Spare PC

bartoszwozniak

bartoszwozniak

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Bartosz Wozniak
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I have a spare Desktop computer on my hands. It is quite old, single core 2.00GHZ processor, and quite an old Nvidia 5500GX graphics card I think.

I was going to plug it into my laptop and get it connected via a KVM switch, however right now I am second thoughts - I am not sure how this would work, with the laptop being my main computer.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do with it???

Is there a way to connect it up with my laptop (maybe Firewire, or a Network cable) and basically use its processor to speed things up on the laptop??

Any suggestions would be helpful!
 
im in the same position! Ive installed windows 7, and im looking to fill it with a couple terabytes to use as a nas!

unfortunately no way to connect it to the laptop to speed things up. You could use it to backup to!
 
Yeah I could do that, but I haven't even got a monitor for it, *** I use one with my laptop. I doubt it will run windows 7, and I have an external HDD for backup, so I just don't have a clue!

Thanks for the answer though.
 
you can network the pc to provide storage space using a router or a netwok hub

my amd2400 is used as a stoage and a host to my printers , this means that the big pc does not need to switched on to print from any other computer in the house

you can possibly get a WAY WITH A wired hub , if you want to use it as storage

you will however nedd a monitor on the pc even though the monitir wont be switched on most of the time to see what is on your pc and to set up the network side.

Cheers Steve
 
If you have a monitor for your lap top, connect it to the desktop and get it to boot without asking for a password. That way when you switch it on it will come straight on line, and you could then connect via a network. However I cant see it being quicker than your lap top.
 
Just an idea but could set the PC up out the way somewhere in the house and use, map a network drive to the pc and use remote desktop control to access the pc when needed.

I'm doing the same in reverse today if I get time where my laptop will be connected to the TV by HDMI, a drive mapped between the two and an external HD connected to the laptop with all the movies/music/pics etc...
 
Just an idea but could set the PC up out the way somewhere in the house and use, map a network drive to the pc and use remote desktop control to access the pc when needed.

I'm doing the same in reverse today if I get time where my laptop will be connected to the TV by HDMI, a drive mapped between the two and an external HD connected to the laptop with all the movies/music/pics etc...
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BINGO! Just the idea I was after. I need to buy a cheap network card, plug it into my modem to provide internet connection, and then use remote desktop software to connect to that other pc via my laptop.

GENIUS! Thanks so much Ryan!

P.S. Does anyone know the quickest and best Remote Desktop software?
 
Yea, I just connected to my brothers PC. It works nice and smooth. Do you reckon if I used one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/54Mbps-WIFI-WIRELESS-USB-LAN-ADAPTER-DONGLE-UK-/160466817658?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Computing_Networking_SM&hash=item255c91527a#ht_720wt_1137 for the desktop pc, without a network card, it would work alright, or does it need a netowork card anyway, in order to connect up into our home network.

Basically the question is? Do I need a network card, or can I connect the PC as part of the network through wireless?
 
You just need to connect the PC to the network, be it wireless or wired. your PC probably already has a network adaptor built in usually sat above the USB ports.

I would use somthing like real VNC or Ultra VNC for remote access it is miles simpler to use
 
neil_g said:
depends how old the box is and whether the board has SATA sockets mind :)
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No freeNAS will run on computers with IDE too. Might be expensive to put large drives in though without SATA.
 
terminal services (Windows Remote Desktop) over a LAN is a bloomin dream to be honest.
 
neil_g said:
yeah sorry that was my point :)
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Thought it might be :lol: I bought a Dual Xeon Proliant server for freeNAS with dual Gb networking and 6xSATA ports. Probably overkill but does the job nicely. Been toying lately with going to a box with embedded os, quieter and more efficient but the proliant has been working away nicely so not sure.... Might just get three or four 2Tb drives and stick them in using RAID and use the existing drives as off site backup.
 
trencheel303 said:
terminal services (Windows Remote Desktop) over a LAN is a bloomin dream to be honest.
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I use remote desktop (Windows and MacOS) constantly and over a fast network you can barely tell any difference to being there!
 
bartoszwozniak said:
Just to clear things up. Is it better to share the same connection between the two pcs (my laptop's connection) or should I get another wireless dongle e.g: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159814 for the desktop??

Please let me know.

Bart
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If your router supports it, and most will, I would connect to existing PC to the router via cable. They will both need their own connection to the router.
 
My router is downstairs - hence it is a pain in the backside to pull a cable outside, then out the widow, drill holes into the wall, and get the cable running. Is there no option to share the same internet connection?
 
bartoszwozniak said:
My router is downstairs - hence it is a pain in the backside to pull a cable outside, then out the widow, drill holes into the wall, and get the cable running. Is there no option to share the same internet connection?
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Yes, get a wireless network adapter for the PC upstairs but if you are doing that I wouldn't bother turning it into a NAS as wireless is not really quick enough. 1Gb networking is about 20 times faster than N type networking.
 
