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How Do I Choose the Best Home Office Server?

Alex Newth
Alex Newth

A home office server helps people who work at home to have better transfer rates and computer storage, but finding the right server can be hard. Depending on the size of your office — most home offices are not that big — the best home office server for your needs likely will be smaller than the typical server so it can fit in the room. Like a hard drive, a server has a storage capacity for digital memory, and you likely will want a server with enough storage for your needs. The transfer speed should be appropriate for your home office because, if it is too fast or slow, it may be too expensive or difficult to work with. Just like a computer, hackers may attempt to hack into the server, so getting a server with security may be a good idea.

In normal business settings, businesses typically have large rooms in which to store servers, because servers tend to be big. Most home offices are not that large, so getting a home office server that is smaller is usually necessary so it will fit in the room. The user should measure how much space his or her office has available, and get a server that fits that space.

Home office servers are generally small.
Home office servers are generally small.

One reason for having a home office server is external storage. This allows the server to hold data that can be used if the home office computer crashes and its memory is erased. To make the purchase worthwhile, you likely will want to get a server that can hold at least enough data to fulfill your immediate needs. Most home offices tend to need more storage as time goes by, and it also may be beneficial to consider future data storage needs. Getting a server that allows easy installation of hard drives, for even more storage, also is usually desirable.

Most home offices tend to need more storage as time goes by.
Most home offices tend to need more storage as time goes by.

Transferring data back and forth between the server and computer is a daily occurrence, and the transfer speed should be appropriate for your needs. Unlike storage, for which getting more is better, you may benefit from sticking to your basic requirements for transfer speed. If a server is too slow, then data may take hours to transfer, but higher speeds cost much more and it may not be worth the difference in price. The best server will balance these considerations, providing a transfer speed that allows your work to progress at a reasonable pace without the cost eating all your profits.

It is unlikely, but hackers may attempt to break into a home office server and steal information or force the server to crash. To keep hackers from getting into your server, you may want to consider security features such as encryption and a firewall. Basic security is usually enough, because home servers are rarely attacked, but getting more advanced security may ease your mind.

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    • Home office servers are generally small.
      By: godfer
      Home office servers are generally small.
    • Most home offices tend to need more storage as time goes by.
      By: Eugenio Marongiu
      Most home offices tend to need more storage as time goes by.