Cheap JBOD External Storage

Currently using 3.5TB of expensive SAN space for backup. SAN was nearing capacity and current HP G4 DL380 only supported LFF SCSI disk.

To add more drives to an aging server was imposible, so the only alternative is either get a external disk enclosure on the cheap.

Parts List

The HP G4 DL380 only supported PCIX, and two slots are already used for HBA fibre cards.

So the only card that fits that is the : HP Smart Array P600 controller

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/arraycontrollers/smartarrayp600/index.html

$150 AUD inc delivery ( new never used )

Infiniband SFF-8470 to Mini SAS 4x SFF-8088 1m Cable

$25 AUD

OWC Mercury Rack Pro 0GB 1U Quad Interface 4 BayPerformance RAID Kit

$369 +$120 delivery

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MRP1UMSAS/

4 x CONSTELLATION ES 2TB, 7200RPM, SAS, 3.5", 64MB

$1385

Results : Just over $2000 for 8TB  raw storage. The SAN Space is approximately over $1000 a TB.

Results : Backup Speed using Disk to Tape, Back up server and Tape unit MSL2024 is fibre attached to the same fabric.



 

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Cons : External JBOD has only one power supply, Power supply is not autodetecting voltage - you have to manually set it to either 110V or 220V. Only has one power supply. I have opened the unit up - soldering qaulity is not that clean.

Otherwise pretty happy with the results - currently been running about 1 month so far.

P600 controller only supports 3GB and not 6GB due to limitations of old server.

 

 

 

 

SR9600 USB

Basically needed a USB to Ethernet adaptor for server that ran out of expansion slots by making a 2003 Cluster server going from a HP G4 DL380 to HP G4 DL360.

Running the EXE that came with the USB Lan didnt work, so I traced the two files from installing it on another machine ( Win7 ) to install it manually on windows 2003.

SR9600/sr9600.inf

SR9600/sr9usb.sys

SR9600/WindowsXP2003/setup.exe

SR9600/Setup_win7/Setup.exe

Media Display Stand

My company has one of these display stands, however the speaker on the unit was playing up and the media player wasnt working properly. They originally had ROCK USB Speakers - they were sub $10 speakers and you get what you pay for ( even though I know that the stand costs a bit ) and the power supply for the media play on inspection had some bad capacitors.

Anyways to fix this problem, I replaced the 5V - 2A supply with somethign similar, The best match for this was a power supply for the Sony PSP which cost about $5.

I replaced the Speaker with the same ROCK USB speakers and they were still crap, so I then got a paro of Nokia Blue Tooth Speakers they run of 5V.

The media play is a no name brand that plays .MPG files in a loop of the flash card to a standard VGA monitor.









 

N97 Mini Sim Damaged

Basically did something stupid and didnt realize till the damage is done. I inserted a Micro Sim adaptor without the micro sim into the N97 Mini. Then the Micros Sim adaptor will not come out. When it did come out the pins were damaged :-(    ( Wiffey was not a happy )

+

=

I thought about resoldering the sim contacts with new ones - ordered new ones I thing that will suit, then I got hold of the service manual and OMG. FMD.... Nokia designed their phones with non servicable parts. You can not reuse some of the parts that you have to take off to get to the sim contacts.

It has now just become a paperweight. Anyways in hindsight the N97 was crap to begin with - constant naging from the wife about the phone. Now it just got worse :-(

Anyways Here is the service manual for the Nokia N97 Mini.

Nokia_N97mini_RM-555_Service_Manual_L1L2_v1.0.pdf

 

The benefit of Nokia using the Windows IOS will be that it will get better language support. I also found it hard to get Chinese language onto the N97mini, when it didnt come with the phone.

IPhone 4 Parts List

like most phones, it will likely be dropped at some stage and when it lands badly somethings gonna break.



At the time the only parts that were available for cheap was from Ebay ;-(

So I Took a gamble, and low and behold Gamble failed. I is never gonna buy from that mob again. I think I learned my lesson.

##RANT  Short story is LCD panel doesn't work sent item back - said they never received it LIAR LIAR. my fault for not sending it registered post!!!. Aussie seller - boo you.    END RANT ###

Ebay.com.au Cost : $74.99

http://www.dealextreme.com Cost : $44.50

Took a month of waiting and gave up EbayCrapTechStore - so ordered another one of EBAY from yallstock - HK. This time the screen worked first go. But I will go with DX in future as they now stock all parts.

Anyways DX now have these in stock and the right Tools to fix it.

I have the above tool kit.This makes life so much easier when putting things back together again or not losing the small screws.

Broken Back iPhone 4 Cover can be repaired under $10 AUD. Beats paying someone $$$ to undo two screws. Heres proof.

Do NOT Buy iPhone 4 Front Screen and Digitizer as seperate Items. Make sure they come as One unit. You can not remove the LCD screen from the original front screen digitizer.

Replacement LCD Touch Screen Digitizer w/ Back Cover Set will set you back around $44.50 AUD

 

For all other parts look here at this link. Click image below.

