My Computers

The howden.net.nz Server:

The web server that hosts this very site and a couple of other site is located in the living area of my home. To my flatmates and visitors to my house this computer that is running all the time looks rather pointless but serves many great roles. howden.net.nz is just one website hosted on this server, I also have an Intranet Site for our flat at hnetserv.howden.net.nz (hnetserv is short for "howden.net.nz Server") and this server was used as test server for the website I built for Southern Pride Lions in 2009 and in 2010 will be used as a testing ground for a website I will be building for a radio station this year.
This server runs Windows Server 2003 and uses IIS with PHP and mySQL added in. The reason I have chosen Windows Server over Linux is because I want to run an Active Directory network as well. I have chosen IIS over Appache because it comes with Windows and is easier to configure and have added in PHP and mySQL because this is a language I know how to build webpages in. At present I am still to learn how to make ASP pages but intend to do so over the next year.
Other roles this server has includes a File Server, Email Server, Windows Deployment Server and Windows Server Updates Server.

The Hardware behind the howden.net.nz server:

The hardware in this server is certainly nothing big to write about, this server is just an old Compaq desktop computer that has been moved to a more fancier case and had Windows XP replaced with Windows Server 2003. The hardware in this computer has served me fine for the past 3 years and 3 years before that made a great desktop computer. I am considering one day upgrading the server to something more powerful or adding more memory.

Hardware Specifications:
Motherboard: ASUS A7N8X-LA
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2600+ (2.08GHz)
RAM: 512 MB PC2700 DDR
Case: iCute VG100SL Case with clear side panel
Hard-drive: Seagate Barracuda 160.0 GB ATA 100
Hard-drive 2: Seagate Barracuda 40.0 GB ATA 100
Hard-drive 3: Seagate Barracuda 40.0 GB ATA 100
Backup Drive: Seagate Portable External Drive 250.0GB USB
DVD-Writer: Sony DRV-800A DVD Writer (16x Read/Write for DVD, 48x Read/Write for CD)
Removable Media:1.44MB Floppy Drive
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live (OEM)
Video Card: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce FX5500 with 256MB RAM
Monitor: No Name Brand 15" OSD Monitor
Keyboard: DSE Internet Keyboard.
Mouse: Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer
Network Card: NVIDIA nForce MCP 10/100 on board LAN card

Server Software:
Operating System: Windows Server 2003 R2 with Service Pack 2
Print Server Controlled by: PCounter for NT.
Webserver Software: Internet Information Server 6.0 with PHP and mySQL added in.
Email Server: Mercury Mail for Windows
SSH Server: FreeSSH

Server Roles:
Domain Controller: All users are assigned a user account and so there is controlled access to files on the entire network and we can access all our files from any workstation.
Network file server: Used to store applications run off the server and documents. The partitions on the two 40GB drives are mirrored using software RAID, this is done to prevent me loosing all my stuff if one of the hard drives crashes since I have had to replace quite a few drives over the years. Files are backed up onto the removable USB drive and the drive is stored off site. (In my car)
DHCP and DNS: I use this server as my DHCP server since it is a better DHCP server than the one built into the ADSL router. I also have an internal DNS running on the server this is part of Active Directory.
Print Server: Access to the printer is controlled using PCount so my flatmates don't print off hundreds of pages and waste the ink I pay for.
Web server: The Web Server that runs howden.net.nz and other websites I have created.
Secure FTP Server: Handy for transferring files from someone elses PC to my network.
Mail Server: All my email is stored on here seems to work fine apart from when the router crashes and no email comes in.
Streaming Media Server: Not actually using this at the moment but video clips can be streamed off my server.
Tetrinet Server: A dedicated server for the game Tetrinet
Windows Deployment Server: Used to create an image of each computer and then instead of spending hours reinstalling Windows all the time I can just reimage each machine from time to time.
Windows Server Updates Server: (WSUS) The idea of using this was so that if I reinstalled Windows I wasn't downloading all the same updates over and over again and also with more than one computer it seemed pointless downloading the same updates. While WSUS was great in theory for saving me on Internet data use and time downloading updates the results have been very mixed. In one month WSUS download 27GB of updates so I don't call that saving on Internet data use at all. Also had problems with it not downloading updates.
IP Address Update Server: As my Internet connection does not have a Static IP I use an application called Direct Update on the server to update my IP Address with ZoneEdit every time my IP address changes.

