaSmart Server is not found by the wife's laptop that is connecting through a wireless hub. (Apple Extreme) All ethernet linked boxes find it just fine. I am going to have to reconfigure my network by connecting the Apple Extreme hub to my 24 port switch and see if that works. BUT I can connect using the web interface from the laptop over the wireless. If I enter the HP EX470 MediaSmart Server IP into Internet Explorer it comes right up. You can get at data (photos) but with that interface you do not get all the photo management features.
  
  Once I discovered this little feature I then logged on to my HP EX470 MediaSmart Server as 1) admin, 2) user and then brought it up in the 3) web interface. Very interesting. But it still will not connect up through my COMCAST SMC8013WG modem.
  
  MY BITCH ABOUT HP EX470 MediaSmart Server is that HP basically has no viable support for the device.
  
  I tried to do email support and its not available.
  
  I tried to do online support and its not available.
  
  I tried online support and with the exception of FAQ you can't get any support from the HP website.
  
  So I called. And I got a person who spent 10 minutes creating an support account and trouble ticket then transferred me to . . . nowhere.
  
  I had a great deal of difficulty understanding the individual who while very nice and caring does not speak the same version of English that I have for 60 years. Not being critical but unless you feel very comfortable with figuring out this little box on your own . . . getting any support from HP is problematical at best.
  
  I have yet to find a way to feed back to them the issue with ITUNES even.
  
  Having said that, I LOVE this little box so far. It does everything except share folders online which is probably a unique problem to my situation. It connects to the internet ok as a client but will NOT communicate as an FTP site for photo sharing.
  
  
• Very nice - a few flaws
  By A284Y9E8UP7FNJ on 2007-11-27
  First of all, this should be in everyone's household to help backup data on a regular basis (and share files). It's a great, easy solution. That said, there are two main issues with it:
  
  1) Disk and data are not really redundant. In theory, if a disk fails, you simply pull it out and put a new one in with no data loss. In reality, with WHS you must specify which folders you want duplicated. If you don't and a disk fails - you have no idea what data you lost! Ideally they make this thing as easy as Drobo where you don't worry about it.
  
  2) Silent backups. We use mainly use laptops in our family which are off at night. If you miss a backup, I wish it would just do it silently in the background (like "Proactive backups" on EMC Retrospect), rather than popping up alerts all the time.
  
  Other than that - this system has a lot of promise and should be used for backups by anyone with more than one computer and a network!
  
  
  
• A Microsoft product that works - REALLY WELL
  By A2J8T58Z4X15IO on 2007-12-23
  It's hard to describe how happy I am about this product without sounding like an idiot.
  
  First of all the basics; it's a nice looking device. It's VERY quiet, and cabling is nice and simple; power and ethernet. Included in the box is the device, the cables you need, a set of CD's and a getting started guide.
  
  On the back is an eSATA port (not shown in the Amazon photos or mentioned), 3 USB ports for more storage and a USB port on the front.
  
  You plug it into your network, install the CD and you are good to go. No fooling around with product activation, no 30 minute setup.
  
  The software; it's spectacular. Microsoft made this easy to use without treating you like a fool. Setting up shared storage and scheduling a backup couldn't be easier. If you ever need to restore, then you just pop in the included boot CD into the target machine and it'll let you restore backups stored on the server.
  
  The 500Gb (or 1Tb) drive is fine for most people, but in my case I added some more drives. You just pop them into the cradle, slide them into the server and select "add" in the control panel. It automatically turns them into one large drive you can access. You can then select in the control panel which directories you want to duplicate (mirror) and it will make a backup copy onto one of the other drives. If you ever need to remove a drive, it will let you copy the contents onto the other drive(s) before doing so.
  
  Another cool feature is the iTunes server; it will copy your local iTunes library onto the server in the background so you free up space on your PC and have a network accessible iTunes server on your lan.
  
