What is the point of owning more than one box?

[J_K9]

Now, just a bit of a random question here, but what is the point of owning more than one box. Don't say "to have more than one OS", because you can just have the same box with dualbooting. So what are your views on the reasons for having more than one box?



J_K9

[AngelicKnight]

For me:

1) Specialized tasks
2) Networking
3) Task division

[J_K9]

You say "specialized tasks". Care to explain more AK?


J_K9

[AngelicKnight]

My network's slowly but surely shaping up like this:

1) My main XP Home box for all of my serious work, high security, used for e-mail and web browsing.
2) Win98lite box for older games
3) Win95 box mostly for documents and using as an overal guinea pig
4) Redhat box that once running right will help me learn Linux

All on seperate boxes so I can also learn how to network the different machines together and whatnot.

[J_K9]

That's quite good AngelicKnight. I admitedly own a laptop and a box, lappy for work and box for games. Both run Win XP. Thanks for replying, but I wonder what other people use their extra boxes for.


J_K9

[KissCool]

Actually, my personal network is really simple:
- One Linux box for serious stuff and web browsing.
- Two Win XP boxes for newbies (ie family) and gaming.
- A very old box turned in experimental *nix box (NetBSD currently), for learning.
- An old Thinkpad customized with Linux for when I must move.

[DeadAddict]

I believe everyone should have at least two boxes one for everyday use and the other for testing purposes or as a back up incase the first one goes down.
My set up is as follows
[list=1]
windows xp home I use this box for surfing the web, watching DVD's or playing a game
windows 2000 pro used as a backup machine and stores all my backup files
Test box for trying out new operating systems etc
windows xp pro Just for the hell of it
Currently running FreeBsd 4.10
[/list=1]

[The Grunt]

I have an XP gaming box for day to day and internet use, and a K6 slack box that I am learning *nix on. I also have about 10 gateway P1's that I haven't decided what I am going to do with yet...

[nihil]

Now, just a bit of a random question here, but what is the point of owning more than one box. Don't say "to have more than one OS", because you can just have the same box with dualbooting. So what are your views on the reasons for having more than one box?

What is the point of having more than one motorcycle, or automobile?

Some people collect and restore?

Also, there is a limit to dual booting.

But the main reason that most of us have multiple machines, is that you have test/reference machines, labrats and sheep dips. These are the boxes that you investigate malware, try out new software, and do development stuff on. Those activities are generally not a good idea on your main box? and on a local network.

My (third) wife once threatened to divorce me if I brought another computer home............so I bought all the components, took them back, and sat in the middle of the living room floor and built a new one in front of her.

The next day she brought me three "fired/redundant" ones from work :D

I doubt if I have more than 30 in the house at the moment.............and the bits to build another five :)

Also...................if you go into a room, it must have at least three computers and a printer in it?.......OK the bathroom and the two toilets don't (yet :cool: )


I guess it might be an enthusiasm thing?

Cheers

[Spyder32]

My personal network is quite simple too:

1. Win98 - Main System (Browsing, etc)
2. WinMe - Guest System (Guests To Use, Gaming System, MP3's, and Testing.)
3. OpenBSD - Server System (Used as a server to host friends websites, etc and learning on.)

I'm also saving up for a laptop which I'm going to get Win2000 or WinXP for documents and for MP3.

[hypronix]

I hate dual-booting! :)

So although ATM I only have my Gentoo-sporting laptop, the other box used to be my dad's though I used it for back-ups. I want to 'restore' an older computer to the state of a server and back-up machine... for trying out new OSes I use VMWare although there are limits to that too.

[whizkid2300]

I have several reasons that I have more than one. I am going to say more than one OS, but explain, when you dual boot, you have to use of HDD space, I personally don't want to do that, the next thing, is that you have to shut down one when you want to run the other.

Another reason is that I run one as my server, one with a distro without X,

One with a distro with X.

One as a test box, that I put all untrusted code on, and anything I play around with. (This is soon going to be 2 boxes for this, one linux and one windows.)

The other one is for just straight destruction, I use it to test and see just how many people will hit my box. I have had fun, telling people how stupid they are. (You learn a lot doing this.)

I have 2 laptops.

I also have little setup that I have with my boxes, there are 2 on one side and 2 on the other with the server in the middle.

I love having more than one box.

