Advice needed on using an Amahi server...

[giantpickle]

Apologies if this is in the wrong part of the forum, but I couldn't find anywhere more suitable...

I'm looking to repurpose an old-ish PC of mine as a file and media server, and figured Amahi would be a good fit for the functions I'm looking for. However, before I go installing anything I need to clear up a couple of conderns I have around making the Amahi server it my network's primary DHCP & DNS server in order to get the full Amahi experience. The server will need to sit right next to my TV, and as such I don't intend to keep it running all the time as it's the PC is relatively noisy and energy inefficient.

So, I have a couple of questions:
If I make my Amahi box my network's DNS and DHCP server, what effect will this have on my other devices on the network while the server is shut down?
And, what effects will it have on the functionality of my Amahi server if my router takes care of my network's DHCP and DNS functions?

Any help provided would be gratefully received

[bigfoot65]

Hello,

I believe this will answer your questions.

http://www.amahi.org/faq#is-dhcp-server-required

Basically if you choose to not use Amahi for your DHCP/DNS server, you will lose a lot of functionality.

[giantpickle]

Thanks for the reply Mr Foot - that pretty much answers my 2nd question.

I'm still curious to know what would happen if I made my Amahi box my DHCP and DNS server, and let it shut down. What effect would this have on the other devices on my network? Will they all lose access to the internet, or is the situation more complicated than that?

If doing so will cause network issues sadly it looks like Amahi isn't the product for me

[bigfoot65]

Yes, if the HDA is your DHCP/DNS server and you shut it down, there will be no network connectivity for your devices.

Think of it like a router. If you turn off your router, you would remove the capability for devices to gain access to the internet.

Maybe you should look at a NAS device or there is a Linux distro called FreeNAS that might fit your needs for file storage.

Sorry that Amahi may not be your answer.

[giantpickle]

Thanks for the advice, Big F. I'll check out FreeNAS for the old PC, shame Amahi's no good for me at the moment, looks like it would be a lot of fun to tinker with. Perhaps I'll build a low-energy server and stick Amahi on there instead...