  All in all $577 WELL SPENT. There are other solutions out there (Drobo, Infrant, FreeNAS) but this integrates perfectly in Windows and is in my opinion the best value for money.
  
  
• Great server, great software
  By AA98GW5LPFBNC on 2008-03-26
  Disclosure: I was a beta tester on software of this product beginning a year ago, so I have a rather strong bias in favor of it.
  
  Since I build my own computers, I used Microsoft's beta version of Windows Home Server as it moved slowly through various beta versions. I agonized as various bugs appeared, but never did I lose any backups and with each new version WHS became more stable. When the final version was released in late fall 2007, I managed to snag a copy and installed it on an old computer. It ran like a champ.
  
  So why did I opt for the HP version? Quite simply, I wanted a small server (this thing's a lot smaller than it looks) that would use far less energy than my old "warhorse" from days gone by. So what do you need to know that other reviews may not have told you?
  
  1. For optimal performance, you really need to be running a gigabit network. This may be as simple as buying a gigabit switch. You may have a salesman tell you that CAT5e cable won't run gigabit, but that's not true. As long as you don't have huge cable runs, you'll be just fine. If you can't run a gigabit network, you'll have a really long first backup, but after that WHS is smart enough to only backup what's changed, so things will go faster.
  
  2 You can't back up a computer with FAT32 formatting. Surprise! My wife's old computer is still FAT32 and I get a message saying I have to convert the drive to NTFS. Ok, but that means I have to find a way to backup her data before I back it up. Hmmm . . .
  
  3. Now this is cool: I set my computers to run backups between 1:00 and 4:00 AM. Then I put the computers in sleep mode, which effectively shuts them down. During the middle of the night the server wakes up the computers, does the backup, then puts them back to sleep. A lot of energy saved there! You can have up to 10 home computers installed, not likely, but it's there if you want it.
  
  4. Adding storage is ridiculously easy. You just slide out a tray in the HP Server, drop in a drive and slide it back in. No screws or wires. And everything is on the front. Also, the server runs "headless" which means you don't need a keyboard, mouse, or monitor to set it up.
  
  5. I added another 500GB drive (for $109) which gives me 1TB of storage. The HP Server comes with a Seagate 500GB drive installed and a 1TB version is also available. Here's another cool feature. In case you don't want to trust all of your backups to one drive you can set up your HP home server to write your data to two drives, so if one fails, you've got a complete backup on the other drive. Of course this takes more space, but . . .
  
  6. The WHS software only backs up one instance of each file. So if you have the same picture on three computers, it saves space by only writing one instance of the file. Really smart.
  
  7. Remember, WHS is not just for backups, but for sharing files across your network, and potentially across the world. Depending on your ISP, that may be easy or potentially difficult, but that's not really the fault of WHS.
  
  Other goodies: You can check the server temperature, fan RPM's and voltages from any computer on the network -- if there's a problem you'll be alerted on your computer; the front of the server has status lights which change colors according to the health/status of the server, and you can set the brightness of the lights (in case it's in your bedroom). It's quiet, but I have it in the basement and anything would seem quiet next to the multi-fan monster it replaced.
  
  And finally, WHS is based on the business Windows Server 2003, which is rock stable. While the HP EX470 is not going to wind up in every home in America, if you're a computer enthusiast you won't have much trouble justifying this purchase. I've spent a lot more money over the years on backup solutions that were tedious and didn't really put a backed up file within easy reach. With WHS you can restore a single file or the entire drive. I restored my laptop drive when I upgraded to a larger drive and it worked quickly and perfectly.
  
  So stop worrying about your backups. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. Microsoft and HP hit a homerun with the HP EX470.
  
  
• Wonderful Idea... Destroyed by Microsoft
  By A2QSDXDDW1TISD on 2008-05-19
  First, this box from HP is great, it's amazingly small, attractive and easy to use (and it comes with all the drive trays, start doing that with your real servers HP, instead of gouging us with overpriced, relabeled drives or forcing us to gray market trays.)
  
