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I recommend Snap servers. They've worked pretty well for me so far... It even uses a Linux kernel... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_Server http://www.snapappliance.com/

I have been bitten by every single problem mentioned in that article. Bad OEM "revogery disks" and MS licensing restrictions that prevent one from using an alternative install disks are one of the biggest single problems facing those of us that support very small businesses professionally. Say what you want about Dell... at least they include real windows install disks.

However, I have to question the judgement of the author. First of all, what kind of consultant deploys branch offices "weekly" and didn't know about these problems in advance? Anyone with much experience would know about (a) how difficult it is to move windows from one storage subsystem to another, (b) that HP uses bad recovery disks, and (c) that RAID installs require a floppy.

In addition, I question the use of Linux in this situation... perhaps it was his only way out of a bad recommendation to a client, but the problem is that there are *very* few Linux-savv consultants servicing businesses this size. For this reason alone I don't deploy Linux solutions... I can't find subcontractors who can back me up when I'm on vacation or sick, and should I stop working with a client, I don't want to leave them high and dry. Most consultants I know replace Linux servers with windows because they simply can't support it.

Finally, there's a much better way to do what he's trying to do: a NAS appliance. If all you need is some shared storage, printer sharing and the occasional backup, one of the many small business NAS devices out there (Infrant, Snap / Adaptec, Buffalo, etc...) will do so with greater reliability and less complexity than a PC-based server.

-R

Other options include the purchase of a Snap! server, or other brand of NAS. If you've got a little $ to throw around, NAS is the way to go. Plug it into your network, minimal setup, and your off and running. Not very upgradeable, and somewhat problematic if your drive does actually die, but I use them at the office for a zero maintenence file server.

Better yet, just dump the wireless end and use ethernet routers. You can cut down on all of that "harmless" 2.4Ghz microwave radiation by using CAT5.
Hell, they each have 5 ports, so why not just create one giant cluster? Thow a couple of these in for storage. Oh, and throw a couple of power strips in the box too so you have a place to plug in all those annoying transformers. Then have one 100Mbps uplink cable and one power cable hanging out the side of the cardboard box and tape the box up. Haul the whole pile to your local co-lo, and plug it in. Then advertise to your clients that you run a "1000 node cluster capable of handling 100,000 virtual domains", which you assembled for less than $100,000 and which lives in a discarded appliance box.

You could go with a NAS appliance from someone like Iomega or even Snap. I have installed a small Snap Server into a client's practice (less than 30 users) and they are quite happy with it - as am I so far. No major configuration hassles, no need for tons of M$ licenses, etc, etc. Iomega even offers a Unix-based NAS if memory serves.

In Soviet Russia, Snap Supports You!

The Quantum Guardian NAS servers sound like exactly what you want. It's turnkey hardware fileserver solution that uses Linux behind the scenes. I posted some detailed information about one of these devices here. It's a pretty polished system and you might want to take a look at it.

I believe Snap! Servers would be more down this person's alley. They are rack mountable, easily configurable, and relatively cheap. Although, I can't imagine a plain old file server bringing a company out of the stone age. Time to bring in a middleware tier if you want to be considered "out of the stone age".

When you want to do one job, and do it well, a dedicated piece of hardware almost always wins out over a general-purpose computer. Can a PC with 2 nics and the appropriate software do everything a high-end router can do? Sure it can. Then why do people by dedicated routers? Because they are more reliable, have better performance, consume less power, and are simpler to administer. It's the same reason you have a toaster and an oven. A toater does one thing: it converts bread into toast easily, reliably, and efficiently. You can't cook your Thanksgiving turkey in the toaster, but that's why you have an oven. You can make toast in your regular oven, but it takes more power, it's easier to burn it, and it's far less convienient.