Project - 37a (Wendyhouse)

Steveocee · 30 Mar 2016 at 08:26

Buckster said:
all looks great

as a fellow dual N54L owner - can I ask what rack that is please ?

Certainly! It's the Ikea Lack tables but I've cut the legs down on them. What you can't see on the "blind" side of the legs, I've used small L brackets to fix the legs into position so it won't fall off itself.

What are you using the N54's for? I've got ESXi running my "services" Ubuntu server (Nagios, Cacti, DNS2,) and Windows 7 and the second is running Xpenology which in time will become my backup for the main Node server.

Cenedd · 30 Mar 2016 at 09:08

Well I hope that fibre link is capable of at least 10km!

I rather assumed the fibre link would be back to the house! That's what I'd like to do but only because I'd like to do 10Gig back to my server which is under the stairs in the house. Too expensive at the moment though.

It's interesting to see some less common networking stuff. Like the mini screens on the Microtik boxes. Wish they'd update The Dude - very useful for free monitoring and vis under Windows. What are their routers and switches like to work with?

Steveocee · 3 Apr 2016 at 19:46

Cave monitoring

My cave monitoring has arrived, this is the first part of 2 of these kits to get configured;

Does all the normal, motion, temperature and humidity readout and will email when it sees motion.

Cenedd said:
It's interesting to see some less common networking stuff. Like the mini screens on the Microtik boxes. Wish they'd update The Dude - very useful for free monitoring and vis under Windows. What are their routers and switches like to work with?

MikroTik is brilliant to work with, huge learning curve to start with but once you get used to RouterOS and using Winbox it becomes second nature.

fergie128 · 4 Apr 2016 at 18:27

Those IKEA Lack tables made into a server rack is genius. I'm stealing that idea for sure.

Steveocee · 25 Apr 2016 at 20:58

Shed side update

Been a little while for an update as I'm beginning to spend more time in at rather than around it. Opportunity has arisen to get the shed side a little more sorted out ready for my tools and stuff to come over.

Before;

After first very watery coat;

Straight after second coat;

Floor laid;

So the pictures were taken over the course of 2 weeks (yes it took me that long to get around to doing it). The floor is 2 tone as the first ebay seller sent me half what I wanted, I queried this and was promptly refunded half and they disappeared from ebay, second half arrived and is nothing like what was pictured so it had to be cut and shunted together. Its only a shed floor (I keep telling myself).

Still on the list for completion are guttering and sealants. I have another mFi building monitor on it's way and I'm hoping to get the mancave side tidied and hoovered ready for some nice hi res final shots.

Cenedd · 26 Apr 2016 at 10:08

Looking good. I remember how much of a pain in the [stars] painting medium density blocks was. They also seem to have just enough flint in them to move any hole you try to drill in them sideways.

What are using the mFi stuff for? Sounds interesting but the website doesn't give a lot away.
I've been using an RFXCom and Domoticz to control Nexa and LightwaveRF devices and receive temperature from Oregon Scientific boxes. The best bit is being able to turn the espresso machine on remotely so it's hot when I get home

Steveocee · 26 Apr 2016 at 14:26

Cenedd said:
What are using the mFi stuff for? Sounds interesting but the website doesn't give a lot away.

Thank you.

mFi is more just because I can if I'm honest, I'm sure there are lots of automation things I could set it to do but aren't using it to it's full potential.

Currently it's monitoring room temp and humidity as well as the motion sensor, the second unit will do motion on the shed, current inbound to the cave and a door sensor (open/close) on the cave as well.

Cenedd · 26 Apr 2016 at 14:39

Because you can is plenty good enough! The stuff I'm using is 433MHz and the issue, with it being a man cave at the end of the garden with the server under the stairs in the house and the receiver invading the kitchen cupboard (on other side of the wall), is range. 30m quoted is like the 100m quoted for Wifi :rolleyes:

Some of the Oregon Scientific sensor models make it and some don't. Your solution connecting to standard WiFi (which is easy to spread around) sounds like a bonus there! Now you just need a remote control coffee machine. Every geek needs one of them

Biggler · 28 Apr 2016 at 13:13

This looks amazing, very jealous!

freshdeniability · 1 May 2016 at 08:30

Steveocee said:
My cave monitoring has arrived, this is the first part of 2 of these kits to get configured;
*SNIP*

Does all the normal, motion, temperature and humidity readout and will email when it sees motion.