  As is so often the case, Microsoft has made some great innovations with WHS, promised quite a bit and it really has potential. Unfortunately, it's all for naught thanks to Microsoft and their unwillingness to correct mistakes or take unsafe products off the market.
  
  For 6 months now, WHS has been made useless (in my opinion) by a data corruption bug that basically destroys data when edited if the WHS has more then one drive.
  
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946676
  
  Microsoft and HP should be utterly ashamed for continuing to sell this product. It is unsafe and could actively destroy you otherwise safe data.
  
  DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT WITH MULTIPLE DRIVES.
  MAKE NETWORK SHARES READ ONLY.
  DON'T EDIT FILES ON THE WHS, BACKUP ONLY.
  
  Don't take my word, here's HP on the matter:
  
  "HP recommends that you not open/edit files directly from the server until this fix is delivered."
  
  
• Absolutely Awesome (and simple)
  By A2JJ1Y65AX250H on 2007-12-18
  I just received the server yesterday after having it overnighted. I was so stoked to be getting it. I was able to set up the server, install the software, configure the remote access, guest accounts and permissions within minutes. I work in the software industry so I have a little bit more know-how than someone who doesn't but it was still pretty easy - except for configuring the router (more on that in a minute) for remote access.
  
  The box is just so cool - the lights and being able to control the brightness is sweet. I placed it on my desktop it's so small and quiet. This has to be one of the best NAS devices available (and is smaller and more stylish than anything else out there). I'm planning on adding three 1 TB drives tomorrow to increase the storage.
  
  One of the first things I did was copy my music library and photos to the server and also a couple of DVD's that I ripped (yes, legally). I have an XBox 360 attached to one of my TV's upstairs and I was able to immediately browse to the box, play my music and have a photo slide show running with no work at all (literally I just had my XBox search the network and it found the MediaSmart server and I didn't have to do anything at all).
  
  So, my two complaints: I have a full network running at home with a Windows Server 2003 domain which has Routing and Remote Access enabled which then plugs into my router and then into my cable modem. Using the auto configure router just doesn't work. I suspected I would have issues but it was still annoying. Still, that only took a few minutes to overcome.
  My next issue is usernames. Because you can't join the MediaSmart server to a domain I can't use my username/password to log onto it. The instructions say to create the same username and password, but doesn't let you use the domain username (the username on the client keeps resolving to the domain). So, you have to create a different username. It's a minor nit and I know why Microsoft did it that way, but it's still a pain.
  
  Aside from these two minor, minor items, I LOVE this NAS!!!!
  
  
• Great technology!
  By A3JOYHJODEGFNB on 2007-11-27
  This server is a breeze to set up. HP has done a great job simplifying the setup process, and I had it running within minutes. The capabilities of Windows Home Server are outstanding; backups of my home PC's and the ability to share photo files between users are so easy to set up and use. The price is well worth it; anyone with more than one PC at home and the need to backup and share files will find this a great technology for such use.
  
  
• Amazingly Simple Setup
  By A1PGU604ZLS5ZV on 2007-12-06
  From the hardware to the software this baby rocks. This should be the operating system Microsoft says, "WOW!" about. Out of the box to up and running with backups configured on three computers took about 30 minutes.
  
  The hardware is well thought and well built. The server is slightly taller and wider than my HP Media Vaults, but not as deep. The overall look is a very nice, professional piece of hardware. Adding additional hard drives is a breeze and can be done without shutting the server down. The best part is all the storage looks like one space; no guessing where a file has been saved. External drives can also be added to the storage pool via USB 2.0 ports and an eSATA port.
  
  On the software side, there is the connector software that is installed on each client PC and then the actual server operating system. The home server's "console" can be access from any client PC. Here all the day-to-day administrative aspects of the server can be managed from one simple interface. Additional capabilities are available through third-party plug-ins in this console. For more in depth administrative work you can use a Remote Desktop Connection to directly access the operating system like you would any other Windows computer.
  
