Mac Mini vs router + server

Question

Hi,
I'm doing some research about the benefits or the Mac Mini with server.
What im aiming for is buying a Mac mini, install OS X Server on it. Connect it directly to the modem and use the Mac mini as a wifi router with built in server options. Integrate it with a firewall and VPN with my devices.
Id like to have some opinion from the hardcore apple users.
Is the wireless card strong enough to compete with a router?
Would the security a router provides be stronger and safer than a server with additional firewall and antivirus software?
Is it possible to tunnel my VPN connection from my iDevices from outside the local network (like 4LTE, 3G, Wifi at a friends house) to my VPN server at home, continued by tunneling my VPN from the server at home (Mac Mini) to my paid VPN Server (company)
Would it be possible to connect with my iDevices to my Mac Mini and use it as a regular computer, even outside of the home network?
I assume that I can externally expand the storage capacity by plugging in an external HDD through USB or Thunderbolt, is this correct?
Can I setup Time Machine on the server to save backups from my MacBooks?
I want to setup my own cloud so I have all my photos, documents and videos in one place, compared to limited storage (unless paid) on Cloud companies. Is it possible to setup my iDevices so they store new pictures and videos in my cloud at home, instead of the iCloud Dive space
What I would like to accomplish with this is creating a single device that provides several purposes related with my iDevices, in and outside it's network.
Including:
Serve as a Wifi router to provide the SSID
VPN service (within and from outside the SSID)
Cloud Storage available to my iDevices (within and from outside the SSID)
Time Machine
Is all of this realistic? What are the downsides of setting it up like this, vs a router with a server connected to it.
Thanks in advance
Mark

