![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Dear fellow [H]'ers,
I have been volunteering with my best friend and roommate at the Rainforest Partnership (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) in Austin, TX, as he completes his required year of pro bono attorney work. They need lots of IT help, so he asked if I could volunteer and I've been working there since September of this year, three days a week. I've been helping with IT and non-IT, but technical, issues within the organization. It's been a challenge in some cases, but rewarding to know that I'm helping at a place that can't afford to hire someone for IT or handyman help--they certainly cannot afford to hire an attorney for their legal needs, so they're grateful for my buddy's volunteering as well.
Here is a little bit about the organization:
http://www.rainforestpartnership.org/about-us/about/
And here are some current, international projects going on right now:
http://www.rainforestpartnership.org/project/
In the IT realm, we have hit a major snag. The originally donated server is a 1U rackmount, which has reached maximum storage capacity. I cannot upgrade the drives because of two reasons: I am not familiar with linux, and the drives are expensive SCSI drives. I've had them uploading tens of gigabytes of data to their godaddy account using the 512k upstream ISP (and I've used my own ISP to upload burned DVDs); the 150gigs on godaddy is being eaten up quickly. The recently donated replacement server is having problems with stability (built with generic parts, except for 1gb of Corsair RAM) and is still significantly limited by memory and storage space. They're expanding and need a server that can accommodate local file sharing, file redundancy, and other local server luxuries to make them more productive.
What we need--if anybody can donate a complete machine, or get together and donate collectively--is a desktop box with ample cooling (but not too noisy) since the air conditioner is rarely ever used. The basic requirements I have are:
2gb+ of RAM (expandable to at least 4gb)
80gb+ OS hdd
2x (or more) 1tb+ storage drive in RAID1 (software RAID is ok, redundancy matters more than performance)
1gbit ethernet (I have a spare 1gbit NIC to donate if this isn't onboard)
at least 4 SATA connectors
a modern, dual-core (or better) cpu with low power consumption
an efficient, reliable PSU
a reliable motherboard
An external SATA drive (or drives) or NAS with at least the capacity of the storage drive in the server would be an excellent addition for redundancy. I could make a weekly backup and take the external/NAS home for safe-keeping, and have multiple instances worth of archived backups.
The server will not be running any graphic-intensive software, so video capability is only necessary to the extent of plugging in a monitor for on-site management, if needed.
This machine needs to be reliable to run 24/7, and hopefully energy efficient to maintain the "green" aspect we're trying to stick with. It's not a workhorse, but needs to last at least 3 years to allow for expansion.
Lastly, if it's at all possible, we need a new wifi router, switch, and a huge reel (1000feet should cover it) reel of ethernet cable & plenty of terminators donated. We already have a cheapo Radio Shack crimper. The current setup has random-branded 5-port network switches piggybacked. The wiring is sloppy, not terminated properly or to any common wiring standards, and the WRT54G is not handling all the interns' and volunteers' laptops very well or across a broad area.
A 24 port switch would accommodate all current computers (12 that I know of), and allow for some expansion in the future, which will be slow, as donations are received. An 802.11n router is what we need, and we'll take whatever what we can get, but something with DD-WRT capability would be excellent; external antennas and a 1gbit switch would be gravy. Because meetings are often held outside, if we ever get 1watt amplifiers donated, the external antennas would allow for a convenient expansion--all laptops could be taken outside while maintaining excellent connectivity. The reel of ethernet cable and terminators would allow me to run a connection to each stationary computer in a uniform fashion, and setup the topology in a way that's easier to understand, manage, and troubleshoot, especially for my successor.
If anybody has a machine they can bear to donate to the Rainforest Partnership with those specifications, or better, we would be very appreciative! Or, if you work for a company that needs to write off some tax deductions, you can do so through us, as we're a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A collective effort to send parts would work and I could assemble the machine, but I wouldn't want people to donate if we aren't able to get a complete system up and running.
I have considered writing to NewEgg as I've been their customer for many years, but am concerned that the process may take many weeks and the current server suffered some file loss over the weekend due to limited drive space and how the prior IT person setup the Linux machine. The donated server replacement is not stable and also limited on drive space with a 250gb drive that will barely accommodate current needs.
For further information on the Rainforest Partnership, donation information, or tax-deduction write-offs, please contact the Director of Operations, Maurine Winkley, at maurine@rainforestpartnership dot org
You may contact me, Jonathan Baumgardner, concerning the actual hardware donations, or if you know of someone who may be able to assist us, at jon@rainforestpartnership dot org
Thanks for reading, [H]'ers! Please help us continue efforts to save the rainforest!
