Building a retro "Docking-Station"

[mboconnell]

Update:

I got almost everything put together today.

I dremeled out all the tabs and stuff that were in the way, plumbed in the power supply (except for the AC which i am just going to keep external) and fired up the Zip drive. My custom SCSI cable failed, i'll have to whip out the old continuity meter.

I went online after I figured out how in the heck to configure my router, it turns out there aren't many sites compatible with Mosaic 1.0.3

Any ideas on how to get a 'static' ip address (for directing a domain name) for free? I reset the DHCP lease on my DSL modem to 999 days, but something tells me its going to keep resetting at random.

 

[Bunsen]

My custom SCSI cable failed

Why not cannibalise one from another Mac or PC?

 

[~tl]

Any ideas on how to get a 'static' ip address (for directing a domain name) for free? I reset the DHCP lease on my DSL modem to 999 days, but something tells me its going to keep resetting at random.

To get a proper static IP you'll need to speak to your ISP.

You could also use a service such as DynDNS to point a domain to your dynamic IP address. A lot of routers even offer the ability to update DynDNS automatically when your IP address changes, which is quite handy!

http://www.dyndns.com/

 

[mboconnell]

OOOOOH!

DynDNS looks like it would solve 3 or 4 of my problems.

I ordered some more parts and It looks like I am expanding my personal challenge to include POP3 mail and FTP. I just got an LC and an LCIII and I couldn't think of anything better to do with them

Why not cannibalize one [sCSI cable] from another Mac or PC?

Sorry it took so long for me to respond to that one, I had on from an external enclosure that works fine but the connector (Cent-50) was just too big for the rear panel, there wasn't any room for it and the 7 RJ-45 jacks that need to be back there too.

When I removed the extra plastic tabs from the case, I left the ones for mounting the mobo. I have been thinking about getting a big PC board and custom etching it with an IDC-50 socket, the DB'25 socket, a mini-DIN to mini-DIN (to keep the Farallon's cable internal) plus it would give me something to mount all the jacks to in the rear. Also, if I can manage to make it double sided (doubt I would be able to do that with press-n-peel) I could put most of the Ethernet wiring on the board too.

I am going to be setting up these comps on a nice end-table I garbage-picked, basically the lower shelf will have the three stacked LC's, with the Plus on top. I am going to see if I can hook up an old SCSI CD-RW to the LCIII to run backups for the whole system.

Wish me luck!

If i don't post for a while it's because spring break has ended and I am back working and in class. I will update my site: http://irish-mike.tripod.com with relevant details. Thanks for all the support and advice, I'm glad I stumbled in here one day!

 

[Bunsen]

getting a big PC board and custom etching it

Sounds like a plan Could you maybe do it on perf board?

 

[mboconnell]

Could you maybe do it on perf board?

So....

many....

jumpers....

Perf board would be a pretty good option if I didn't have so many traces to run, as I see it, there are about 20 that have to run for the SCSI (only 8 or 10 would need to be jumpered). Power would probably run on the back side of the board since there is a little room underneath. Each Ethernet would need 8 traces and I would leave the internal-only wiring as cat5e.

Internal being cables that don't go to the outside (farallon to router, hub to router, farallon to external DIN connector). In any case, that project is a long way off. I also couldn't find a PC-mount 120VAC to 8VAC transformer that could handle 800mA, so I am probably going to install a coax power jack on the back panel and leave the wallwart for the hub on the outside.

 

[Bunsen]

That sounds a lot safer.

 

[mboconnell]

I just ordered some parts from a rediculiously cheap place online (http://www.halted.com). I got CEN50-DB25 SCSI cables for $1, CEN50 terminators for 4/$1, and Internal-External IDS50-DB25F 4/$1 and crimp-on IDS50 sockets 20/1$ (no more fooling around with wadding up extra cable, I can make custom lengths and spacings).

I will probably update my site later this afternoon.

 

[mboconnell]

Ok, so I didn't update... I did find out that my LCIII works perfectly with a 7 disk external hard drive array I picked up. Its an HP, circa 1996, 5 4.5 gig hard disks and 2 (full height) 18 gig disks. The thing sounds like a pair of jet engines while it's on.