So Desktop 4 needs rebuilding and Desktop 3 is still iffy...
I've got a replacement machine for Desktop 4 and have started re-installing all the software that was on it, I got this wild idea I should rip everything out from under my desk and re-install it. It's been about 5 years since I've done anything like that so there's a real rats nest of wires that have built up over the years.
So I started ripping all the various wires out from under my folding table I use for a computer desk (it has a lot more room under it than a standard desk). I have a regular desk a chair swivel away facing the computer desk.
There are A LOT of wires!!!!
While reorganizing I decided to move the terabyte hard drives onto a computer in the basement, where it's cooler. I had another computer around the house so I erased everything off it and rebuilt it with XP (all the other computers on the network are XP). On that computer I installed the QMS 2300 color laser, an Epson R200 color ink jet (that can print a CD/DVD) and cleaned up the wiring for the cable modem and router.
Since the original network in the house was installed in 1998, I couldn't remember whether the wiring was CAT3 or CAT5 so Patrick helped pull a CAT6 cable between my office and the basement. Two 10/100 mbs switches allow the computers in the office and the basement to communicate at 100 mbs, while the rest of the house uses 10 mbs.
The basement set up now looks really good:
The tower on the left is the original Novell 3.12 server from the 1998 house network. It's retired, but I needed to keep it to hold up the plywood table. The tower on the right is a MS-DOS machine I use about once every couple of years when I think I need to dig a file off a 5 1/4" diskette. The small black tower is the the new server. On top of the plywood is a UPS and four terabyte external hard drives. Hanging on the wall is the cable modem, router, and switch.
Progress. All three desktops are back running. On the left side of the desk is a Fujitsu ScanSnap duplex scanner, and a Samsung CLP-300 color laser. At the very top of the picture is a Primera DVD duplicator (with a built in printer). The white circul on top of Desktop 2 is a USB postal scale.