Also a really good thing, that you can do when you have more than one box, you can test out your code on more than one computer. Which is something I do often.

[HTRegz]

Hey Hey,

There are many reasons to use multiple boxes... many of which have already been mentioned. You mentioned dual-booting for multiple OSs... a more convenient way would be to just use VMWare or VirtualPC... :)

Anyways I have several boxes, in fact, too many boxes.. .I just gave a few away... They're use varies and I require all of them.

1. Windows XP (AMD XP 2500+) - My Desktop... modern games, chat, surfing, word processing
2. Windows XP (Celeron 2.2Ghz) - My Laptop... School and Work
3. SuSE 9.1 (Pentium II 350Mhz) - Server... IRC Server, FTP Server, Web Server, SSHD
4. Windows 98 (Pentium II 350Mhz) - Gaming Machine... older games that won't run on new fast processors
5. Various (Pentium II 350Mhz) - Test Machine... Test spyware, viruses, or anything else I want to play with

It's very beneficial to have a second machine, especially if one of them craps out.. I remember when VX2.ABetterInternet first came out... If I hadn't had a second machine handy I would have been screwed and confused as all hell...

Peace,
HT

[phishphreek]

HA! My GF asks the same question...

Why do you need ANOTHER one?!

Because I can?

I have a xp pro box for everday use.
xp laptop for travel, camera, gps, wireless, etc.
Linux server file, http, ssh
2k Server with AD and such. file/print/dns/sus/etc
misc box that I use as a testing box (gets loaded/reloaded often)

several other boxes that family members use... 2 more 2k boxes and 2 more xp home boxes

several boxes stacked in my closet that I have no freaking idea what to do with them yet...
I'm sure snort will go on one of them someday soon...

several routers... who says its dumb to have several subnets at home?

I can open any attachement/file/etc I want on that box... its on its own network... and its blocked from my real network.

I also like to have my wireless devices on a separate subnet. one for 802.11x and one for bluetooth.

all my switches are unmanaged... so who cares about those?
one hub... just because... I'll need it when I get this snort box up.

Several boxes of assorted hardware... too much to list.. but enough to build a couple more boxes.

Not like you really care... but hey, you asked. :p

[whizkid2300]

To be honest, my ultimate goal is to have my core 5 and then 7 more, a new one to use everyday. You don't want to know why.

[phishphreek]

Originally posted here (http://www.AntiOnline.com/showthread.php?threadid=261206#post782917) by whizkid2300
To be honest, my ultimate goal is to have my core 5 and then 7 more, a new one to use everyday. You don't want to know why.

If you want to switch up your collection of pr0n... just get a bigger hard drive..
Isn't that why they created playlists?
You don't need a new box for each rotation... :p

[J_K9]

Thanks everybody for posting. As I see there is a wide variety of answers and reasons why you might want more than one box! I'm sure there are a few more, but thanks those that have posted!


J_K9

[CXGJarrod]

hmmm.... more than one box... it heats my computer room for free! ;)

Well this is the current setup at my house:

Dell Poweredge 2300 Dually p3 700 - Webserver, FTP, email server
AMD 2500+ - Main rig for all my computing needs
AMD Athlon 1300 Mghz - SUSE 9 computer
AMD Duron 800 - test machine - This gets every OS I want to try out on it. ;)
IBM 300GL - Win 98 - Old games machine - Some older games will not run on faster hardware so that is my older games machine.

So having a box for different purposes is a good thing! Also, most of them contribute to some distributed computing project or another so all the boxes help out there.

[jonathans_daddy]

SImple answer... gotta have one for each family member. Otherwise I'd never get to use one. Also make it easy to have LAN parties. "Sure, come on over. No, you don't need to bring a computer. Just sit down and play."

[cacosapo]

since i hate (too) dual boot, i have:

1) firewall (smoothwall)
2) Test box - Winxp - runs p2p, virtual pc and vmware. I use to install linux under virtual machines. Its also runs my web server under linux (apache+mysql+php). My son uses it also for gaming.
3) production - Only serious stuff there - including my games :)

[Refraction]

1. Something for my 5yr old to play Blues Clues on.
2. If I want to upgrade everything tomorrow... I have a spare to use until I figure out what I messed up.
3. Spare parts are a "good thing".
4. Hubby has his toys...I have mine. ;)
5. Makes a sturdy doorstop if needed.