Can you provide more details on these please? Where did you get them from?

Steveocee · 1 May 2016 at 08:38

freshdeniability said:
Can you provide more details on these please? Where did you get them from?

I'm fairly sure I can do this as OC don't sell anything like it;
https://www.msdist.co.uk/catalogue_Ubiquiti.php#UbiquitimFi

Thats the stuff ^^^ you just run up an mFi server to control it all. Easy install on Ubuntu server edition.

Second lot of monitoring kit has half turned up now as well. Can't wait to get it finished.

Deo_volente · 1 May 2016 at 12:44

Steveocee said:
Been a little while for an update as I'm beginning to spend more time in at rather than around it. Opportunity has arisen to get the shed side a little more sorted out ready for my tools and stuff to come over.

So ready, the pictures were taken over the course of 2 weeks (yes it took me that long to get around to doing it). The floor is 2 tone as the first ebay seller sent me half what I wanted, I queried this and was promptly refunded half and they disappeared from ebay, second half arrived and is nothing like what was pictured so it had to be cut and shunted together. Its only a shed floor (I keep telling myself).

Still on the list for completion are guttering and sealants. I have another mFi building monitor on it's way and I'm hoping to get the mancave side tidied and hoovered ready for some nice hi res final shots.

Could you not make the floor tiles into a pattern, like bathroom tiles etc, or are they stuck down?. Should help ease the OCD a little.

Steveocee · 1 May 2016 at 15:21

Deo_volente said:
Could you not make the floor tiles into a pattern, like bathroom tiles etc, or are they stuck down?. Should help ease the OCD a little.

The "interlocking pattern" is different so they didn't fit together at all. That's why the join is a knifed straight edge.

Steveocee · 2 May 2016 at 15:15

Small Update

Monitoring kit number 2 is now installed and half working. It is monitoring the door to the cave and the power going into the cave, currently sitting here with 2 of my 3 servers running along with the thin itx system taking about 1.06 Amps.

Just waiting for the wall mounted motion sensor to complete the set for the shed side.

Also put a 3rd ethernet cable from the rack to the TV area. I also now have a steam link in the TV cabinet so I have that, Now TV and Xbox360 cabled in.

I think it's nearly at the point where I can say it's finished! (But it never will be fully).

Steveocee · 15 Jul 2016 at 20:34

Long time coming

Been a while since I did anything as I've been so wrapped up in using it.

I have been getting horrific glare form the door window behind me whilst playing due to the desk being on the opposite wall.

Offending light source

I have managed to bodge my way through a window tint and I am pleased to say the glare has been reduced by quite a lot. Also as it's the darkest tint I could find, you can no longer see the lights on the servers from outside.

Picture doesn't show darkening as much as I actually see it :-/

They are not air bubbles, they are reflections from plastic in the garden (before anyone says they are)

So, slow progress but I have a few bits coming. Have got a good handful of SFP's for the network to be upgraded and hopefully going to do the guttering at some point.

Brian18741 · 18 Jul 2016 at 13:58

Looking good man, keep the updates coming!

Steveocee · 16 Jul 2017 at 20:46

Been a very long time since I've here and worked on the cave but she is already due a redecoration. I'm currently mid way through raising funds but plans are as follows;

Get rid of TV and double up the storage.
Get rid of sofa to give more desk room.
New flooring
Redecorate
Run fibre to cave from main house

Cave is going to change a bit from an additional living room with PC to designated office / PC gaming room with storage for some airsoft kit.

Won't be so long until the next update.

Steveocee · 16 Jul 2017 at 20:55

***Also was not aware of the Photobucket image links being so broken. Will find another host ASAP.

Cenedd · 17 Jul 2017 at 08:27

Would be interested in your fibre link. Have vaguely contemplated it a few times to play with a point to point 10Gbps link but I think I'd need to pull unterminated fibre through the buried tube and then terminate it afterwards...which is what put me off.

Steveocee · 21 Jul 2017 at 14:07

Now awaiting installation;
Pre-terminated fibre
Conduit for fibre
New floor tiles