Computer servers are critical for collecting and sending out data over various networks, whether local or widely spread networks in different locations. Servers connect to networks of 'clients' and feed them the information they need. A server computer can be used as a Mail server, a DNS, a Web server, or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) server that can be safely used at home.

Setting up a VPN server at home comes with a number of benefits. Find out what theses benefits are and what are the main components of a home-built VPN server.

Advantages Of Having Your Own VPN Server At Home

• If you oftentimes need to get access to your local network while away from home, setting up a VPN server at home will solve your problem. You will be able to access important files found on your local network, a variety of streaming services such as Netflix and websites that are geographically restricted when travelling abroad. For example, hosting a gambling VPN server in your home will allow you to easily access your favorite casinos online. Whether they are located in Australia, Canada, Europe or other parts of the world, this will no longer be a problem. You will not have to leave the house to do it, or risk using any potentially dangerous VPNs online that could compromise the integrity and security of your network.

• Home-made VPN servers also allow you to connect to your personal VPN when accessing a public WiFi connection. This will enhance your protection against hackers trying to steal your confidential information. A VPN server that is set up correctly will effectively encrypt all internet traffic between servers and clients.

• If you need to pay close attention to the data that gets stored and logged into the network, knowing who is the owner of the VPN server will make the process more transparent.

Drawbacks Of Setting Up A Home VPN Server

There are a few situations where setting up your own VPN servers at home could do more harm than good:

Are you already struggling with a slow connection and upload bandwidth?

Setting up a VPN server will further slow down your downloads and browsing. In such a scenario, streaming a geo-restricted Netflix series or playing live dealer poker at online casinos located overseas with your home VPN will not work. If your service will keep dropping, buffering, and lagging, you will not be able to enjoy either of these experiences. The advice here is to instead rely on a reputable VPN service.

You've never built a home VPN server before?

Building these servers requires a lot of attention to detail and meticulous work, as well as technical knowledge and skills. You will need to be 100% sure that the server will not be vulnerable when faced with specific security threats online. A VPN server can only encrypt internet traffic between your home computers and your home routers. This means your internet service provider and third parties that can access the data collected by your ISP will easily see all your activity online. If you do not have any experience building a server from scratch, or you are worried about further security issues, use a safe VPN service instead. It will keep your private data to yourself, while also staying up-to-date with the freshest security patches.

Ready To Assemble?

A VPN server can be hosted on a Windows or macOS computer by using the built-in VPN server hosting functions (less secure) or OpenVPN’s software. Besides having to follow a few simple configuration steps, it is critical to choose the best parts for the server:

• Power Supply Units transform the rack's voltage power into lower voltages that the components of the computer will be using. Create a server featuring several hot-swappable onboard PSUs that can be easily replaced when necessary. This will help prevent server downtimes.

• Choose the most suitable RAM for your exact VPN server necessities. Consider the OS you will be using. For example, running on a Linux distribution such as Slackware will require a smaller amount of RAM memory compared to a proprietary OS.

• The Central Processing Unit needs proper cooling, as a hot server can easily start to crash and even completely shut down. A powerful, late-generation CPU should have several cores on a single chip. Each of the cores will represent the CPU's whole processing section.

• SATA hard drives store all user data, the OS, and a number of apps. Since they are the least reliable server components in a server, you should configure them via RAID. This is particularly important if you need longer up times for the VPN server.

• The server computer's case needs to tightly enclose and cool down each of the components. Opt for one with a powerful fan and get ready for louder sounds coming from the server when fully operational, compared to regular desktops computers. Pay attention to the way each component is placed into the case. Replacement should be smooth and easy on a server computer, to avoid long downtimes.

Final Thoughts

The assembly of server computers is very similar to regular desktop computer assembly. If you have some experience with it, simply pick the best parts you can afford and get started. If you need help with heating and assembling any temperature-sensitive components in your server, rely on our advanced Area Selective Laser. The laser is dedicated to selective reflows for assembling server circuits and a variety of sensors.

Get in touch with us if you need further assistance and advice with any other server computer parts.