The House Network
The house network is quite different from decades ago using a single computer. The house network was born with a cross-over cable to connect a 486 running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and a Pentium I running Windows NT4.
After receiving a Pentium II throwaway, a Linksys WRT54GL was added to connect all three systems.
The network continued to grow.
These days the office desktop is the primary computer. This system also is the network file, web, DNS, NTP, and backup server. There is one Asus router with a 4-port Ethernet switch and both 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless. The WRT54GL sits quietly on a shelf and is an emergency backup router with 2.4 GHz wireless.
In the living room is a media player running Slackware 14.2. There are two laptops, a Lenovo Thinkpad T400 and T580. The T400 multi-boots with three versions of Slackware, including a 32-bit version of Slackware 15.0.
There are three bare metal test machines, two of which dual boot between Slackware 14.2 and 15.0. In the corner of the office are three physical vintage systems — the 486 running Windows for Workgroups 3.11; the K6 III+ multi-booting with Slackware 14.1, Windows NT4, and Windows for Workgroups 3.11; and the Pentium II running Slackware 14.1.
Keeping everything connected are four lights switches. Except for the three vintage computers and WRT54GL, everything is gigabit Ethernet.
There are four computer monitors, one TV, one KVM, one VOIP ATA, and one laser printer.
Rounding out the collection are virtual machines (VMs). Two usually run continually when the office desktop is powered on. The VMs include:
- Slackware Current 64-bit
- Slackware 15.0 64-bit, 32-bit
- Slackware 15.0 64-bit speedtest system
- Slackware 14.2 64-bit, 32-bit
- Slackware 14.1 64-bit, 32-bit
- Slackware 12.2
- Slackware 11.0
- Slackware 11.0 clone from the 486 computer
- Debian 10 64-bit (dormant but retained as a reference from past employment)
- Windows 10 (updated every three months but otherwise ignored)
- Windows NT4 (dormant but retained as an archive reference)
- Windows 2000 (dormant but retained as a reference from past employment)
- Windows 2000 (dormant but originally used with a single specific software)
- Temporary test systems
Most of the computers are run only as needed. There are occasional mad scientist days when many of the systems, including most VMs, are humming and chatting with one another.
A humble little home network.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: General
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