BUILD AMAC SERVER

Set up an old Mac to run essential services - from media streaming to password management - from your home network

- NICK PEERS

DO YOU HAVE an old Mac gathering dust somewhere in your home? If so, why not press it into service as a dedicated server? As the name implies, a server provides services through your network, from a simple centralized file-sharing repository to full-blown tools such as media streaming, password manager, VPN server, cloud storage, home surveillance, and so much more.

In this feature we'll show you how to prep your old Mac for its new role. You'll wipe it clean and upgrade it to the latest version of macOS - even if it's no longer officially supported by Apple. We'll also highlight useful hardware upgrades - including extra memory, Ethernet add-ons and external storage, and reveal how you can set it up for remote unattended access, so it can be connected directly to your router without needing a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

We'll then shift our focus to looking at the kinds of services you can run on your new server, from built-in features like printer and file sharing - as well as setting up a single Time Machine backup for your entire network - to recommended third party services that'll provide media streaming, VPN and file syncing. We'll then look at Docker, a tool that allows you to run all kinds of services from your Mac - we'll even show you how to set up a self-hosted password manager to protect your passwords from hackers and other nefarious agents.

If you thought your old Mac was past its best, think again. Turn the page to give it, and your entire household, a whole new lease on life.

Setting up your server

Step one: wipe your old Mac clean and prep it for its new role

FIRST, YOU NEED to prepare your old Mac for its new role.