Network Information:
NetBios Name: hnetserv (short for howden-net Server).
Network IP Address: 192.168.0.21/24
Host Names: hnetserv.howden.net.nz, www.howden.net.nz, project.howden.net.nz

Screenshot of the original server desktop when it ran Windows NT Server 4.0
Screenshot of the server running Windows Server 2003
The original server in 2001 at my parents old house.
The Second Server in 2003 next to my switch and printer.
The Third Server in 2004 using the iCute case still used today.
Photo of current server, that's my flatmates cat lying on it
The same computer when it was my desktop and in the Compaq case.
Photo of computer case (front view)
Photo of computer case (side view)
Photo of case in the dark
Photo of the temperature gauge when the server was just booted. Room temperature was about what you see on the display, outside temperature was below zero on this day.

My Desktop:

My main desktop computer today is really nothing too flash now, back in 2007 having a computer with 4GB of RAM was quite impressive even if this computer was a Compaq computer. The only major change I have made to this computer was removing Windows XP Media Center 2005 and upgrading to Windows Vista Ulimate and more recently Windows 7 Ultimate. I have actually kept XP on this computer so I can boot back into XP if I need to.

Windows XP Mode
As this computer runs Windows 7 I am able to install Windows XP Mode on this computer. I use Windows XP Mode as a platform for running applications that don't work under Windows 7 that I don't want to upgrade or can't upgrade. These applications include Internet Explorer 6 (good for testing how a site looks with this older browser), Delphi 7 and Paintshop Pro 9 (I hate how this app in Windows 7 switches to Compatability Mode and don't want to upgrade to a version made by Corel). I also tried SimCity 2000 since it won't install on a 64Bit OS but you cannot run it under Application Mode. Thanks to XP Mode I will soon remove the copy of Windows XP that I dual boot into as this is now rather redundant.

Hardware Specifications:
Motherboard: ASUS A8M2N-LA
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+, 2600 Mhz
RAM: 4096MB DDR2-533
Case: Compaq Presario SR1995AN(yes another Compaq)
Hard Drive:Seagate ST330082 300GB SATA
Removable Media: 9 in 1 Digital Media Reader
DVD Writer:TSST Corp DVD Writer with Lightscribe (16x Speed DVD Write/Read 8x DVD Rewrite, 40x Speed CD Write/Read 24x CD Rewrite)
CD Writer/DVD Reader Combo:Lite On DVD Reader/CD Writer Combo (16x Speed DVD Read, 48x Speed CD Write/Read 24x Speed CD Rewrite)
Sound Card: Realtek High Definition Audio 7.1 Channel Onboard Card
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS with 512MB DDR2 Video Memory (PCI Express)
Monitor: NEC PV910 19" Flat Panel Monitor
Network Card 1:NVIDIA nForce Onboard Card
Network Card 2:HP 802.11 b/g Wireless Card
Keyboard: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard.
Mouse: Genius Ergo 525 Optical Mouse

Software:
Main Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate Edition (64bit Version)
Other Operating Systems: Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3 (Windows XP Mode)
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8.0 and Firefox 3.5
Instant Messaging: Windows Live Messenger
Media Player: Windows Media Player 12, WinAmp 5.x, Quicktime and iTunes
Office Suite: Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Works Suite 2006
Programming Apps: Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Eclipse Suite, Borland Delphi 7
Web Development Suite: Aptana Studio 1.5
Spyware Protection: Windows Defender and Spybot Search and Destroy
Antivirus: ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0
CD/DVD Writing: Nero 8.x
Windows XP Mode Programs: Borland Delphi 7, Internet Explorer 6, Paint Shop Pro 9, SimCity 2000
Other: WinZip 9, Xteq XSetup Pro, Adobe Reader 9.x, Google Earth

Network Information:
Host Name: blair-pc.howden.net.nz
Network IP Address: Reserved as 192.168.0.23/24 by DHCP server.

