Ok so i need some help on deciding the best route to take for my home setup.
I recently moved into a new house. Once everything has been moved in and the Mrs had decided where she was putting all the furniture etc. I got to the best bit throwing all my tech together.
I am currently using a Laptop in one of the upstairs bedrooms as my server, at the moment this is being used as an FTP Server, Minecraft Server, Yawcam Server & a Media Server via WMP and a SMB Fileshare of a USB External Drive. All of these roles are needed and i would like to keep.
The server is connected to an old Dlink Router running DDWRT which in turn runs to my Home Router (Crappy little Sky Router). The Sky router is downstairs so i am using Powerline Adapters to connect to the DDWRT upstairs.
Downstairs i also have a Dreambox (DM800) Which is connected to the Sky Router via Ethernet. I use the DM800 as a sort of media Centre. Browse to the SMB Share Upstairs and play movies / music etc.
At the moment when i do this say i want to play a 1080p MKV i get buffering issues stops & starts and judders alot for about 7 or 8 mins then plays fine and it will do this every now and then. At the moment i have put this down to bandwidth bottle neck between the powerline adapters.
Also if i use my PS3 which is connected wireless to the sky router (Simply because i have no more space to hard cable in) and connect to the WMP media server upstairs and try and play a movie the same issue occurs, so im assuming this rules out the problem of the dm800 locally having issues doing the video processing since the laptop is now doing the decoding. Hence why i came to the conclusion of a bandwidth issue.
This is an issue i would like resolved any ideas?
But this is kind of a two part question;
I know a laptop upstairs acting as a server isn't ideal, but money is tight and i am just using what i have available to me. I am thinking of spending some money however and replacing the laptop with an actual server, something with a smallish form-factor say desktop size nothing rack mountable. I want to be able to run esxi 5 and be able to upgrade as i go along, i will need raid capability as at the moment all my data has no redundancy. any suggestions on what to buy?
I also have a desktop PC Downstairs which is acting as a DVR and recording from my 2 IP Camera's 24/7 to an External HDD. i have it hooked up to the TV so that i can switch sources and watch camera's live via the TV. I would like to incorporate this task if possible instead of running a separate system downstairs.
Taking all above into account what's my options here to improve performance and pretty much everything all round.
I need:
Something with a good enough spec to run Esxi & Run All the Roles i mentioned above.
Be able to watch a movie downstairs without the damn juttering
Data Redundancy at some point
I have a couple of limitations;
i cant drill holes to run cables "Rented House"
have to be able to do this in stages due to Cash Flow
Apologise for the messy structure of what im asking. I am rushing and its coming out of my head faster than i can type. i have attached a network diagram so you can get a better idea, it lacks a lot of detail but it can give you a basic idea.