rocknrollstar Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Hi, I am clearing out our ICT Suite, and have found a really old computer (has a win98 sticker on it) next to our hub/switch rack. I'm not entirely sure if I need the computer, but I have a feeling it's never turned off. I've plugged a monitor into it, but the monitor didn't show anything up. Do you think I need this computer? Will it be used to configure the network or hubs or anything? I could turn it off to see if it affects anything, but would rather get expert advice first Thanks in advance! ps- I've highlight a cable (scsi??), not sure if it is significant!
sparkeh Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Nevermind the computer, you still have hubs?! :S Though if the monitor shows nothing then I would prob wait until a convenient time and switch it off, see if anything breaks 1
contink Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 ps- I've highlight a cable (scsi??), not sure if it is significant! That looks like a Parallel printer cable, not a SCSI... My guess is it's just an antique but I'd go with Sparkehs advice... 1
pritchardavid Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Have you got a printer in that room? is it shared through that pc? That defo looks like a printer cable to me. 1
plexer Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Deffo a printer cable I reckon the pc was used to share it out. Ben 1
mrwobbly Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 That is a parallel printer cable and as you are holding the end, I assume that it was not plugged into a printer. You can safely discard that. I think you are in a primary school and as such this computer could have several roles but the most likely is it’s a file server or printer server which may or maybe not used. Do the school computers have network drives when you open my computer? That’s the first thing to check. If those network drives are not available when you turn the machine off you know it’s the file server. 1
danbuntu Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 it's pretty worrying that you have a live pc on your network that you nothing about. if it's not serving a printer and is running win 98 then i'll guess by now it's part of a bot net and spamming the heck out of half the known world 1
dhicks Posted July 22, 2011 Posted July 22, 2011 Will it be used to configure the network or hubs or anything? Is it plugged in to a hub? If so, it could be being used to monitor network traffic passing through the hub between two other connections. My guess is reboot it, see if anything comes up on screen, then try switching it off so see if anything breaks. 1
rocknrollstar Posted July 22, 2011 Author Posted July 22, 2011 Thanks for your quick replies. There is no printer that it is shares, nor does it share files. I rebuilt the network last year to be server 2008 R2, and didn't touch it then. I wasn't sure if any of the switches/hubs need configuring, and so that computer does the configuring? BTW, are they switches or hubs?! Still learning about networks.... Will wait for a safe moment, reboot, and see what happens Thanks.
maniac Posted July 23, 2011 Posted July 23, 2011 I rekon it's a legacy item from an old system, probably an old print server for a printer which is no longer there. I had a mystery computer in this school when I started, a very old Tiny PC under a table in a store room connected up to the network. After careful examination I concluded it had been used for some previously removed digital signage. The monitors had been taken down, but the PC that ran them was still chugging away forgotten about in this cupboard. 1
Popular Post RabbieBurns Posted July 23, 2011 Popular Post Posted July 23, 2011 reminded me of this The website is down because someone removed the X-Box 9
sparkeh Posted July 23, 2011 Posted July 23, 2011 BTW, are they switches or hubs?! Still learning about networks.... Can't tell from picture, I should imagine that they are switches. Hubs are pretty dumb and broadcast traffic to all ports, if you do have hubs its well worth replacing them with switches which are much smarter and will use less bandwidth. 1
MatthewL Posted July 23, 2011 Posted July 23, 2011 Remove it and keep it safe for a few weeks, if nothing is reported as not working get rid. That is what I do. 1
Aaron111 Posted July 27, 2011 Posted July 27, 2011 Remove it and keep it safe for a few weeks, if nothing is reported as not working get rid. That is what I do. +1, I would do the same 1
rocknrollstar Posted July 27, 2011 Author Posted July 27, 2011 Thanks everyone, I've now turned it off and everything seems to be running fine still.....
mb2k01 Posted July 27, 2011 Posted July 27, 2011 I'm not wanting to come across as overly offensive but... Am I the only person reading this, seeing someone hold up what is clearly a parallel cable, and wonder how someone working in a tech/manager position doesn't know this? Unless the OP is very young and those cables just aren't known to the new young generation of geeks?! 2
GrumbleDook Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 I'm not wanting to come across as overly offensive but... Am I the only person reading this, seeing someone hold up what is clearly a parallel cable, and wonder how someone working in a tech/manager position doesn't know this? Unless the OP is very young and those cables just aren't known to the new young generation of geeks?! How many people would know about using serial cables for modems ... Or have any idea about RS232? It is like a number of things in IT ... If you know about it, then you tend to take it for granted that others will too ... 1
RabbieBurns Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 How many people would know about using serial cables for modems ... Or have any idea about RS232? It is like a number of things in IT ... If you know about it, then you tend to take it for granted that others will too ... surely anyone who has used a switch would have used a serial cable with an RS232 connection? Or at least read about it or heard about it. I think that MrBios is right. You wouldnt have a mechanic working on your car who holds up the flux capacitor and doesnt know what it its... No offence intended at the OP
rocknrollstar Posted July 28, 2011 Author Posted July 28, 2011 Well, I'm not sure I can be bothered to take offence- I've got more important things to do My full time role is assistant head teacher at a large junior school. I actually run our school IT system in my spare time. I look after over 100 laptops, 25 desktops, backups, school website, IWBs, wireless networks, the ICT Suite, loads of digital devices like videos cameras etc, so not remembering if it's a scsi cable or parallel doesn't bother me. That's why I asked Thanks to those people who have provided helpful comments, your help on edugeek is always gratefully recieved 2
RabbieBurns Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Well, I'm not sure I can be bothered to take offence- I've got more important things to do My full time role is assistant head teacher at a large junior school. I actually run our school IT system in my spare time. I look after over 100 laptops, 25 desktops, backups, school website, IWBs, wireless networks, the ICT Suite, loads of digital devices like videos cameras etc, so not remembering if it's a scsi cable or parallel doesn't bother me. That's why I asked Thanks to those people who have provided helpful comments, your help on edugeek is always gratefully recieved Well then that is perfectly acceptable, if its not your area of expertise you cant be faulted for muddling them up. Apologies if i sounded condescending in my previous post.
rocknrollstar Posted July 28, 2011 Author Posted July 28, 2011 No worries, apology accepted! BTW, I have no idea what a flux capacitor is either.... 1
RabbieBurns Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 DeLorean time machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Its the only part of a car that i know, and its fictional
rocknrollstar Posted July 28, 2011 Author Posted July 28, 2011 Cool, I'll drop that into conversations to see if others really know what they are talking about!
maniac Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 (edited) When this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious s**t. (Apologies, just can't resist putting up BTTF quotes whenever it's mentioned.) Edited July 28, 2011 by Dos_Box
Oaktech Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 in my previous life doing AV i used to have deal a lot with serial data, and whilst trying to explain DMX to what i thought was a reasonably well educated and experienced, and above all 'mature' (read: over 30) theatre technician, dropped this into the conversation: "DMX, is not magic, it's serial data, it fires stuff down a wire with each device asking 'is this for me' and if the device goes 'oh yeah thats for me' the device gets the data, and does what it's told with it. You know, it's just RS485." you could have painted on the look he gave me it was so blank. also, one of our technicians here, who is 24, did not know the difference between an at form factor and an atx form factor, basically because these days it's irrelevant! my long winded point being, sometimes you don't need to know stuff coz it's not important, sometimes you don'y need to know stuff because it's out of date, and sometimes you only know stuff because it gives you a warm smug glow because you know it and other people don't. like binary!
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