Screenshot of the computer running the copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 that was preinstalled and full of junk
An example of some of the crap Compaq preinstalled on this computer. This box kept on popping up.
This computer running Windows Vista Ultimate Edition in 2007
This computer running Windows 7 and a couple of older apps thanks to Windows XP Mode
Front view of my computer

My Laptop:

I decided to get myself a laptop as an extra computer I can use when I go away somewhere and I can use in my room when I feel like having a bit of space from my flatmates. Also very handy if I need to take a computer to someones place, so much easier than packing up a whole desktop computer and on many occasions I have taken my laptop to course and used to complete course work and some prensentations. Offline files plays an excellent role in ensuring I can access files when I am away from home, that is a local copy of all my documents, photos, music is stored on my laptop and syncronised with the server when the laptop rejoins the network. This computer came with Windows Vista Business preinstalled I used this for about a year before ditching Vista and upgrading to Windows 7. Vista loaded very slow on my laptop particularly took forever to load the Virus checker however Windows 7 loads so much quicker.

Hardware Specifications:
CPU: Intel 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
RAM: 2048MB DDR2
Case: Compaq V6608TU Laptop
Hard Drive:Samsung 160GB SATA Hard Drive
Removable Media: SD Card Reader
DVD Writer:HL-DT-ST DVD Writer (16x Speed DVD Write/Read 8x DVD Rewrite, 40x Speed CD Write/Read 24x CD Rewrite)
Sound: Realtek High Definition
Video: Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset
Screen: 15.4 Inch Widescreen
Network Card 1:Realtek RTL8101 Family
Network Card 2:Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
Keyboard: Compaq Laptop Keyboard.
Mouse: Synaptics Touchpad and Microsoft Wireless USB Mouse.
TV Card: AVerMedia AverTV Hybrid Express Slim with TV Tuner, FM Radio

Software:
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate Edition (64bit Version)
Other Operating System: Suse Linux 11.0 64Bit Version
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8.0 and Firefox 3.5
Instant Messaging: Windows Live Messenger
Media Player: Windows Media Player 11, WinAmp 5.x, Quicktime and iTunes
Office Suite: Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise, Microsoft Works 8.5
Spyware Protection: Windows Defender and Spybot Search and Destroy
Antivirus: ESET NOD 32 Antivirus 4.0
CD/DVD Writing: Nero 8.x
Other: WinZip 9, Xteq XSetup Pro, Adobe Reader 9.x

Network Information:
Host Name: blair-laptop.howden.net.nz
Network IP Address: Reserved as 192.168.0.25/24 by DHCP server (wired) and 192.168.0.24 (wireless).

My Laptop in 2010
My Laptop connected to my TV and running Windows Media Center - This makes my laptop a Media Center PC
Another shot of the Laptop and TV - This time displaying the Lady Gaga Telephone YouTube video in High Definition (video that received 1.4Million views in 2 days)
Screenshot of my Laptop Desktop taken when the laptop is connected to my TV (note the high resolotion and large file)

After moving into one of my flats and having my flatmates always want to use my computer and just help themselves to it all the time when it was in my room I decided I might as well use the excess computer hardware I had to build up another machine everyone could use. Originally this was only my old AMD K6-2 300 which would have been fine for Internet but was too slow to run the 10 applications at once my flatmates like to run this was especially the case with music. I ended upgrading this computer in 2006 after I found the only way to get it going was to give it a good kick and then I upgraded it again in 2008 buying a whole second hand Compaq computer off Trade Me. The monitor, keyboard and mouse have all been taken from my original Compaq desktop computer as this computer did not come with these. I also took the old CD Writer out of my old Compaq.

