Random Desktop Stuffs (Linux Mint, Android OS, USB Sound Cards)

I was given a HP G60-447cl notebook with the intention of giving it to my nieces to use for schooling and what not.  I upgraded the CPU to a Intel Core2Duo T7500 CPU at 2.2ghz, to replace the 1.8ghz CPU, upgraded it to 4gb DDR2 RAM, threw out the 5400rpm 250gb hard drive in favor of a 80gb SSD hard drive.  Still to slow to run Windows 10, while it would run Windows 7 just fine, I can't in good conscious install that since Microsoft isn't doing security updates.  So I put Linux Mint on it.  Surprisingly it saw all of the hardware, including the Webcam, WiFi, sound card.  It cruses the web just fine, and even does Zoom video confrencing!

I also had a couple of HP Thin Clients, T520's.  Well they didn't fit the bill to add a additional NIC and make them into a PF Sense firewalls, and the market for old thin clients is basically non-existent.  So I tried out is Android OS export.  This one was called Prime OS.  I choose one of the forks for older CPU's since this was an AMD GX-212jc 2-core, 1.2ghz (6 watt tdp, CPUmark 570), had 4gb DDR3 RAM, and 8gb M.2 SSD drive.  The install saw all of the hardware, and worked quite well.  Performance was OK, a bit on the slow side, not sure if it is the CPU speed or the OS that is holding it back.  It does work just like a tablet or phone.  

Lastly I have a HP t630+ Thin Client.  It has a decent CPU AMD GX-420CA (4core, 4-thread, 25 watt TDP, CPUmark 1549).  The 64gb M.2 SSD drive which is enough to install Windows 10 on but, with updates it would be tight.  This machine has internal USB port on it, I put a thumb drive in it, and interestingly Windows 10 sees the internal USB thumb drive as as if it was a physical SATA drive, VS. and external removable storage device. I had a difficulty getting the sound card to work.  Despite trying several iterations of drivers, both from HP and generic, I gave up and purchased a USB Sound Card. 

 

Servers and electrical efficiency

I ran across this a while ago and thought it worth a share.  In summary running a higher wattage power supply might be costing you a bit of extra money!  Aside from the higher purchase price, it turns out that power supplies have a range where they are more efficient.  I haven't done a back to back measuring.  I am sure using HP ILO's and my Kill-A-Watt the differences are within statistical noise.

Also there is gains to be had in running a single vs. dual power supply; however the savings might not be worth the single point of failure.  In my quick testing I did not see any difference on my Kill-A-Watt.

hmmmm.....interesting WIFI setup at the hotel....

random network cabeling.....

These are garbage!  Who thought it would be a good idea to have a proprietary patch panel?  So instead of using normal network cables that can be purchased almost anywhere one has to source these goofy cables.  The patch panel from the rear is normal punch downs...but the front have these really wide connectors that are almost 3x as wide as a RJ45 connector.  I have learned that they are called Krone HighBand.

It's a bad day when one's marching orders are to install some 10gb Ethernet stuff and the twin-x cable shipped looks like this!  DOH!  It is a good thing Amazon and Amazon lockers!

Used Computers for sale

I am now offering a few refurbished computers:

Standard Package: $150 (details and specifics very with changing inventory)
-Desktop or mini tower form factor
-Intel i3 or i5 processor
-8gb ram
-500gb 7200rpm SATA hard drive
-wired and wireless networking
-legal copy of Windows 10 (Windows 7 & XP also available)
-keyboard and mouse included
-shipping to the Continental United States (FYI shipping is about $70 of the total price!)
-monitor NOT included

Right now the standard machine is a HP Pro 4300 with Intel i3-3220 CPU @ 3.3ghz OR a HP Pro 6305
AMD A6-5400b CPU @ 3.6ghz with AMD Radeon

Here is what to know:

These machines come from businesses that have retired them.  Many businesses will discard perfectly working machines for several reasons (but limited to...):

1. Warranty has expired
2. The operating system is being phased out and it is easier to replace the machine vs. upgrade (aka Windows 7 being replaced by Windows 10)
3. Accounting, the fixed asset has been depreciated

Often times these machines still have plenty of life yet to give.  When I get computers that I deem worthy to live another life; the data from the previous user is securely wiped clean with no chance of previous data being recovered.  Then install the operating system that the machine is licensed for by hand, install necessary drivers, and updates.  Doing these tedious steps gives the machine a good work out and any hardware issues will be reviled. So at the time of refurbishing, I can in good conscious give them a clean bill of health. 

These machines do NOT have 3rd party Anti Virus software nor Microsoft office, or any other licensed software.  I cannot legally install these, even if the computer used to have such software on them.  Microsoft Office for instance costs something like $300!   One needs to provide your own software.  If money is a concern, there are several free anti-virus programs out there like AVG.  I also recommend Open Office as a free alternative to Microsoft; it has a similar look and feel and has 95% of the same capability.

These are not intended gaming machines.  They might work find for a game you have in mind.  We are talking about roughly 3~6 year old machines with usually built-in/on-board video cards.  While they work just fine to play most games, don't buy one thing they will play the latest VR shoot-em-up game that requires a really high frame rate.

