Any use for really old PC?

[Heliocentrical]

A friend was tossing out an ancient PC so I took it home to tinker with. Any possible uses? Its a Pentium 200 with 16mb ram and a 4gig hardrive. I read some where that you can turn it into a firewall? What about installing some harddrives and using it as network storage?

 

[Fawkes]

Get that baby folding

 

[distr0]

overclock to 250mhz, add 64 megs of ram and a voodoo2, and you have my first "gaming" machine

ohh yeah, my friends were all jealous at the time

 

[compslckr]

you could run smoothwall on it and use it as a router/firewall with a web based configuration page.


just google smoothwall

 

[Heliocentrical]

Get that baby folding

When you guys fold,are your systems linked to each other or are they independantly running the software and wired to the router?

My Compaq Proliant and Compaq Deskpro are both folding but they arent linked to each other. I see pics from folks that have 10+ PC's folding but only one monitor. How is that done and is it better that way?

 

[USMC2Hard4U]

I would have more run with it to light it on fire and watch it die haha

 

[xdviper]

no no
a firewall is a very good thing to do
more protection for your pc and the outside world

 

[fromage]

I see pics from folks that have 10+ PC's folding but only one monitor. How is that done and is it better that way?

Either KVM switches or it's a cluster with 1 server controlling them all. It's really only useful if you need to like reboot a machine or do maintenance on it and dont have a portable monitor/keyboard to use.

 

[Master [H]]

Can you say 'router'?

Besides smoothwall, there's also IP Cop.

 

[Carnival Forces]

When you guys fold,are your systems linked to each other or are they independantly running the software and wired to the router?

My Compaq Proliant and Compaq Deskpro are both folding but they arent linked to each other. I see pics from folks that have 10+ PC's folding but only one monitor. How is that done and is it better that way?

not exactly sure what you're asking, but i'll try to answer.

if they were "linked" i take you mean all working on the same program -- that's called a Beowulf cluster and no, they aren't set up like that.

they do all run the program "independantly," i.e. separate copies and separate Work Units on each computer.

they are, usually, however, all "linked," insofar as they all connect to the internet via one router

furthermore, we can have just one monitor between 10 b0xen (folding computers) because we dont' need any more monitors--we can monitor the computers over the internet--if a problem arises, move the monitor and figure it out.

come on over to the DC Forum and sign up; it's a good cause

 

[Heliocentrical]

not exactly sure what you're asking, but i'll try to answer.

if they were "linked" i take you mean all working on the same program -- that's called a Beowulf cluster and no, they aren't set up like that.

they do all run the program "independantly," i.e. separate copies and separate Work Units on each computer.

they are, usually, however, all "linked," insofar as they all connect to the internet via one router

furthermore, we can have just one monitor between 10 b0xen (folding computers) because we dont' need any more monitors--we can monitor the computers over the internet--if a problem arises, move the monitor and figure it out.

come on over to the DC Forum and sign up; it's a good cause

You understood me. I am going over to checkout your DC link now. I didnt even know what folding was until I noticed alot of users with comments in thier signatures like "Folding for the Horde" I followed a few links and now I'm into it. My 2 Pc's have been "Folding@Home for 48 hrs straight now.Thanks- Aratech

Oh yeah, How do I join a team?

 

[velusip]

You understood me. I am going over to checkout your DC link now. I didnt even know what folding was until I noticed alot of users with comments in thier signatures like "Folding for the Horde" I followed a few links and now I'm into it. My 2 Pc's have been "Folding@Home for 48 hrs straight now.Thanks- Aratech

Oh yeah, How do I join a team?

Argh! you haven't been folding for [H]ard|OCP?!

K, restart your clients, but enter number 33 for team.

 

[Carnival Forces]

You understood me. I am going over to checkout your DC link now. I didnt even know what folding was until I noticed alot of users with comments in thier signatures like "Folding for the Horde" I followed a few links and now I'm into it. My 2 Pc's have been "Folding@Home for 48 hrs straight now.Thanks- Aratech

Oh yeah, How do I join a team?

go here (our home page) and click on the large, flashing, BLUE, link.

 

[BlindedByScience]

...folding is good; if you are going to keep the hardware, that's the right answer.....

One other choice, is recycling / donating the hardware. Locally, there's this place called Free Geek that does recycling of the junk and builds usable PC's out of the decent stuff. The deal here is that low income folks can get a free PC if they put in time in the recycling operation, and get to take classes on building, setting up, and troubleshooting their new PC's. I always thought that was a very cool idea, so they have been getting the lion's share of my really old but still usable stuff. Lots of cities have something similar so it's worth looking into....

FWIW - B.B.S.

 

[Monkey34]

One other choice, is recycling / donating the hardware. Locally, there's this place called Free Geek that does recycling of the junk and builds usable PC's out of the decent stuff. The deal here is that low income folks can get a free PC if they put in time in the recycling operation, and get to take classes on building, setting up, and troubleshooting their new PC's. I always thought that was a very cool idea, so they have been getting the lion's share of my really old but still usable stuff. Lots of cities have something similar so it's worth looking into....

NICE!
This is a great idea, I would love to see it in my area(my wife would too, it would clear out all my "might-use-it-again-someday" boxes.

 

[Carnival Forces]

NICE!
This is a great idea, I would love to see it in my area(my wife would too, it would clear out all my "might-use-it-again-someday" boxes.

for the time being, get those "might-use-it-again-someday" boxen FOLDING!.

or, if you don't want to pay the electricity, go here, because there's someone there who needs your parts.

 

[Heliocentrical]

for the time being, get those "might-use-it-again-someday" boxen FOLDING!.

or, if you don't want to pay the electricity, go here, because there's someone there who needs your parts.

I restarted the clients on both my PC's and entered team 33. I also set up my in-laws 2.9ghz HP folding under my user id and team 33.I have also registered at
[H]ardFolding.com. Its great! I guess that means I'm contributing 4.2ghz to the cause.
The only problem I have is that I cant pull up my user stats on [H]ardFolding.com. When I search for my user id it doesnt find me.Its already been a day since I registered.

 

[SmokeRngs]

When you guys fold,are your systems linked to each other or are they independantly running the software and wired to the router?

My Compaq Proliant and Compaq Deskpro are both folding but they arent linked to each other. I see pics from folks that have 10+ PC's folding but only one monitor. How is that done and is it better that way?

Besides the ways mentioned, there is another way to to monitor and "use" the boxen. Google RealVNC and that will take you to what I use on a system or two.

Oh yeah, that P200 would probably be good as an old DOS box for older DOS games and stuff. I think I might toss my old Pentium back together just for that purpose.

 

[Heliocentrical]

Besides the ways mentioned, there is another way to to monitor and "use" the boxen. Google RealVNC and that will take you to what I use on a system or two.

Oh yeah, that P200 would probably be good as an old DOS box for older DOS games and stuff. I think I might toss my old Pentium back together just for that purpose.

Cool. I am reading their site now.Thanks - Aratech