Networks getting my network in shape over the holidays

Hi everyone, just posting this for some advice and recommendation's really.
Over the years my IT equipment has multiplied and changed and unfortunately my home network has become a little sloppy. Basically what i want to do is upgrade/ manage my network like I should have done from the start and would just like some advice.

First of all in the study where my internet connection is I have a desktop pc running windows xp, connected to the internet via the router through an Ethernet cable.

In my room I have a desktop pc running windows 7 as well as my Xbox 360 which I am hoping to connect wirelessly to my network

There are also 2 laptops which will need to be backed up and a third which will just need to access files and use the internet.

What my idea is, to help manage the network and backup everything and stream media, is to build/buy a server which will be hidden away and look after torrents, stream music and films and back up every so often the 2 laptops and 2 desktops.

This is where I could do with advice!! what should i run on my server? what should i use for my server? and what is the easiest way to make everything run fairly easily? I don't mind installing windows 7 on all of the PCs if that makes things easier. If possible I would like to do this as cheaply as possible .

What are the best options for streaming media to my Xbox? can i use it to easily navigate through my collection?

All replies greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Dave

 

Wire everything with gigabit ethernet. Otherwise, your backups across wireless will a) take an eternity and b) the rest of your network peripherals will experience slow internet because all the wireless bandwidth is being taken up.

To backup things, there have been plenty of good things said about Synology, but no personal experience myself, or you can build your own computer and put Windows Home Server or FreeNAS, etc. on it.

 

I could build a pc but was wondering if it would be cheaper to buy an old dell or something off ebay which has sata and put a number of large drives in it?
Ok so wired over wireless makes sense, how easy is windows home server to use to create a dvd ripping/streaming server with?

Thanks for the quick reply

Dave

 

I've literally just finished configuring a Synology DS211j on my network, and I have to say it is one of the smoothest systems I've ever had the pleasure of setting up. The operating system on the NAS is just immense, and it handles everything I throw at it, whether it's a download server, itunes server, media center or anything else. Highly recommended if you want something without the hassle of having to physically locate a machine in your home (I don't have a lot of space). And it handles RAID seemlessly too.