Ok, well thanks a lot for the help!

Last question: What is a standard Network/LAN cable?? Is it an RJ45 Cat5??

*** I have found some RJ11 and cat6 cables that I have never heard of. Which one should I buy?? It is just a standard Network/LAN port.
 
bartoszwozniak said:
Ok, well thanks a lot for the help!

Last question: What is a standard Network/LAN cable?? Is it an RJ45 Cat5??

*** I have found some RJ11 and cat6 cables that I have never heard of. Which one should I buy?? It is just a standard Network/LAN port.
Click to expand...

cat5 is Gb ready wired networking. The name of the plug on the end is RJ45. RJ11 is the name of the 4 connector plug on american phones (or the sockets on out phones/modems)

cat6 is totally compatible with cat5 but allows Gb over longer reaches etc. See the networking section on my web site www.upgradeyourmac.co.uk
 
aligibbs said:
Cat6 is thicker to install, and cant be bent as easily.
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My cat5 and cat6 cable are virtually indistinguishable certainly no more or less difficult but I suppose another brand might be :) Anyway like we said there would be absolutely no difference for the OP using cat5e over cat6.....
 
I have a 48 port patch panel in a data cabinet with a 24 port gigabit switch :) The phone line comes into the data cabinet where there is a router and an airport extreme all sockets including phone/modem etc go to sockets on the patch panel and the wiring goes up into the attic then under the attic floor and out of the house into a false gutter down pipe and back into the house on each level then through trunking hidden inside the walls to sockets everywhere. All nice and tidy and very flexible. Wired is so much quicker than wireless.
 
cat6 the restraints on what you can and can't do are tighter than cat5 and cat5e which means no 90 degree bends in the cable but other than that neither are more difficult to install than the other.
Next time we decorate I will wire the house for cat6 or 5e depending on what able I have left over.
 
unless youre chasing into walls and require futureproofing i wouldnt bother with cat6 yet, 99% of home users wont need it.

also powerline adaptors are worth a look if you cant run the cables. basically transforms your electrical cabling into a network.
 
cowasaki said:
I have a 48 port patch panel in a data cabinet with a 24 port gigabit switch :) The phone line comes into the data cabinet where there is a router and an airport extreme all sockets including phone/modem etc go to sockets on the patch panel and the wiring goes up into the attic then under the attic floor and out of the house into a false gutter down pipe and back into the house on each level then through trunking hidden inside the walls to sockets everywhere. All nice and tidy and very flexible. Wired is so much quicker than wireless.
Click to expand...

LOL - your house sounds like it has more IT equipment and connectivity than our office!
 
trencheel303 said:
LOL - your house sounds like it has more IT equipment and connectivity than our office!
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I have sockets neatly all over the place but it means that I can install a phone, games console, blu-ray player or computer anywhere quickly and easily.
 
neil_g said:
you should hear what some of the guys here (in the IT dept) have at home.. cupboards under the stairs as server rooms/data cable racking/severs, chased in cat5 in every room with faceplates etc
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Well that it pretty much my house :lol:

Telephone line comes in and next to it are 2 cat5 sockets. Phone line gets split into hi and low bands and into said sockets (best done at that point allegedly). Those go through to ports 1 & 2 in the patch panel which is in my data cabinet. My router has phone in and 4 outputs all connected to ports on the patch panel so to connect the phone I have a patch lead between port 1 and whatever port the router is at then the phone goes off to the phone ring (but I can send the phone line to any room using the patch panel). Then I have a 24 port gigabit switch below and all the rooms are connected neatly with mainly sunken back boxes with 2 or 4 position faceplates at strategic locations to positions on the patch panel including the kids rooms, living room (behind tv, desk, opposite corner etc), studio, dining room etc etc. It sounds like a total faff and for most people it is but it is very neat and very flexible. I have a proliant server running as NAS and other stuff wired in plus a Windows computer, Linux box and Mac pro in my computer corner (with 12 ports!). Then I also have 2 Apple air ports to extent the wireless network around the house setup to work together on the same network plus the router gives me a backup wireless network again with each bit going to a port on the patch panel.

The patch panel is cat6 and the 12 ports in my computer corner plus the ones in the studio and my corner of the bedroom are wired and socketed as cat6 too all the rest is cat5e. The windows machine, proliant server and Mac Pro all run dual gigabit connections to the network.

All the wiring is hidden away behind plaster etc and the mass of wires going from the attic to the living room goes in a square guttering downtube to make it neat and to match the existing guttering so that you cannot tell what it is.

My patch panel is now full so any additions will require adding a 24 port panel too :)

The reality is that all the wiring, sockets, panels, data cabinet etc cost about £250 but it is very flexible, neat and tidy.
 
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