  The nightly back ups are fast and efficient. You can specify how many copies of daily, weekly and monthly back ups the server should keep. The one downside here is an inability to set backup times for specific computers. The scheduled time is for all computers, though a five minute warning does appear and allows the user to delay a backup for one hour.
  
  Overall, this is an incredible computer and a must for multiple PC households and small offices (up to 10 computers) needing centralized storage and automatic backups.
  
  
• Remote Access Doesn't Work With Vista Home Premium
  By A1LHS0JZLKR9ZI on 2007-12-21
  Great system but it seems te remote access feature cannot be used unless you are a Ultimate, Enterprise, or Business user of Vista. This is a Microsoft's restriction not an HP restriction.
  
  HP is to blames somewhat as I have not found this anywhere in the documentation and you won't discover this flaw until you purchase it.
  
  I give one star because remote access to my PC was the reason I bought the server.
  
  Alas, it cannot be done without an upgrade.
  
  
• Finally!
  By A1FXK1FN2QJSO9 on 2007-11-30
  I have been looking for a system to manage my media and files. The problem is finding affordable NAS servers. This worked like a charm!
  
  The good:
  It's compact - The HP pic makes it appear larger than it is
  It was up and running with in less than a half hour
  Adding additional 1TB drives was a snap (easy no tool required)
  Easy setup for alternative computers (not using the software)
  Quite & the lights are controllable
  
  The Wish list:
  It would have been nice to allow the console to install a printer Having multiple computers running with a central printer is a great option (can be installed if logged into the actual server). You can access the server with Remote Desktop, be warned read the MS notice on what not to do. Apparently they did not remove some standard Windows Servers applications and if used (user manager, disk manager, shared folders, data access) the server will get broken...
  
  There are a bunch of add in's that are coming out already more are certainly going to come out...
  
  Fun fact:
  
  Easter Egg's; HP has hidden a unique little feature. When in the server console (Media Server tab) press your shift - control - alt and click on the picture of the media server. A Easter egg will appear allowing you to select different light patterns for the front display.
  
  Great little device!
  
  
  
• Absolutly no support from HP
  By AX89XUHGK1MYT on 2008-01-20
  I have a file copying and deleting problem with this server. There is (as mentioned in another post ) no email or chat support for this product. The phone support is really bad....After several attempts and reroutes nad about 40 minutes of being shuffled between desktop and business server support I was put on hold with an announcement in french and after another 10 minutes connected to a pocket PC support tech. He said that all the mediasmart techs were very busy and that he didn't know why I had been connected to him. He created a case number and told me they will call back, but I doubt this will happen.
  My guess is HP has bitten off more than they can chew in trying to support this OS. I would advise anyone looking at this to buy a generic box and buy Windows Home Server directly from Microsoft where there might be some hope of support. (If you buy this product you are forced to use HP support
  
  
• Not ready for prime time
  By ALM3BMFYWEXKR on 2007-12-10
  This product is not ready for prime time. Here are the specifics. Hp has a problem with "SOME" switches. We tried 3 switches (Belkin vision gigabit wifi station and two dlink switches). We could only make a management connection with the oldest dlink switch. Customer support said this was an issue they were looking into but that they could not point to any known good products that we could use. BAsically with two people working on this for 6 hours and little support and followthrough from customer support it was returned.
  The install script is all automated and does not allow for any real advanced troubleshooting. It also does not really let you inovate to try and get the thing working.
  One good idea we did get was to use the remote desktop connection feature of windowsto get into the box. YOu will need to have been able to set the admin password but if you have gotten the setup to work once the admin user name is "Administrator" and then the password you setup through the install wizard.
  
  I am truly disappointed and will be very happy when this beta product ships as a ready for prime time server.
  
