The Network

Since being able to create a home network in the year 2000 I have had a lot of interest in networks, after all these are the entities that bring the internet to everyone.

My current home network concentrates on being small enough not to intrude on the limited space available, together with being energy efficient by reducing the amount of hardware in use.

This is my current home setup:

Internet

Internet connection is supplied via ADSL, due to the distance from the exchange the maximum connection speed is 4Mbps down and 700kbps up due to the distance from the telephone exchange, not ideal when running a web server but currently the cost of a fibre connection is out of my reach and a cable connection is simply not available.

I was spoilt for choice over the ADSL modem, as in the choice was spoilt by there only being one option available as my Internet Service Provider does not supply ADSL logon credentials, instead opting to hide the details within the modem that is distributed with the internet subscription. Therefore I have a Sky SR101 ADSL router that I use as a modem only, with all traffic pushed via a DMZ to my main router.

Router

The centre of my network is a Netgear Pro Safe FVS318N, an 8 port Gigabit router with incorporated wireless N. I chose this as it was a managed switch with QOS (Quality Of Service) to prioritise website traffic when I am saturating my bandwidth by downloading files or browsing.

 

Server Connection

Both my HP Microserver's are connected to the router via a Netgear GS105 switch due to the distance between them and the router. The helps as backups between the servers is handled by the GS105 without involving the main router. However the current web server has a direct connection to the main router via a second network card, improving latency for visitors to the website, especially when transferring data between servers.

UPS

Since using hard drives in a RAID configuration I need to deal with unexpected shutdowns, to help preserve data both HP Microservers are connected to an APC CS350VA Online UPS, along with the Netgear GS105. The data port is connected to one of the servers via USB to give power status, when running on batteries the connected server will send a shutdown command to the other server when the low battery warning is reached, therefore it is essential that the Netgear switch also runs off the UPS to allow the shutdown signal to reach the other server.

Media

My current TV is a Sony Bravia KDL-32EX403 purchased in 2013, while it has the ability to stream video content from the server not all file formats are supported, so playing media is handled by a first generation Raspberry Pi Model B running RaspBMC, a version of XBMC compiled for the RPi. This is perfect for me as it is capable of handling AirPlay and it is controlled by the Bravia's remote control, giving the experience that its intergrated with the TV when the RPi is hidden from view.