Networks
Lately I've been doing projects around the house. I converted an old desk into a media cabinet, and am now rewiring the cables in the basement to hide them, make them more functional etc. On the back of that old desk sits a four-port ethernet switch, looking a tad incongruous. Just lately I added a Netgear wireless access point in the basement, connected via ethernet through that switch, to provide wifi coverage in the living room above. (Configuring this was more work than it should have been, but of course there were multiple problems in setup that had to be dealt with one at a time before bink! occurred.)
As soon as I bought the WAP at Fry's, numerous old routers, WAPs, and ethernet switches began appearing for a few dollars each at the thrift stores. I resisted the temptation, except for one WAP I bought for $4.80 to get its external antennas. Same store sold me a long (perhaps 100 feet) Cat 6 cable with connectors, for $4. Silicon valley Goodwills and Savers and Salvation Armies are different.
I also picked up a Denon CD changer for a friend, after a discussion we had about how 1998 CD hardware is probably more reliable than 2014. Haven't bought any more subwoofers lately, though I think I'll have a corner of the basement where I can put a third one in, once the desk and cables are settled.
I needed an equipment box to hide two small amplifier power supplies (for the UHF and FM preamps up on the antennas on the pole outside), so I found an old silverware box (sans silverware) and have it mounted flat on the back wall. I'm leaving the velvet interior lining, but I'll have to paint the outside to make it blend into the wall; fortunately for my sense of ethics, the exterior finish is in damaged enough condition that it won't hurt my sense of what is right to do that. Bone white, not apple green, if you were asking.
As soon as I bought the WAP at Fry's, numerous old routers, WAPs, and ethernet switches began appearing for a few dollars each at the thrift stores. I resisted the temptation, except for one WAP I bought for $4.80 to get its external antennas. Same store sold me a long (perhaps 100 feet) Cat 6 cable with connectors, for $4. Silicon valley Goodwills and Savers and Salvation Armies are different.
I also picked up a Denon CD changer for a friend, after a discussion we had about how 1998 CD hardware is probably more reliable than 2014. Haven't bought any more subwoofers lately, though I think I'll have a corner of the basement where I can put a third one in, once the desk and cables are settled.
I needed an equipment box to hide two small amplifier power supplies (for the UHF and FM preamps up on the antennas on the pole outside), so I found an old silverware box (sans silverware) and have it mounted flat on the back wall. I'm leaving the velvet interior lining, but I'll have to paint the outside to make it blend into the wall; fortunately for my sense of ethics, the exterior finish is in damaged enough condition that it won't hurt my sense of what is right to do that. Bone white, not apple green, if you were asking.