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Apple Network Server 500/132

Byrd

Byrd

68LC040
Hi,

Carrying on from this thread, an ANS purchased on eBay: http://68kmla.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20173

This unit was retrieved from a storage locker, where it had been lurking for some time. It weighs about ~ 50kg (complete with wheels, but they don't swivel so it's still hard to scoot around) and I was just able to lift it into the seat of my car. It came with 256MB RAM and no HDs, but the silver lining was an upgraded 200Mhz 604e card. I fired my ANS (heh) up when got home, and was welcomed with a backlit LCD suggesting all was well.

I then took about cleaning it up with the help of goo remover, mildly abrasive soap + water, magic eraser and an air compressor. It was quite scuffed as you can see, but not very dusty which was a surprise.

Before





After









Its come up well! Even for a big bastard of a server, it looks pretty sleek I reckon. Today I put the maximum 512MB in, found an 18GB Ultra SCSI HD. The next challenge is to train myself on Open Firmware and install AIX 4.1.4. I believe this boots to a graphical UNIX desktop once installed, which will be interesting to see.

JB

 
The base installer is actually text, but I think there is an X11 (NB: X11R5) portion. Remember, if you turn on CDE, this version has numerous remotely exploitable vulnerabilities. Run it only on a trusted network or behind a solid firewall.

 
Very cool, great restoration. They're a lot smaller than I thought, I never really extrapolated from the half- height5 1/4" Bay dimensions. It should have been obvious, but I'm a bit disappointed.

Anybody got a piccie of one in use as an end table? ;D

 
jsarchibald: thanks mate! It came up surprisingly well, not much in the way of scratching or dust.

ClassicHasClass: so I installed my Apple AIX installer CD, and already in the optical drive was IBM AIX 4.3.3 ... surely that won't work? It's not detecting the 18GB HD I put in, although I've not wired up the two little jumper cables inside the enclosure; do you know where these go? Thank you :)

Trash80: It's funny, some times you look at it and it really is a monster, other times it seems small. The ANS 700 was exactly the same dimensions except for a second, beefier PSU.

 
I would be very leery of AIX 4.3 on that machine. Does it boot from that CD? If it does, then it *might* work (but the APARs from IBM I tried to install on my own ANS back in the day caused NVRAM to be corrupted). If it gives you an error, I wouldn't go any further.

The three-pair plug is for assigning the SCSI ID (yes, the ANS assigns its own SCSI IDs to its drives). I strongly advise you put that on. The other is the LED and is of course to your taste, but I would.

 
Nice job on the cleanup there, Byrd.

In one of the shots, the front/left bezel looks a bit yellowed compared to the rest of the case: is that a lighting/camera effect, or is it noticeable IRL?

 
Only the front of an ANS is plastic. The rest are sheet metal.

The yellowing has hsppened to all three of my ANS's as well so it's a combination of light and age.

Anybody got a piccie of one in use as an end table? ;D
Click to expand...
Mine are sitting in the precise locations where the ends of a couch would be right now but for reasons being the couch was thrown out the picture would only show a wooden rocking chair between two systems. :p

 
The yellowing has hsppened to all three of my ANS's as well so it's a combination of light and age.
Click to expand...
I think it's mostly light. My 500 has been in dark corners most of its life, and it is nearly as pasty white as me. :b&w:

 
Very nice, Byrd. That's a lovely conquest.

jt: My ANS is next to my desk with a bare PM9500 logic board on top of it. Does that count as an end table?

 
Thanks all! The front panel is slightly yellowed but not enough to get all huffy about. One day I plan on retrobrighting several machines (I got a 2kg tub of Xantham gum from work, ready and waiting!), this machine might be on the cards.

Next job is to configure the little SCSI ID cables on the 18GB drive I have installed - the Bandit controller is coming up with an error in Open Firmware with this drive connected. I don't know if this drive is "good" though, so it could be that as well. If I search for more hard disks, what do I look for - UW SCSI HD or something else?

Thanks

JB

 
The SCSI controller generally doesn't complain about what SCSI disk you feed it. They offered sleds for bith 68 and 50 pin interfaces. Should also work with most 80 pin drives so long as you use the SCA adapter.

 
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