What To Do When There's Nothing to Do!

My efforts in cleaning and consolidating have been really effective! So effective, that I'm starting to actually run out of things to do. I do have a couple on the "back burner", but both are on hold waiting for outside intervention. My office space is so clean, it's a little weird? So, what to do?

Well, let's start by briefly recapping what's been done. All of our computers are now on one operating system; with the exception of a few specialty machines, and the server of course. All the laptops use the same power adapter, and when you're home to 5 of them, that's no small thing! Everyone is fully equipped with a main computer for normal use (a laptop or in my case also a desktop) and a tablet for misc. purposes. Both of our main television viewing systems have a surround system and a HTPC that's connected to the internet and our home server. 

 So, of course, when you least expect it, something weird happens! Last night, I noticed that my tablet was refusing to sync it's email, then I realized that it wasn't just that, but Google Play which uses that address as the account was claiming "no connection". Oddly Hotmail wasn't connecting either; all at the same time that other computers AND the tablet itself was able to get onto the internet via the browser!?! While researching the problem, I got all manner of answers (of course), one of which suggested that the router might have filter that MAC address. Ah Ha.....I thought, that piece of junk router I had to put in to get the voice-over-IP NetTalk phone to work must be the culprit! And since the service had expired as well as our reason for needing it, I decided to put my "super-duper" fast, D-Link DGL-4100 gaming router back in place, thus eliminating one box, AND putting my entire network on Gigabit! What had happened was that only specific routers worked with that service and the Trendnet that I got for it didn't have a Gigabit switch built in. This made me use my 8-Port Gigabit Switch in conjunction with the Trendnet to make my "backbone" Gigabit, but then I only had a 10/100 8-Porter in the office that the server and workstation was plugged into......it's all a "house of cards". In went the Gigabit switch equipped router, out cane the Trendnet. The displaced stand-alone Gigabit switch, then swapped out for the office 10/100 switched and we are now Gigabit across the board on all Ethernet connections! 

No, the tablet issue wasn't solved, but hey, the network SCREAMS!

The Spider Web

One of the things I really just don't enjoy doing is networking. Unfortunately, in our modern "connected world, it's not only a reality, we're pretty much at it's mercy.....that is if we want our computing devices to run well! For the most part, our little household has been running pretty darned well despite the large number of devices on the little network.

 

In fact, the little D-Link router/access point/switch has been plugging away in the networking cabinet for nearly 8 years now without drama of any sort. I originally went with this brand and model because it was one of the APs out there that used the Atheros "SuperG" chip that when paired with a laptop with matching chips could run  at 108mps vs. the standard 54mps of the standard "G". It handled the Wi-Fi as well as the wired parts of "Stanet" without hiccups for all this time, and I tend to be very loyal to the brands that work well for me, so over time I added a whole list of D-Link networking products (including an identical model at my brother/sister-in-law's).

That would include the DIR-615 when mine and my wife's laptops came along with "N" Wi-Fi capabilities, a well as the need for multiple networking connections in our living room area to accommodate not only the HTPC, but the Blu-Ray player, and Wii.

Around that time, it became obvious that I didn't have enough connections in the office either. I brought up the WHS file server which needed two ports, then a motherboard change on my workstation allowed it to have two as well, the two networked printer had to have their own and it was clear that the office needed an 8-Port switch. The thing that pushed it all over the edge was the client machine(s) that needed their own connection(s) to do updates after reloading. So, in came the D-Link DES-1108 to which was connected a separate DI-624 (the in-law's old one after they went with AT&T U-Verse) to handle those ports. There's also a 4-Port DSS-5+ that handles the printers as well.

Everything percolated along pretty well right up until this thing came along: the Nettalk-Duo. You've heard of Majic-Jack voice-over-IP phone service, right? This is a more advanced product that doesn't require a computer to be on. It's designed to attach directly to a router. So, here's how this came about: we haven't had a "landline" since before the year 2000. These days, we have a child who comes home before we do, so we want him to call us when he gets here AND we are not parents who are going to give an 8-year old a cellphone! Unfortunately, this device doesn't like my "long-in-the-tooth" router. Hmmmm...

This is the item that ends up pushing "Stanet" to the next logical stage: Gigagit networking. Virtually all my desktop/HTPCs have built-in Gigabit LAN anyway and with 5e Ethernet in the walls, all that's missing is the 1000mps switching function. I picked up the D-Link DGL-4100 router a few months ago which had Gigabit, then added the 8-Port DGS-2208 switch that now handles all the network traffic. With a second one on the way for the office, and the move of the DGS-5g from the office printers to the living room entertainment section, the entire "backbone" will now be Gigabit! This allows the Nettalk Duo to work and everything (particularly the digital media to and from the HTPC) to move across the network MUCH faster. An added benefit is that now I have the kids on a separate "SuperG" DI-624 AP that I can turn on and off "at will", while momma and I are on a completely isolated "N" router.

And of course, all of the devices (with the exception of the DIR-615) were bought used on eBay or Craig's List. It seems that networking devices don't hold there value very well! :)