  
• Dead on Arrival
  By AX6QEI8HB3360 on 2007-12-25
  I am generally a big fan of HP products (the computer I'm using right now is an HP) but I was sorely disappointed when I went to set up the HP EX470 on Christmas morning to find out it was "dead on arrival". When I contacted HP about it they told me that they were aware of the problem (4 red lights on the hard drives) but they don't have a replacement process in place so the only remedy is to contact the store I bought it at and ask for a replacement, which isn't much comfort since the EX470s are currently on backorder.
  
  
• Great box. Needs more memory!
  By A1YTVJAI14KG6 on 2007-12-17
  This is a pretty good server. I was unhappy with the memory limitations (the box was pretty slow). However, with a little bit of memory upgrade I was able to do things like run sharepoint and wsus.
  
  The console of this server is MUCH more responsive with the memory, I can't stress this enough. You can go to http://homeserver.netartifex.com if you want to see how to do the upgrade. For 69 bucks and a 2G stick of ram it can't be beat.
  
  In all you can add hard drives to your hearts content. I highly recommend going all SATA if you can afford it. Today that means you can squeeze 4TB inside the chassis!
  
  The plastic is a little flimsy so be careful when putting new hard drives in.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Perfect Fit
  By A11UHLC3EQLT4C on 2008-01-01
  Great product. Automatic backups are fast and simple. Ability to restore previous versions of files in addition to deleted files is fantastic. The physical box is much smaller than I thought it would be.
  
  
• HP EX470 MediaSmart Home Server Excels.
  By A2C1V0ZIBMSL3N on 2008-01-07
  I purchased the HP EX 470 MediaSmart Home Server in early December and am very pleased with the device; it does exactly what it promised to do. The device itself is beautifully designed, very quiet and would look good where ever you put it.
  HP has not setup email support for the unit yet but the toll-free phone support worked very well for me, after navigating through the voice menus I was connected to tech support in India (I think) as soon as I gave them the model number I was reconnected to the US phone support, where a technician answered my question in minutes.
  The entire setup process could not be easier and take only minutes. Installing software on the client computers, XP and Vista was easy as well.
  The user's ability to build a central music and media library on the server is a big selling point for this unit. HP has added a nice application in its Photo Web share software which allows you to share your photos on a secure website with family members anywhere and allows them to add their own photos as well; while you control the permission level of all your visitors.
  The only problem so far is a security certificate that was obtained by Microsoft, signed by GoDaddy.com. The certificate shows up as being a unknown certificate authority when you use the TZO.com DNS service that HP has contracted with. This problem can be handled with Firefox as an "exception" and with Safari and a "trusted site" but I have been unable to mute the warning with IE7, even installing the certificate in my trusted store fails to satisfy the certificate error problem. I've told my family to ignore the warning this one time.
  Finally I love the fact that Microsoft has released the SDK for the server to developers to encourage development of add-ons for the application. Several add-ons have been developed already and I am sure more are to come.
  On January 7 at CES, Microsoft announced a Power-pack 1 release for the first half of 2008 for the product. The power-pack seems to be a service-pack with added extra features. The will include:
  Vista 64 bit Support a current complains with some users.
  Windows Home Server Connector improvements with version control.
  Backup the Server add another layer of backup using an external disk.
  Remote Access improvements with drag and drop file additional.
  Backup Database Repair Wizard to correct inconsistencies.
  WHS Power Management, set the unit to sleep or hibernate at predetermined times.
  Media Sharing, improvements to this application.
  Add-In Crashes, protect your server from poorly written applications.
  More Languages Supported, Chinese and Japanese are now supported.
  Home servers are bound to become the next big thing in the digital home, the HP EX 470 is a great investment in that future.
  
