Cables & Accessories
Aside from the primary hardware – such as our computer and a router to connect to the Internet – we will also need miscellaneous cables and accessories to get everything setup.
Display
Our server will be "headless" – meaning we will be able to control it remotely over the network without using a keyboard, mouse or display. However, we will still need a display during the initial installation process or while troubleshooting.
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Desktop_windows |
Display You will need a compatible display with a resolution greater than 640x480.
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| Cable |
Cables You will need any applicable power cables or adapters. Similarly, we will need a compatible cable for connecting the display to our server. |
Input Devices
While we will be accessing our server remotely, we need some human interface devices – such as a mouse and keyboard for controlling the computer.
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Mouse |
Mouse You will need a compatible USB mouse.
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| Keyboard |
Keyboard You will need a compatible USB keyboard. |
Networking
We explored the router as an important piece of networking equipment, but there are other components that we will need to host a server.
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Settings_ethernet |
Modem When you pay for access to an Internet Service Provider, they may lease or sell a modem that provides access to their service. Some ISPs also allow customers to purchase their own modem hardware.
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| Keyboard |
Cables You will need at least two Category 6 Ethernet cables. These can handle blazing fast 2.5Gbit connection speeds over short cables while still maintaining minimum 1GBit speeds over distances of up to 100 meters – or 328 feet. |
External Storage
Computer systems are equipped with internal storage drives for storing the operating system, as well as your applications, files and media. When setting up and running a server, external storage devices are just as important.
These storage devices will be erased and any important data should be backed up.
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Security_key |
Flash Drive We will need a USB Flash Drive to install the operating system on our computer and enable us to install server applications. This will need to be at least 8GB to fit the free Debian Linux image we will be downloading.
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| Hard_drive |
External Storage Drive Connecting an external hard drive to our server – using USB, eSata or Thunderbolt – can expand your storage beyond what will fit inside your computer case.
Even more importantly, an external hard drive provides an easily accessible option for creating backups in the event there is a systems failure. |