I am considering installing MS Exchange Server 2010 (Standard Edition) for my home network. The purpose of this post is to get help in deciding whether I should do it or not. I know it isn’t often used in a home network, and there might be good reasons. The only reason for doing this would be to get “anywhere access” to my Outlook calendar and tasks. I tried the internet link for the calendar and don’t like it much. I use tasks a lot, which isn’t available through the internet link. My main machine is upstairs, and I am getting too old to keep running up and down the stairs. I am running Win7 Ultimate 64-bit on my main machine. My Office version is 2010. The other 2 machines in my network are one just like my main machine (with less memory) and one XP laptop. I am not an IT professional or expert, but I believe I fit well into the “power user” category. 1. How long do you think the setup might take a “power user”? 2. I intend to make my main machine the server and allow it to sleep. Then wake it remotely when I need to check Outlook. Is that doable? I have wake-on-LAN working. 3. I understand Exchange Server runs in Windows Server, but I couldn’t find it as a Technet download. Does that come as part of Win7 Ultimate? 4. Compared to the operating system, is Exchange Server fairly problem-free, or would it turn into another career. 5. What possible pitfalls may arise?Gary Burton

Gary, I understand the trouble and don??t want you to increase it. For Installation you would need the following:- 4 GB RAM for Exchange Server. 1 Domain Controller For Usage you would need:- A Public domain name. MX record to point the mails to your server _SRV records at the ISP for autodiscover Public DNS configured correctly. Router - In house allowing all the ports and services SPAM filter on Exchange to block SPAM. Basic configuration in Exchange to get you started... and atleast have email working. etc.etc.etc........... I personally would say, it??s a bad !dea. I am assuming that you have never worked on exchange and you would be adding more pain and making the situation worst. Other than a lot of learning you would need good hardware to run the setup. If anything is misconfigured or fails you would have to take the blame - might lose emails as well. Regular patching of Exchange and Windows Server is required. Exchange is not part of Windows 7. It is a server side messaging product and fits into small business and enterprise. This product is expensive. SOLUTION (maybe): If you really need to take a risk and with low impact.I would say start with Small Business Server 2008. It is a Single Server solution, which provides you Exchange, Windows, licensing etc etc. Should cost you not more than 1000$.. It has a lot of built in wizards to make life easy. Hope this helps!! Regards, Vik Singh "techniq1" wrote in message news:77ecf453-e23b-4ae1-b9d1-0fda77d4183c@communitybridge.codeplex.com... I am considering installing MS Exchange Server 2010 (Standard Edition) for my home network. The purpose of this post is to get help in deciding whether I should do it or not. I know it isn??t often used in a home network, and there might be good reasons. The only reason for doing this would be to get ??anywhere access? to my Outlook calendar and tasks. I tried the internet link for the calendar and don??t like it much. I use tasks a lot, which isn??t available through the internet link. My main machine is upstairs, and I am getting too old to keep running up and down the stairs. I am running Win7 Ultimate 64-bit on my main machine. My Office version is 2010. The other 2 machines in my network are one just like my main machine (with less memory) and one XP laptop. I am not an IT professional or expert, but I believe I fit well into the ??power user? category. 1. How long do you think the setup might take a ??power user?? 2. I intend to make my main machine the server and allow it to sleep. Then wake it remotely when I need to check Outlook. Is that doable? I have wake-on-LAN working. 3. I understand Exchange Server runs in Windows Server, but I couldn??t find it as a Technet download. Does that come as part of Win7 Ultimate? 4. Compared to the operating system, is Exchange Server fairly problem-free, or would it turn into another career. 5. What possible pitfalls may arise? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Burton

Forgot to paste the link for SBS 2008 http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/default.aspx "Vik Singh" <vikramjs@live.com> wrote in message news:d7c18c49-3385-4511-9cfb-21441f3147c0@communitybridge.codeplex.com... Gary, I understand the trouble and don??t want you to increase it. For Installation you would need the following:- 4 GB RAM for Exchange Server. 1 Domain Controller For Usage you would need:- A Public domain name. MX record to point the mails to your server _SRV records at the ISP for autodiscover Public DNS configured correctly. Router - In house allowing all the ports and services SPAM filter on Exchange to block SPAM. Basic configuration in Exchange to get you started... and atleast have email working. etc.etc.etc........... I personally would say, it??s a bad !dea. I am assuming that you have never worked on exchange and you would be adding more pain and making the situation worst. Other than a lot of learning you would need good hardware to run the setup. If anything is misconfigured or fails you would have to take the blame - might lose emails as well. Regular patching of Exchange and Windows Server is required. Exchange is not part of Windows 7. It is a server side messaging product and fits into small business and enterprise. This product is expensive. SOLUTION (maybe): If you really need to take a risk and with low impact.I would say start with Small Business Server 2008. It is a Single Server solution, which provides you Exchange, Windows, licensing etc etc. Should cost you not more than 1000$.. It has a lot of built in wizards to make life easy. Hope this helps!! Regards, Vik Singh "techniq1" wrote in message news:77ecf453-e23b-4ae1-b9d1-0fda77d4183c@communitybridge.codeplex.com... I am considering installing MS Exchange Server 2010 (Standard Edition) for my home network. The purpose of this post is to get help in deciding whether I should do it or not. I know it isn??t often used in a home network, and there might be good reasons. The only reason for doing this would be to get ??anywhere access? to my Outlook calendar and tasks. I tried the internet link for the calendar and don??t like it much. I use tasks a lot, which isn??t available through the internet link. My main machine is upstairs, and I am getting too old to keep running up and down the stairs. I am running Win7 Ultimate 64-bit on my main machine. My Office version is 2010. The other 2 machines in my network are one just like my main machine (with less memory) and one XP laptop. I am not an IT professional or expert, but I believe I fit well into the ??power user? category. 1. How long do you think the setup might take a ??power user?? 2. I intend to make my main machine the server and allow it to sleep. Then wake it remotely when I need to check Outlook. Is that doable? I have wake-on-LAN working. 3. I understand Exchange Server runs in Windows Server, but I couldn??t find it as a Technet download. Does that come as part of Win7 Ultimate? 4. Compared to the operating system, is Exchange Server fairly problem-free, or would it turn into another career. 5. What possible pitfalls may arise? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Burton

You helped me a lot!!!!!!!!! It's hard to find this stuff out. The sales literature isn't going to tell you. Sometimes an internet posting by a user will, but I wasn't able to find that either this time. Without your answer, I expect it would have taken me days of research and I still wouldn't have uncovered all the pitfalls. I may have wound up trying it out, wasting a tremendous amount of time, and possibly damaging my data. I am very thankful for these forums, and for your posting in particular. There is a program out there that claims to be what I am looking for (http://www.codetwo.com/lp/public_folders/v1/start.php?sharing-outlook&gclid=CMLCpIi6tqQCFR7_iAodymD00w). Compared to a working Exchange Server setup as you described, it is cheap ($160 minimum). Even that is a bit rich for me, but I might consider it. Do you happen to be familiar with it? If not, thanks anyway.Gary Burton