Hardware Specifications:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4, 1.8 GHz
RAM: 512 MB SD PC133 (256 + 256)
Case: Compaq Evo D510
Hard-drive: Maxtor 40.0 GB ATA 66
Removable Media: 1.44MB Floppy Drive
CD-Writer: CyberDrive (Atapi 48x Read/Write).
Sound Card: SoundMax AC97 Integrated Digital Audio.
Video Card: Intel 828 (On Board).
Monitor: Compaq FP5315 Flatpanel Monitor
Keyboard: Compaq Internet Keyboard.
Mouse: Compaq PS/2 Optical Mouse.
Network Card: Intel Pro 100 On Board Card

Software:
Operating System: Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8.0 and Firefox 3.5
Instant Messaging: Windows Live Messenger
Media Player: Windows Media Player 11, WinAmp 5.x, Quicktime and iTunes
Office Suite: Microsoft Office 2003
Spyware Protection: Windows Defender and Spybot Search and Destroy
Antivirus: ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0
Other: WinZip 9, Xteq XSetup Pro, Adobe Reader 9.x

Network Information:
Host Name: shared-pc.howden.net.nz
Network IP Address: Assigned by DHCP

My Printer

My printer is a HP Photosmart 2610 all in one Scanner, Printer and Fax. This printer can not only scan and print but it is also possible to insert a memory card from my Digital camera or PDA and then view the images on any PC on my network or print the images off the memory without even turning on a PC. I can also use the PictBridge function on my Digital Camera to connect my camera through a USB cable and then print directly off my camera without turning on the PC. I can also send Faxes either using the inbuilt Fax Modem by scanning and then sending a document or I can fax a document from any PC on the network.
The printer has it's own Ethernet Network connection meaning that I can scan and print from any workstation and even print from my PDA. I bought this printer back in 2005 but it still works fine I have to say a very good printer.

Network Information:
Host Name: printer.howden.net.nz
Network IP Address: Reserved as 192.168.0.22/24 by DHCP server.

PDA Phone

As part of my course we are all given PDA phones, my phone is an HTC Magic. Basically the deal is we get given these phones for nothing and the cost is built in somewhere into our course fees so as long as I graduate I get to keep this phone at the end. This is the non-Google branded version and is not locked into the Vodafone network or anything our tutor had these parallel imported. Works fine on Vodafone or 2Degrees doesn't work with Telecom XT.

Hardware Specifications:
Make and Model: HTC Magic A6161
CPU: Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz
RAM: 288MB
ROM: 512MB
Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution
Removable Storage: microSD Slot
Network Connection: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth
Camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus

Software:
Operating System: Android Operating System

PlayStation 3

I have finally upgraded from a PlayStation 2 to a PlayStation 3. I decided to buy a second hand model the 60GB model to be exact. This is by far the best model out there as it can play PS2 games and has additional features such as card readers and 4 USB ports. These are features not seen in the newer models including the slim models. The PS3 joins my network through the built in WiFi. Can be used to access photos, music and movies on my network however not directly through my server instead someone needs to be logged onto a desktop computer with Media Sharing through Windows Media Player, all music and videos are however stored on the server.

Network Infastructure:

Back in the year 2000 my computer was joined to the server using Coaxial cable the network cards had both connections for Coaxial or Twisted Pair. Later that year I upgraded my connection after purchasing a 10/100 switch and Cat 5 cabling, and also the network cards in my computer and server. The switch back then cost over $200 and while that may seem steep the good news is that I am still using it today nearly 10 years on. The switch today is used to connect my server and 2 desktop computers together and then a cables runs to my ADSL2+ router. The ADSL2 router is a 4 port router and my printer and WIFI access point are connected here. My laptop and PDA are then connected to the WIFI. My Internet Connection is only a standard ADSL connection as at this stage ADSL2 isn't available where I live yet.