  
  
• this item really needs work
  By A2VJ4H2Y1POKJL on 2008-01-14
  this item was very hard to set up. it took over 20 calls to the help desk, in it itself a arduous experience, to get it working. unless you are very computer savvy give this a pass. by the way we are still having problems with connecting for the automatic back-up feature. also, if you computer dies, as one of ours did after we set up the system, YOU CAN'T GET AT THE BACK UP MADE FOR THAT COMPUTER FROM OTHER COMPUTERS ON THE NET WORK. in short the back up feature is really worthless! i would never buy anthing from hp again.
  
  
• Very pleased
  By A29JG3RZ544VAH on 2008-02-13
  I have had for several weeks now and am very pleased. My primary requirements were:
  1) a device that would back up my computers daily
  2) a device that would be the central depository for our extensive media collection (while also backing up that collection).
  3) GigE connection
  4) Capability to expand
  
  SUMMARY: Overall, I am very pleased. Now that the price of storage is so cheap (1TB drive for ~$250), there really is no longer any excuse not to back up your systems. And, this server has the capability to perform much more than just back ups.
  
  PROS:
  Set up was very easy for me. In less than 20 minutes I had it up and running (and I am the first to admit I am not very tech savy). I was using a new HP desktop with Vista for the initial setup connected via GigE LAN. I then encountered no probs connecting wirelessly with my Hp laptop running XP pro.
  
  I like that the front end software makes it idiot proof. My sons can easily access the centrally stored media and I don't have to worry about them messing something up. However, using the Remote Desktop feature I can perform more significant adminstrative tasks ... (for example I used the RDP feature to adjust the power settings so the server would shut down after 30 minutes when it recognized the UPS was running on battery--I have my UPS connected to the server via one of the USB connections).
  
  Very easy to add additional storage.
  
  The backups are smaller than I expected them to be.
  
  I am using my Xbox 360 as my media extender. It has no problems "seeing" the media I have stored on the server via a wirelss connection from 100ft away.
  
  CONS:
  After initial set up my transfer rates were not as steller as I expected (~10M/s for a 6Gig file--which is still better than other available home storage options I found/tried). After some tweaking with both my desktop and the server I now have the avg write rate to the server up to 16M/s with both the media server and duplication functions turned on). I have 2-500G Seagate drives, a 1TB WD GP drive and a 250G external seagate in the storage pool. After reading some of the various forums the "tweaks" that I have done thus far include:
  
  Server tweaks:
  1) updating the windows default driver in the server to the current SIS driver
  2) Increased RAM to 2G
  
  Desktop tweaks:
  1) installed Intel GT/Pro GigE NIC
  
  Network tweaks:
  1) Cat 6 cables
  2) Ensure flow control and jumbo frames were turned on
  
  Again, the server was performing well out-of-the-box but I have a lot of large video files so I wanted to increase the transfer rate.
  
  
  
  
• Outstanding multi-purpose device for home / small office use
  By A3NI1MAKHJEHQH on 2008-02-25
  I absolutely love this device. I had seriously considered a Drobo before I saw this and bought this instead for several reasons. Simply put, it can do things that Drobo can't.
  
  - It comes standard with Gigabit Ethernet (this costs $200 extra with Drobo),
  - It behaves as a File Server (with folder level duplication) and offers similar data protection to Drobo,
  - It automates the daily backups of all PCs (running Windows) in the house - similar to Apple Time Capsule for the Mac,
  - It acts as a ITunes / Media Server - bringing music, photos, and movies throughout the house.
  
  Two complaints - I wish I could change the default workgroup name of this device (doesn't change the product's functionality) and I wish this provided print server functionality.
  
  
• Awsome product makes life too easy
  By A3KNXMHPXM5HHN on 2007-12-14
  This is a great device. I have plenty of picts and music. I also have seveal computers at the house. So the automatic backup features are "the bomb". (is that outdated?) im not the hippest on the latest cliches but this server on the geek hip review rates the highest. ITs great because you do not have to be a rocket scientest to figure it out. most is done on its own.
  Also you can add addins to add even more value to the box. I have droped 2 additional 750 gig hard drives into it. I will not have to worry about space for at least a year is my guess.
  
