RE:  HP MEDIASMART SERVER I recently purchased an HP MediaSmart server running Microsoft Home Server software, for home use.  I am using it as a central repository for data, and it works great for that. The other reason I purchased this particular product was that I wanted to set it up as a Web server in order to share photos, etc. with family relatives in other parts of the country. I upgraded my Residential internet service to 6.0 MB/s with a dynamic (DHCP) IP address, with my Internet Service Provider (ISP), TELUS in preparation for this.  They sent me a new Siemens SE567 modem/router. I attempted to set up port forwarding on the new router, but ran into a brick wall.  It turns out that the router blocks most ports, and any that are available are in 'Stealth' mode – they will not respond to a remote request of any kind.  This includes ports 80, 443 and 4125 that are required by the HP MediaSmart in order to host a Web site.  If the firewall is disabled, only a very limited number of ports are open, none of which is port 80, 443 or 4125.  Port redirection will not work either.  It turns out that these ports are being restricted at TELUS’s head end, not in my router. Further, I was warned by TELUS that any attempt at hosting a web site on one of their Residential plans was, in fact, a violation of their end-user agreement with me.  The only Residential plans that are available are restricted, as per above, and are also only available with dynamic IP addresses.  The reasons, they say, are for security and anti-virus purposes. The only way that they will allow me to set up a home Web site is if I sign up for one of their Business plans which has a fixed IP address assignment . . . this at more than two or three times the monthly cost of a residential plan.  They also require that Business plans can only be set up on a business telephone line, also at a huge increase in monthly basic telephone cost. To have to pay upwards of five or six times more just to be able to host a few Web page hits per month is simply not equitable for me, or any other home user for that matter.  It is also not in the best interest of product sales for HP for their MediaSmart Server, nor Microsoft for their Windows Home Server software. I am sure that TELUS is not alone . . . other Internet Service Providers out there likely place similar restrictions on their home Personal internet service plans.  HP and Microsoft need to expedite work with these service providers to ensure that they offer cost-effective plans that will allow the operation of their respective products in the marketplace.  To not do this almost guarantees a serious loss of sales of these products once the word gets out. As for my ISP, TELUS, you can find more information about their internet service plans at http://www.telus.net. 

I would appreciate a reply from someone at HP or Microsoft that is in a position to act on this issue.