I am not a computer business!  I sell a few machines here and there as a hobby.  I am not making money at this, if the goal was make money, I'd be better off getting a 2nd job flipping burgers. I'd rather see these perfectly good machines be put to work than recycled; and save people a few bucks at the same time.  That being said, I cannot be your tech support. 

Monitor is NOT included!!!!  The picture shows a sample machined hooked up to a 32" LED TV.

As seen on the Clarey Podast

Less than desirable network cabeling

I have been working from home recently and decided that for several mental/psychological reasons it was better to turn the empty bedroom into a makeshift office versus using my main home machine.  Just to provide some separation of work and non-work.  Since there is no end insight for working at home,I thought it better to run a "hard wire" to my work machine vs. using wireless, in order to a connection with potentially higher speed and more reliable. 

The previous owner of this house had wired this place up to be a small call center.  The downstairs living room has something like eight RJ11 jacks.  The bedroom with my office has four.  There is even a "58-block" (aka a punch down block for RJ11 wiring) in the furnace room.  The cable used is a CAT3, 6 pair.   Well RJ45 is four pair....hmmm....I am not proud of it, but over the years I have converted these RJ11 jacks to RJ45, and just wrap the unused pairs around the outside of cable.  Yes, I know this violates all sorts of best practices, it really bothers my inner OCD, and I am even embarrassed by it.  However, it works, and works fairly well.  I had a chance this week to benchmark the differences.

First benchmark is the of the office machine connected via WiFi, the WAP is a 5ghz "N" that advertises up to 300Mbps, it is physically located in the next room over.  

Second benchmark is using the ghetto Cat3 cabling.

Last benchmark is using a proper Cat6 cable plugged directly into my switch.

The Loss section of the benchmark can for the most part be ignored, as it is an instance reading vs. a running average.  Although just from watching it, the loss did seem to be a bit higher on the Cat3 vs Cat6.  It would seem that at least in this test the cabling makes little difference.  That being said my servers are all directly plugged into the switch using at least Cat5e if not Cat6.

Cisco UCS, direct attached storage and VMware v6.5

Recently got assigned the task of rebuilding a Cisco UCS C240-m3sx server.  It has a MegaRAID 12gb RAID controller, otherwise known as "Cisco 12G SAS Modular Raid Controller" or UCSCMRAID12G.  No problem, loaded it up with the ESXi v6.5u2 Cisco OEM ISO, and installed it to a SD card. 

Only issue was that ESXi would not see the RAID disks.  Well since this machine was previously a Windows Server, I booted off of a Linux utility and did a secure wipe of the drive, no luck.  Went into the RAID card, blew away the virtual disk, recreated it, re-initialized, still no luck.  Then I upgraded all of the firmware on the machine, including the RAID card.  No change.

After some Google-foo I found a Cisco KB; Apparently the drivers for the RAID card were not included in the ESX 6.5u2 & u3 ISOs!!!!  The fix was to download and install ESX v6.5u4.  Ok, did that, same problem!

Called up VMware support, ran a bunch of things.  Specifically downloaded the driver from the Cisco support site and installed it, which was slightly different than what was currently installed.  lsi-mr3-7.710.08.00-1OEM.650.0.0.4598673.x86_64.vib   No change.  VMware support, gave up and said call Cisco.  Problem with that was our support contract expired and was in the process of being renewed.

In the meantime, I tried ESXi v6.5u3 standard, not the Cisco customized version; no change.  Then I happened to try ESXi v6.7 and it works!!!!  The caveat​ is that our vCenter (v6.5U2) will not work with ESXi v6.7 hosts.  I also find it a bit odd that the ESX still reports the unknown enclosure.  See bellow.  So I am left to conclude that every flavor of ESX v6.5 has a flawed driver.

Summary:
Works:
VMware-VMvisor-Installer-201912001-15160138.x86_64 v6.7.u3
VMware_ESXi_6.7.0_14320388_Custom_Cisco_6.7.3.1
VMware_ESXi_6.7.0_10302608_Custom_Cisco_6.7.1.2

Does not work:
VMware-ESXi-6.5.0_13932383_Custom_Cisco-6.5.3.1
VMware-ESXi-6.5.0-9298722-Custom-Cisco-6.5.2.2
VMware-VMvisor-Installer-201908001-14320405.x86_64 v6.5.0u3a
also the driver we manually download & installed directly from the Cisco support page.

Microsoft Surface teardown

Microsoft Surfaces are horrible, well in terms of repair.  I got one from an end user where the screen was totally trashed.  Looked like a car ran over it!  Before it can be recycled, we need to erase the hard drive.  The screens are glued on by some incredible glue!  After watching several YouTube Videos, the trick seems to be to heat the heck out of with a heat guy, cut the seem, and about 1/3 of the time the screen survives.  In my case I didn't need to be careful, as the screen was already in a million pieces, I just didn't want any glass shards in my hands!  Thick rubber gloves were worn. 

After many Torx-5 screws, the treasure....a 256gb NVMe SSD drive, that I will stick into another machine and securely wipe.

Here is the results of tearing down an older model.