  Its nice a quite.
  it is very attractive i leave it in the living room with my other componets. theres a cool easter egg that you can change the lights on the machien to do all sorts of cool pattens.
  
  I highly recommend.
  
  
• Great hardware with a great product!
  By A3OCOS0FFOJ9OI on 2007-12-20
  Ok, so I've been working with Windows Home Server during the beta program, so I was already well sold on what a great product. There is now so much information out there on WHS, that I wanted to comment on the actual HP MediaSmart Hardware.
  
  This is a great piece of "server" hardware. It's smaller than I realized even from the pictures, and it's incredibly quiet (in fact, it's quieter than any other Desktop or Laptop that I have / work with).
  
  I love that they provided the easy to upgrade trays for the hard drives, this makes it very easy to add more drives without even needing a screwdriver.
  
  All in all a great product, and love HP's hardware too!
  
  
• Awesome!
  By A2B1CLJ1DSTU1G on 2007-12-22
  Everyone else has pretty much summed this up very well. I've been a WHS user since the beta version for the past 6 months. This little HP box is about the size of a regular coffee maker. It is VERY quiet, but not silent.
  The install process is very easy also.
  Overall, I couldn't be more happy.
  
  
• Excellent product in a well rounded package.
  By A1ED5U62XNR5YR on 2007-12-28
  Very impressed with Home Server, i have had it now for about 4 weeks, and love it. I have added some extra drives and have about 1.5TB of space. Duplication of data works fantastic, and using JungleDrive lets me have piece of mind for my critical items like photos and personal files.
  
  Cannot think of a better way to do this, thanks Microsoft and Windows Home Server!
  
  
• Completely satisfied, but cautious at the same time
  By A2YYHSORXIHZCS on 2008-01-28
  My review will be simple and straight to the point.
  
  HP Design:
  The enclosure is well constructed. Mostly metal construction. Hard drive cages are easy to remove and re-install. The cooling fan are not totally quiet, but definitely can be heard. LED lights on front hard drive bays are dimmable down to off.
  
  Windows Home Server:
  I was totally surprised by how easy it was to use. Microsoft integrated it very well with Windows Vista. Just insert the installation disk, read the prompts, and away you go. I'm not a complete novice, but Microsoft makes it so easy that anyone who has a few computer skills and can read should have no problem setting this up and using it.
  
  Interesting Twists:
  Since owning the server, I've learned some interesting twists with Windows Vista. First, Vista has a hidden user account called Administrator. Some of the add-ins for the Windows Home Server require this Administrator account on the main computer to be turned enabled. Second, a lot of the problems read around the web pertaining to Vista incompatibilities are more than likely related to the increased security status of Vista. Alot of problems can be fixed by acquiring a "Vista for Dummies" book and reading up on the security features. I set a few security permissions and my data transfer rate between the HP MediaSmart Sever and my Windows Vista Ultimate desktop reached almost 70 MBps (70 megabytes). This is amazing for a networking device.
  
  Overall Judgement:
  HP definitely did a great job with the device. Great connectivity. Great quality. If I had to make a complaint I would say just lower the fan speed a little. Not terribly noisy, but no noise is always good. I am still a little worried about future upgrading. If and when a Windows Home Server "II" comes out will HP allow and upgrade? For this reason, I am considering building my own Windows Home Server.
  
  
• It is what it is...
  By A1EHD9FC07LKPT on 2008-02-06
  This is a Great Product if you look at it for what it is - a simple, uncomplicted, home server.
  
  It provides a simple solution for backing up your home pc's, allows you to share files both at home on your network, and via the internet, and it allows you to stream audio and video files to your tv or home theater system via xbox. This system is not a robust, powerhouse of a server - and it was not intended to be.
  
