Network backing up files?

[1bd4t6h]

Hey all,
Sorry I don't recall the proper name for what I'm looking to do. If there is even a propper name. What I want to do is have a computer that has a harddrive that I will use for everyone on our network to back everything up. I was wondering what type of hardware I should use. I have plenty of spare computers but is it really necessary to waste a P4 on this? I mean I could use the P4 for another use. How would a P3 do with this job?

[Eg0Death]

Will this computer be performing a backup operation or will it essentially be just storage space accessable by anyone on the network? Can I assume this is a workgroup and not a domain?

[1bd4t6h]

I'm thinking that I'm going to just keep it storage space for everyone to put their stuff on. And I'm going to be doing this via workgroup. 

[Eg0Death]

If it's just going to store infrequently accessed data, the CPU shouldn't be stressed and the P3 will probably suffice.  If it's going to be used more like a file server (data accessed frequently and by many users) you would be better off with the faster CPU. 

It's hard to tell you what else to use because I don't know your inventory.

[TheEmperor]

Important Question:
Is there a budget for this project or not?
If there is a budget I recommend setting up a RAID 5 array to help speed up the access and avoid data loss in the event of drive failure. Also a gigabit ethernet card and a switch that has at least one gigabit port would be a welcome addition. Faster drive speeds and faster network speeds will benefit you more in the long run that a faster processor.