I have been volunteering with my best friend and roommate at the Rainforest Partnership (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) in Austin, TX, as he completes his required year of pro bono attorney work. They need lots of IT help, so he asked if I could volunteer and I've been working there since September of this year, three days a week. I've been helping with IT and non-IT, but technical, issues within the organization. It's been a challenge in some cases, but rewarding to know that I'm helping at a place that can't afford to hire someone for IT or handyman help--they certainly cannot afford to hire an attorney for their legal needs, so they're grateful for my buddy's volunteering as well.
Here is a little bit about the organization:
http://www.rainforestpartnership.org/about-us/about/
And here are some current, international projects going on right now:
http://www.rainforestpartnership.org/project/
In the IT realm, we have hit a major snag. The originally donated server is a 1U rackmount, which has reached maximum storage capacity. I cannot upgrade the drives because of two reasons: I am not familiar with linux, and the drives are expensive SCSI drives. I've had them uploading tens of gigabytes of data to their godaddy account using the 512k upstream ISP (and I've used my own ISP to upload burned DVDs); the 150gigs on godaddy is being eaten up quickly. The recently donated replacement server is having problems with stability (built with generic parts, except for 1gb of Corsair RAM) and is still significantly limited by memory and storage space. They're expanding and need a server that can accommodate local file sharing, file redundancy, and other local server luxuries to make them more productive.
What we need--if anybody can donate a complete machine, or get together and donate collectively--is a desktop box with ample cooling (but not too noisy) since the air conditioner is rarely ever used. The basic requirements I have are:
2gb+ of RAM (expandable to at least 4gb)
80gb+ OS hdd
2x (or more) 1tb+ storage drive in RAID1 (software RAID is ok, redundancy matters more than performance)
1gbit ethernet (I have a spare 1gbit NIC to donate if this isn't onboard)
at least 4 SATA connectors
a modern, dual-core (or better) cpu with low power consumption
an efficient, reliable PSU
a reliable motherboard
An external SATA drive (or drives) or NAS with at least the capacity of the storage drive in the server would be an excellent addition for redundancy. I could make a weekly backup and take the external/NAS home for safe-keeping, and have multiple instances worth of archived backups.
The server will not be running any graphic-intensive software, so video capability is only necessary to the extent of plugging in a monitor for on-site management, if needed.
This machine needs to be reliable to run 24/7, and hopefully energy efficient to maintain the "green" aspect we're trying to stick with. It's not a workhorse, but needs to last at least 3 years to allow for expansion.
Lastly, if it's at all possible, we need a new wifi router, switch, and a huge reel (1000feet should cover it) reel of ethernet cable & plenty of terminators donated. We already have a cheapo Radio Shack crimper. The current setup has random-branded 5-port network switches piggybacked. The wiring is sloppy, not terminated properly or to any common wiring standards, and the WRT54G is not handling all the interns' and volunteers' laptops very well or across a broad area.
A 24 port switch would accommodate all current computers (12 that I know of), and allow for some expansion in the future, which will be slow, as donations are received. An 802.11n router is what we need, and we'll take whatever what we can get, but something with DD-WRT capability would be excellent; external antennas and a 1gbit switch would be gravy. Because meetings are often held outside, if we ever get 1watt amplifiers donated, the external antennas would allow for a convenient expansion--all laptops could be taken outside while maintaining excellent connectivity. The reel of ethernet cable and terminators would allow me to run a connection to each stationary computer in a uniform fashion, and setup the topology in a way that's easier to understand, manage, and troubleshoot, especially for my successor.
If anybody has a machine they can bear to donate to the Rainforest Partnership with those specifications, or better, we would be very appreciative! Or, if you work for a company that needs to write off some tax deductions, you can do so through us, as we're a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A collective effort to send parts would work and I could assemble the machine, but I wouldn't want people to donate if we aren't able to get a complete system up and running.
I have considered writing to NewEgg as I've been their customer for many years, but am concerned that the process may take many weeks and the current server suffered some file loss over the weekend due to limited drive space and how the prior IT person setup the Linux machine. The donated server replacement is not stable and also limited on drive space with a 250gb drive that will barely accommodate current needs.
For further information on the Rainforest Partnership, donation information, or tax-deduction write-offs, please contact the Director of Operations, Maurine Winkley, at maurine@rainforestpartnership dot org
You may contact me, Jonathan Baumgardner, concerning the actual hardware donations, or if you know of someone who may be able to assist us, at jon@rainforestpartnership dot org
Thanks for reading, [H]'ers! Please help us continue efforts to save the rainforest!