 

MicroSim for Ipad Iphone

Came across a situation at work where I needed to have mobile internet connection on a IPad 3G model. We have a fleet of usb wireless cards which we can use but the sim size is different. I could cut one out as a once off, however I need to do about 20.

Once off - how to cut your own micro sim

Easiest solution was to get one of these Micro Sim Cutter, works like a charm. However puting them back into a normal large sim was a bit finicky.

Sim Adaptors that came with the cutter.

Adaptors that that you can buy.

Adaptors that i got of Ebay

Adaptors that i got of Ebay and the one that came with the

Side View

Bottom View

Make sure you get SIM card in firmly and aligned properly.

Press Firmly in one go.

End results, you can use the cut out as a sim holder alwell.

End Product in a IPad sim holder.

ZTEMF30 Setup for Telstra

Scan for wireless network and connect, straight out of the box the ZTEMF30 is unsecured.

Default username and Password should be admin admin. I would change password first - refer to wifi settings and change language setting to Enlgish.

The Vodaphone version is enlgish default and the device can not be unlocked easily as the other prepaid device K3765. Hence thats why we got this one off Ebay already unlocked.



 

Main Navigation Page



WAN Connection

Set this to autoconnect, will ask for sim pin first time.



 

3G SETUP

- Wireless info

This is what you should see when the devices is connected to 3G network.



 

- Network Select



 

3G Setting

- APN Setting ( this is the main part you will need to configure )

Out of the box it does not have Telstra Details. I have entered one alredy in this Image.



 

To set APN for telstra data, if you have other network carrier you have to find the APN detials.Depend on what plan you are you have to use the correct APN. In my case its Telstra.Datapack

APN settings for Australian Carrier

Click Add

Enter detials

Profile Name : this case i named it "UrProvider - Telstra"

APN Setting : select Manual

APN : Telstra.Datapack

Dial No : *99#

PDP Type : IP

PDP Setting : Auto PDP

DNS : Auto DNS

Authentication : CHAP / PAP

Username : "leave blank"

Password : "leave blank"

 



Save and set as default



 

ADVANCE MANAGEMENT

This changes the defualt login password.



ADVANCE PIN Mange

Up to you if you want the device to ask for a PIN everytime you connect to internet, I have this setting to Disable. If i dont want internet, i use the hardware switch to turn the device off.



 

 

Vodafone K3765 Unlock

I had to test some USB Wireless internet modems for work to make them work with with different service providers and find the most cost effective solution.

The cheapest modem USB 3G Modem around was the $50 prepaid from Vodafone Australia bundle.

I also have got the Telstra ZTE MF633+ ( Purchased one Retail for $250 AUD ).  Hence the reason why I need to find a cheaper alternative.

A company I work for has a fleet of 20 datacards that needs to be replaced. If your visiting China you can get the ZTE MF633+ ( Telstra Branded ) for $250 RMB. Unlocked!! Approx $50 AUD a fifth of the cost to purchase locally - My company also has office in Shanghai so we were able to get them from www.taoboa.com which is China's Ebay. It will come with the local carriers Dashboard, but you can change that with the DC-Unlock software. ( Taobao.com does not ship internationally - just within China and you need an account etc to buy stuff - Howerver there are some sites that can buy on your behalf and send it internationall with a percentage + postage on top )

To unlock Vodafone K3765, you can go through Vodafone.

Vodafone charges a $50 unlocking fee and some other fee from their website. Total $75 to unlock it

www.vodafone.com.au/unlock

You can unlock this device yourself for  $4 Euro. using DC-Unlock software for windows.

Install Vodafone “mobile connect manager” of the pre-paid  modems dashboard. Reboot PC if you need to.

Plug in your USB modem and make sure that the device is detected in the “Manage Devices” tab. The Vodafone connect manager will automattically launch when the usb is plugged in.

Now head over to http://www.dc-unlocker.com/downloads and download the latest version.

Install the software, it may require a reboot.

You will need to create an account from DC-Unlocker.com and you will need a paid account to use some of the free features of the software. I suggest opening an account with 4 Credit - which is $4 Euro to start with.

The software has some other really useful feature such as the dashboard and reading the rom files and can unlock certain modems for free.

 One other catch is that dc-unlocker site will require a verified PayPal account to accept payments. If you don’t have a verified prepaid account. Then when you try to pay with Paypal it will automatically refund your PayPal Money.

 Other catch is that your PC will need internet access while running the DC-Unlock software. The software needs to log onto the DC-Unlock server to check how many credits you have.

Plug the Vodafone K3765 modem in and close the vodafone connect manager. Closing the software sometimes just minimises it. You have to right click and exit.

 

Run the DC-Unlock software and click on the Server Tab. Enter your login account details.

 

Select Huawei, you can select the modem or leave it on auto detect.

Then click on the search.

Once detected and you have enough credits to unlock, Click on "Do Job" and then you have a unlocked Vodafone K3765 modem.