Home server question?

Question

I understand that the server machine must always be on at all times for the home server to work. Are there any way to set up a server that doesn't require a machine to be always running? Thank you,

Answer 1

A server must be switched on to work, it doesn't need to be switched on all the time. (It just won't work when you turn it off, until you turn it back on again).

Answer 2

Look into a technology known as "wake on LAN".  This would allow you to turn the server on remotely over the network :)

Answer 3

What is the purpose of your server?

I have a 1 TB "network drive" allowing me to access the files from any machine wired or wireless without any other computer being switched on.

Network printers work in the same way.

As for a web server, you really need you machine on all the time unless you hack the firmware of your network drive to run services.