Past computers I have owned:

1994 - 1995
My very first computer was a Commodore Amiga 500, this model dates back to 1987 but the Amiga could do a lot of things a then modern PC could do and in most cases much better. The Amiga 500 had a 7Mhz processor, 512k of RAM which I upgraded to 1MB. No Hard drive everything was loaded off 3.5" floppy discs, the Operating System was Workbench 1.3. For a monitor I used my 14" TV this was possible thanks to the A520 adaptor that came with the Amiga, the picture quality wasn't that great and later I started using a proper Amiga RGB monitor which even was capable of Stereo sound. My printer was a Star LC100 Colour Dot Matrix Printer I remember it used to take around 30 minutes to print a colour graphical page and was very noisy. I sold this computer at the end of 1995.

1998
My very first Windows based PC, I bought this computer second hand so was not top of the line at the time. The computer was an Intel Pentium 75 with 16MB RAM, 840MB Hard Drive, 1MB on-board video card. This computer had a 4x speed CD-ROM drive and 16bit sound card, I used this computer to connect to the net with a 33.6K modem. The computer ran the original version of Windows 95.

1999
Less than a year after purchasing my Pentium 75 the computer was a totally different computer inside. The motherboard CPU and RAM were all upgraded now an AMD-K6-2 300 with 64MB RAM, 4MB Diamond Viper 330 video card and 4GB Hard Drive. I also added a better monitor and faster CD-ROM drive but the computer remained in the original case. Windows 98 was my choice of OS this year as well as Redhat Linux 6.0. I can remember I bought off a mate an almost new Pioneer Car stereo headunit for $180 (he paid $600 6 months earlier) this was on the condition I also gave him my original Pentium 75 CPU plus motherboard and RAM, a very good deal at the time indeed.

A screenshot from this computer in 1999 running Windows 98 - Note the hostname Selene was a hostname used by IHUG for one of their Southland servers around this time

2000
Additions to the same PC this year included a 17GB hard drive, upgraded to 128MB RAM, 16MB NVidia TNT2 Graphics Card, Full tower case with ATX power supply and Windows 2000 as my OS. Most of my original hardware was now used to build my first server.

My computer now upgraded to Windows 2000 - Note the apps I was using back then such as Napster

2001
The same PC now became an AMD Duron 700 when the motherboard and CPU were upgraded a second time. A new Sound Blaster Live sound card was added since my new motherboard didn't take the old ISA cards also had to remove my then 56K Modem so I added an external modem to the server and set this up as our Internet gateway. Other additions this year included upgrading to 256MB RAM and my first CD Writer which could write at 8x speed. I upgraded from Windows 2000 to XP Professional at the end of the year.

This computer in 2002 now an AMD Duron 700 running Windows XP

2003
My original computer was now retired and became my server, my replacement was a Compaq computer. This computer is today my server and remains an AMD Athlon XP 2600+ with 512MB RAM. Originally I used the onboard GeForce MX440 Graphics card which shared 64MB of RAM. The computer came with XP Home Edition but I dumped this right away and used my copy of XP Professional instead.

2005
The 40GB Hard Drive in the Compaq was upgraded to 160GB and a GeFore FX5500 graphics card with 256MB Video RAM added in. Other additions included a DVD writer.

This computer in 2005 - Still running XP but was getting excited about Vista coming out as you can tell by the Vista Wallpaper. Apps back then included Microsoft AntiSpyware which became Windows Defender.

2007
I upgraded to my current PC, this is now 3 years ago and at this stage I see no need to upgrade this computer. The only major change has been upgrading to Windows Vista and more recently Windows 7.

2008
Bought my first laptop and still use this today, the only major change is upgrading Windows Vista to Windows 7 plus adding a TV Card.