[whizkid2300]

CXGJarrod out of curiousity, what are you running on your Server? What distro? Does it ever seem like your running slow with only a p3?

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here (http://www.AntiOnline.com/showthread.php?threadid=261206#post783261) by whizkid2300
CXGJarrod out of curiousity, what are you running on your Server? What distro? Does it ever seem like your running slow with only a p3?

I have run Win2k Server and SUSE 9 on it with no problems (it also came with Redhat installed on it, but it was not on for long). Pages load reasonably fast and it never seems like the system is slow with only the dual p3 700's. I am running 2 personal websites and one website for a friends records company. I get a decent amount of traffic and have not recieved any complaints.

Edit: The thing that probably slows the server down the most is its connection to the net, which is 1.5mb down and 133k up. (Which it speed tests at 1.1 down and 200k up)

[Tim_axe]

I have a Dell PowerEdge 4300 w/ Dual P3-450. Not a bad machine for active website hosting. My net connection is horrible though. :(

My kicking rig is a Dual AthlonXP-M (35watt) 2400+ running at a slick 2.45GHz. Too bad my HDDs aren't up to the task of feeding the processors well. I might eventually get a SCSI controller and steal a drive or two off of my server to keep it happy. I'd like RAID-0 w/ two 36GB drives, but that is a lot of $$$ out of pocket.

I also have a P3 - 800. My mom uses a ThinkPad laptop. My dad uses a Sony Vaio laptop. And my little bro uses an AMD-K6-2 300 system. I might give him some P3 loving some time.

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here (http://www.AntiOnline.com/showthread.php?threadid=261206#post783684) by Tim_axe
I have a Dell PowerEdge 4300 w/ Dual P3-450. Not a bad machine for active website hosting. My net connection is horrible though. :(


Tim: Those Dell Poweredges are workhorse servers huh? Mine is big and heavy as hell, but it keeps on running. My only issue with it is if you stand it up one of the processors does not work. (Probably a loose connector holding the processor in) Works great on its side though. What OS are you running on it?

[Tim_axe]

Heck yeah it is big and heavy. I don't know where they put the lead bricks in its 3ft deep x 1.5ft tall x 1ft wide case.

Mine works well standing up. Probably a loose connector though. Mine has some big side pannel that pushes the heatsink/processor into the slot. Passive cooling with huge aluminum heatsinks, and the air flow isn't too bad. Start up is loud as my SCSI drives spin up, and all of the fans go to max.

Runs RH9 and Win2K I think. When the hard drives decide to go (I've lost ~2 so far), I'll probably try another shot at Gentoo or something.


BTW, here is a pic of the outside. I won't post pics of the inside until I clean it up (dust bunny breeding grounds). Which will probably not happen for a while with house repair and other projects going on...

[CXGJarrod]

Nice pic! I will have to take some of mine soon and I will post. Mine has the aluminum heatsinks with a huge "duct" to direct air from the huge 120 MM fan in the back of the case. (Can hear the fans from that server when you enter the house) ;) You have to take the whole side of the case off to get inside. (which involves pulling down the front od the server) The 4 SCSI drives in mine are doing well.

Offtopic: Are those riding boots on the right? You ride off road bikes or quads?

[AngelicKnight]

One of your processors stops working? That's odd, we have a number of PowerEdges here (you may recall my talking my about them), but they're all running upright without any issues thus far.

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here (http://www.AntiOnline.com/showthread.php?threadid=261206#post783924) by AngelicKnight
One of your processors stops working? That's odd, we have a number of PowerEdges here (you may recall my talking my about them), but they're all running upright without any issues thus far.

Yep. If you stand this server up the correct way then the processor dies. The problem is the plastic part that holds the processor into place.

Processor looks like this: http://www.intel.com/support/processors/pentiumiii/index.htm

Small one at bottom(Pentium III processors in the S.E.C.C./S.E.C.C.2 package type). (Crappy picture I know) I think that the processor moves when the server stands up and then refuses to work. Works fine on its side though. ;)

Edit: Better picture here (http://www.tomshardware.pl/cpu/19990823/)

[Spyder32]

I am running 2 personal websites and one website for a friends records company. I get a decent amount of traffic and have not recieved any complaints.

[off topic] Haha, interestingly enough I help promote/advertise my friends record company. [/off topic]