Dell order

[SlimRick]

I ordered an APC Smart UPS5000 from Dell late last year - they sent 2 by mistake (only invoiced for one). Been trying to get them to collect it for 6 months. Now they've sent me an email saying I can keep it as a "gesture of goodwill"

[TimberWolf]

... use 2 old desktops as servers and they never fail...

Hmm, server, that's an idea. I was thinking of whipping out the hard drives and dumping the rest. For one thing the fan needs replacing as it makes an awful racket now. But I could use it as a server and get a new fan. I don't think I have need for a file or print server, but it might be good as a web & DB server, for practise.

Has anyone done anything useful or interesting with their old PCs, specifically on the server side?

[BrowneIssue]

Has anyone done anything useful or interesting with their old PCs, specifically on the server side?

My very old desktop is what I call my server. It is the PC connected to the internet and is running WinGate. The rest of the network is connected to a network card in that PC and so none are directly connected. That server acts as a firewall. No data is stored on it.

Whenever I download anything, it gets saved on the server and never deleted (until a more recent version of thing is downloaded). That makes rebuilding PCs a lot quicker. In effect, that is a glorified FTP cache.

That PC also drives at least one networked printer. It also has a modem configured for dial-up for when the broadband doesn't work.

It is also the PC that drives the webcam that points out of the window.




On my desk I have two PCs. The fast one has the large screen and is for doing actually work, especially on documents. The other (my laptop) is for research and email: Google, Wikipedia, Thunderbird, DigiGuide and CUK.

I am not looking forward to working at a ClientCo where I only have one screen on the desk - how quaint.