Sick Computer

[Tom]

Lazy: I tried watching Torchwood, but I just couldn't get into it.  And I don't want it on with the five year old watching, he's just not there yet.  Maybe we'll just have to watch some classic Tom Baker.

Mr. A: Thanks.  Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm only interested if it's a gigabit switch.  And no, I don't need a 24 port switch

Tom: Just use your rotary phone!  Yes, really, he's still got a rotary hooked up and usable!  'twere hilarious to hear when I picked him up for D&D last time, that classic ringer.

Heh yeah. Its awesome. At some point I want to make a pulse->tone adapter for it. so I can actually dial out with it.

Tom,

Ehrm, pulse dialing still works on the Telus network.

Or are you on VOIP? I can't remember.

I'm using a Northern Electric 500 Series with the bells disabled.

I seem to have a Northham Telecom (c) 1968-1970. Says Made in Canada on the bottom too!

But yeah, I'm on voip. I have one of those Linksys PAP2 devices, which can't do pulse/rotary dialing.

[Mr. Analog]

Ooh, I'll have to look up that one. I know Northern Electric was the Canadian arm of Bell (originally the Bell Telephone Company of Canada, later NorTel), but I haven't heard of Northham Telecom before.

Northern Electric was originally formed because import restrictions on telephone technology from the US were so high it was just cheaper/easier to make the machinery (including the phones) here.

I'll bet you a dollar that the innards are all Bell components

[Thorin]

Well, that same computer that broke two hard drives has now broken it's third (and last).  We're down to a single desktop for right now, as I try to figure out how to get the money to replace it.

At the same time, I've had TVersity crash a few times now and rather than try to figure out why, I'm simply switching software.  PS3MediaServer, here we come!

Still need to upgrade that router to a gigabit switch, but I'll need to figure out my missing-a-computer problem first.

<sigh>

[Thorin]

Oh, and I wish I would've found these four articles before buying my Drobo:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/data-robotics-drobo-fs-nas-review-and-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/synology-ds411j-nas-review-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/netgear-readynas-ultra-4-review-and-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/qnap-ts419p-turbo-nas-review-giveaway/

I might not have bought the Drobo...

[Mr. Analog]

Well, that same computer that broke two hard drives has now broken it's third (and last).  We're down to a single desktop for right now, as I try to figure out how to get the money to replace it.

At the same time, I've had TVersity crash a few times now and rather than try to figure out why, I'm simply switching software.  PS3MediaServer, here we come!

Still need to upgrade that router to a gigabit switch, but I'll need to figure out my missing-a-computer problem first.

<sigh>

I'll scrape together some guts for ya, I have everything but a HDD to build a whole PC pretty much.

Oh, and I wish I would've found these four articles before buying my Drobo:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/data-robotics-drobo-fs-nas-review-and-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/synology-ds411j-nas-review-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/netgear-readynas-ultra-4-review-and-giveaway/
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/qnap-ts419p-turbo-nas-review-giveaway/

I might not have bought the Drobo...

I've had a few scotch so... I don't get it. Potentially free Drobos?

[Thorin]

Scotch: thumbsup

If I'd read those reviews, I'd've probably ended up buying a Synology DS-411j.  You see, I bought the Drobo because of its BeyondRAID tech.  The Synology has "Synology Hybrid RAID" and the Netgear has "X-RAID2", both of which work like BeyondRAID.  And the DS-411j apparently works much better as a media server and has a much nicer user interface than the Drobo.  With a better media server on the NAS itself, I wouldn't have to keep a computer running all day to watch shows from the NAS via the Xbox on the TV.

I'm seriously considering buying a new Dell, with an i5 and a bunch of RAM and 64-bit Windows.  Dell's got pretty good deals on desktops at the moment: $529, no shipping, for i5-2400 + 4GB RAM + 500GB 7200rpm SATA + DVD-RW, no monitor.  However, I'm not one to turn down free computers

I'm thinking at this point it's the power supply that's killing the drive controllers, so maybe all I need is a new PSU.  Who knows.

[Melbosa]

If you want a new dell let me know as I can usually get them cheaper than the regular consumer

[Thorin]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

I'm also thinking about just buying a new chip, mobo, RAM, and PSU.  Since I still have a case, keyboard, mouse, DVD-RW.  Haven't decided yet

[Lazybones]

The cd-RW is probably IDE and new motherboards will probably be Pure sata.

[Thorin]

Nope, the sick computer is about 3.5 years old and all-SATA.  I'd be using the DVD-RW from it.

I'm still casting about trying to decide what to do, but the more I've read today the more I think it's the PSU that Dell put in that machine that was killing the drive controllers.  So at the moment I'm thinking of buying a decent PSU - there's a PC Power & Supply 500w on sale for $70 at Newegg.ca, with a $20 mail-in rebate making it $50.  Pretty damn cheap for excellent quality, from what I've read.

This'd be much easier if I had money to waste, then I'd just go brand new big rig with the latest components.

edit

Damn, that's a lot of connectors!

[Mr. Analog]

This is exactly why I buy PWSs with modular power connectors