  Setup is very easy. I had the unit unboxed, hooked up, and backing up the pc's on my home network in less than 30 minutes. Initial backup takes some time, but the processes are designed to run each night. The backups completed overnight while I slept. After the initial backups, the system will only look for changed files for all subsequent backups. Day two backups took less than 9 minutes combined for all 3 pc's on the network.
  
  Remote access works well, but read the fine print before buying this unit. Remote access is only available with certain operating systems. It will only work with Media Center Version 2005, or Vista Ultimate or higher. It DOES NOT work with Vista Home Premium! The system comes with 1 free year of service with [...] and the Windows Home Server software sets everything up for you. I did have an issue with remote access due to the default router configuration by my ISP. If you have a DSL modem, you will need to ensure that the modem is not configured to act as a router. A simple call to my ISP tech support helped me to bridge the router and connect remotely. It took 15 minutes - very painless.
  
  The itunes server is great. With a few clicks to enable file sharing on each pc on the network, I was able to share my itunes library with all the pc's on the network.
  
  While the system ships with 1 500 GB hard drive, it can be easily, and inexpensively upgraded. I bought two additional 500 gb drives for $99 each at Circuit City. You just open the door to the server, remove the slide out drive tray, insert the drive, close the tray and the system does the rest. I now have 1.5 TB of storage which should be more than enough for my needs.
  
  With Remote access you can connect to your home pc from any internet connection. Grab a file, share pictures, etc. It works as well as any remote access software on the market. Trust me, I've tried them all. Video streaming works great as well. I travel for business and I learned a cool trick. While connected to my home network, I found that I was able to watch videos on my laptop in my hotel room by accessing my archived video collection that was shared on the server. Hotel pay-per view costs $8.00 a movie. Saved a little money. Very cool!
  
  I rarely rate a product 5 stars but I am very satisfied with the performance of this server. Keep your expectations centered around what this product was designed to do and you will find that it performs very well. I highly recommend it for the price!
  
  UPDATE:
  
  I was too quick with the 5 star review...
  
  Three weeks after installing the server it began to overheat. The server began operating at 61 degrees celsius (142 degrees farenheit) when the specifications state that the system temperature should not exceed 35 degrees celsius (95 degrees farenheit). Recommendations in the provided documentation did not resolve the heat issues. (Should that be a red flag that the software was designed to monitor and warn of heating issues)? (Sounds like HP knew there may be design flaws). Calls to HP tech support provided no resolution and I was eventually told to return the box as the temperature issues were hardware related.
  
  Luckily, Amazon has a 30 day return policy and actually shipped me a replacement box free of charge with 1 day shipping. However, the new server brought new challenges.
  
  The new Server would not initialize and the installation program would jump to a password screen even though a password had not been setup on the box. After several attempts to restore the server to its default setting via the recovery software, I eventually replaced the factory hard drive with another Seagate 500 GB drive. I re-ran the recovery software and was immediately able to initialize the server. The weird part is, I then added the original factory drive back to the server as a second drive, formatted it, and it ran without issue. Was the drive really bad, did it have a faulty software installation, or are there bugs in the Server software? Who knows? So far, so good, but it's only been up and running for 24 hours.
  
  Bottom line is that while I believe that the box has excellent potential, there are flaws in the design (the unit overheats - a problem I believe is due to the small size of the box and the heat that builds up when you add additional hard drives) and the software may still have some bugs.
  
  I'll be watching the performance and temperatures of the new server carefully over the next three weeks. Should I again encounter heat issues, I'll return the box again and look for another alternative.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Excellent Product
  By A1TD15CKPVSMCF on 2008-02-07
  I installed this server November last year and it has been running so great and so smooth. Yes, it's very easy to get it going. And yes, it really works. I installed 3 extra HD with 1TB (Seagate) to max out the drive bays and it recognized right away. We use this server to store massive collection of our professional photos, work projects. We've both Mac and PC in our shop and everyone can access it without any trouble at all. Highly recommend this product.
  
  

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