Technology

Overview

The Technology page is just a chance for me to discuss some of the technology in my life. We'll cover the technology needed to run this server. The technology in my wireless network. Some of my favorite gadgets...and anything else we can think of.

Server Technology

The Oeth.net server itself is a Pentium II from circa 1996. It is a Dell Dimension XPS M200. I'm guessing that means it has a 200MHz Pentium chip inside. It has 128Mb ram and maybe 2Gb hard drive. There's nothing special about the machine. What makes it special is the software.

The software is RedHat Linux. I LOVE Linux. It is incredibly powerful and easy to use. RedHat has a very, very nice install and upgrade process.

Additionally, the server runs Apache WWW server. Apache is very stable and flexible. Running with Apache and making the site so interactive is php and MySQL. PHP provides the server side scripting language while MySQL provides the database engine. What really makes them click is phpMyAdmin. I would not recommend running MySQL and php without phpMyAdmin. It makes MySQL database administration a complete breeze.

Home Network

I currently have five computers in the home. Four of the five computers are networked. Three of those computers are directly connected to my DSL router.

Additionally, I connected a LinkSYS Etherfast Wireless Access Point with 4-Port Switch to the network. This is a 802.11b send/receive wireless port. This allows me to place a wireless PCMCIA card in my laptop and enjoy Internet access anywhere in the home.

I purchased computer #5, a Compaq Pentium I, for $89 through my favorite bid site: ubid. It only took me three days to get it running, but now it's great. It's the kid's gaming computer.