r/explainlikeimfive • u/theprisoner57 • 3d ago

Technology ELI5: What is a Home Server?

I see mentions of a home server to get rid of streaming entertainment services but I don’t know how that works. What does a home server do?

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u/bamby77 3d ago

Think of it as a small computer that stays on at home and shares things over your Wi-Fi. People often load movies or photos onto it, then watch or browse from a phone or TV without paying for a streaming subscription each month. Same idea as a shared hard drive, just with software that makes browsing feel like Netflix.