Answer 1

I'll bite.
I will preface this by saying that I am not a fan of OS X as a NAT device.  Apple removed all easy configuration back with the release of 10.7.  While it still can be done, you really must have a passion for tinkering to make it work.  Now, there is IceFloor.  If you are considering using the Mac as the NAT device, then IceFloor can ease the pain of configuration.  That being said, I still believe that it is best to isolate and separate your devices into distinct roles.  A firewall is designed to be a firewall.  It does that job and does it solely well.  OS X Server is a general purpose server.  It is capable of many things but it does not necessarily excel at being a NAT appliance.  Also, firewalls are generally easier to setup and configure than OS X Server when considering NAT roles and policies.
All that being said, OS X Server is a capable and very affordable solution that works exceptionally well for all Apple environments.
Before continuing, I should point out that you should investigate your residential ISP's policies regarding hosting services.  If you are in the US, there are many ISPs that block http and smtp on residential services.  Some block additional ports.  Plus, if you have a dynamic service then you likely should be looking at dynamic DNS to ensure that you can always reach your server.  If you have a dynamic service, this is all the more reason to put OS X Server behind a firewall appliance.  OS X, especially for services like Open Directory, Profile Manager, and others, really only work properly when the server has a fixed IP address.  If this is not possible on primary route connection, you will struggle with certain services.  Placing the device on a LAN and allowing a firewall to handle everything else is a much better solution.
1:  Is the wireless card strong enough to compete with a router?
Get a $99 airport express.  You will be happier.
2:  Would the security a router provides be stronger and safer than a server with additional firewall and antivirus software?
This is arguing between 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other.  Two identically configured solutions result in the same level of security.  Or lack thereof.  The nice part about a firewall is that it assumes everything is bad unless you explicitly allow it.  With OS X, it generally thinks everything is good unless you explicitly deny it.  (this is a gross simplification of the situation so you weigh your options)  A firewall appliance will likely provide additional services that are easy to configure and also provide more logging and reporting regarding what is happening.  Again, I am partial to the firewall.
3: Is it possible to tunnel my VPN connection from my iDevices from outside the local network (like 4LTE, 3G, Wifi at a friends house) to my VPN server at home, continued by tunneling my VPN from the server at home (Mac Mini) to my paid VPN Server (company)
So, you want to be out of your house, create a VPN into your home network, and then be able to traverse to your office?  Why not connect direct to the office?  How does routing through your home benefit the situation?  Regardless, anything is possible.  But, the tunnel from your home to the office would need to be built and persistent.  Thus, you can remote into your home network.  Let's say your home network is 10.0.20.0/24 and your office is 172.16.0.1/24.  Your home would build a tunnel to the office.  Then the VPN service would advertise the 172.16.0.1/24 route (as well as the 10.0.20.0/24 network) to the client devices, allowing them to access resources on both networks.  Then you can request resources on your company network because the route will be provided by the VPN connection.
4: Would it be possible to connect with my iDevices to my Mac Mini and use it as a regular computer, even outside of the home network?
This is another one of my dislikes.  Everything has a role and a purpose.  Your server is a server, not a workstations.  Workstations get rebooted, generally are updated more frequently, run various software and perform varied tasks.  Servers have a narrower purpose.  I am not a fan of using a server as a workstation.  This gets particularly muddy of you are doing file services or need services than must loop back to the server itself.  Can you use the server as a workstation?  Sure, what is stopping you.  Should you?  In my opinion, no.  Let a Firewall be a firewall.  Let a server be a server.  Let a workstation be a workstation.  Together, they will live in harmony.
5:  I assume that I can externally expand the storage capacity by plugging in an external HDD through USB or Thunderbolt, is this correct?
Yes.  Thunderbolt is fast.  USB 3 is not terrible.  Stay away from Firewire at this point.  Get something that supports RAID.  Remember, RAID is not backup.  All it does is provide drive level redundancy.
6:  Can I setup Time Machine on the server to save backups from my MacBooks?
Yes.  OS X Server provides Time Machine server.  Figure out what you want to backup (data only or the whole drive) and then calculate a capacity requirement.  While not as critical as in the past, I still prefer isolating Time Machine backup volumes.  I tend not to storage any other data there.
7:  I want to setup my own cloud so I have all my photos, documents and videos in one place, compared to limited storage (unless paid) on Cloud companies. Is it possible to setup my iDevices so they store new pictures and videos in my cloud at home, instead of the iCloud Dive space
Hmm.  So, ah.  No.  Yes.  Well not really.  Not easy like iCloud.  That is integrated and generally "just works."  There is nothing stopping you from manually storing all your content in this location and then sharing it out.  But there is no way to redirect an image from your phone to magically appear on your own server.  Unless you are using photo stream and you have iPhoto set up on the server.  But then we get back to the workstation vs server argument I just had with myself and around I go in a circle.  You can create your own storage.  But there is effort here.  You have WebDAV, Portfolio/Cumulus, and other services and solutions.
So to wrap up...
Serve as a Wifi router to provide the SSID
VPN service (within and from outside the SSID)
Cloud Storage available to my iDevices (within and from outside the SSID)
Time Machine
Using the internal WiFi will only frustrate you.  Get an access point and you will get better coverage, better control, and more features.  OS X supports two VPN types.  PPTP and L2TP.  Both will work through a NAT.  Both are natively supported on OS X and iOS.  Building your own Cloud is the most daunting and vague area.  And Time Machine is cake.
Is all of this realistic? What are the downsides of setting it up like this, vs a router with a server connected to it.
Is building a server sitting on a LAN with a firewall realistic?  It is done everyday and nearly every network is doing the same thing.  All of the above is my take on the topic but I focus on businesses and organizations.  These types of setups get a firewall.  Then the server is protected behind an umbrella of protection.  If you go the mini alone route, you have lower cost by higher difficulty.  If you get the individual pieces then you have higher cost but simpler setup and management.
Hope this helps.  Once again, too much information.  Had a moment of quiet.
Reid
Apple Consultants Network
Author "Yosemite Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store
Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store
Author "Mavericks Server – Control and Collaboration" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store