Cheap full-time "downloader"

[WooHoo2You]

What is the cheapest way to go about getting a PC used for only downloading
from
BitComet/Limewire/large demos/patches etc? Build or buy?

I have never gone this route before, and would like something quiet and I
could run almost full-time.

What sparked my interest was a Tiger Direct mailer that had this off this
lease IBM build for 179 after a 75 dollar rebate. Could I go cheaper if I
built it myself? This config looks like more then enough power for what I
am contemplating.

Pentium® 4 2.40GHz
512MB Ram
Ethernet Port
40 GB HD
CD-Drive

My wife is from Colombia and loves Salsa music, however the stuff that is
available in the States is mainly Mexican, Cuban, etc and is very different
from what she grew up with. I have grown tired of buying CDs and DVDs off
of Ebay that cost 40 dollars, were 20 minutes long, and nothing but poor
bootleg copies.

 

[Frank McCoy]

What is the cheapest way to go about getting a PC used for only downloading
from BitComet/Limewire/large demos/patches etc? Build or buy?

For *that* use, I'd buy a cheap "package" computer, like one of those
complete systems Wal-Mart has for around $400-$500.

What will make the most difference in a computer used for what you
describe, is *not* the PC itself, but the modem and the line you
connect-to.

Around here you can get a DSL modem capable of 7.5 mb/sec, or close to
eight times as fast as a T1 line, for not much over $50 a month.

Of course, that all depends on where you live.

 

[Icky Thwacket]

What is the cheapest way to go about getting a PC used for only
downloading from
BitComet/Limewire/large demos/patches etc? Build or buy?

I have never gone this route before, and would like something quiet and I
could run almost full-time.

What sparked my interest was a Tiger Direct mailer that had this off this
lease IBM build for 179 after a 75 dollar rebate. Could I go cheaper if I
built it myself? This config looks like more then enough power for what I
am contemplating.

Pentium® 4 2.40GHz
512MB Ram
Ethernet Port
40 GB HD
CD-Drive

My wife is from Colombia and loves Salsa music, however the stuff that is
available in the States is mainly Mexican, Cuban, etc and is very
different
from what she grew up with. I have grown tired of buying CDs and DVDs off
of Ebay that cost 40 dollars, were 20 minutes long, and nothing but poor
bootleg copies.

--
WooHoo2You

If this post appears twice, blame crappy ass TeraNews. They offer
unlimited posting because messages take a week to show up. (if you're
lucky)

I use an old laptop which has a bust LCD screen. I connect to it over my
network via VNC to setup the downloads.

It runs 24/7, is very quiet and also has about 2 hours battery backup in
case of mains failure!!!. It has run continuously for over 5 years now,
apart from the odd reboot and an XP upgrade.

I also use it as a web and http server and can access it from anywhere on
the planet via an internet connected PC.

You do not need a very high powered machine to do this - it is a 266MHz P3
with 128MB RAM and it works just fine!!

If you have an old disused laptop - use that - or secondhand low spec ones
can be obtained very cheaply.

Icky

 

[WooHoo2You]

For *that* use, I'd buy a cheap "package" computer, like one of those
complete systems Wal-Mart has for around $400-$500.

I was looking for something much cheaper, not needing a monitor, keyboard,
or mouse a package seems like a waste.

What will make the most difference in a computer used for what you
describe, is *not* the PC itself, but the modem and the line you
connect-to.

I connect using a cable modem and plan on networking the 2nd PC to my
router. (hardwired)

 

[WooHoo2You]

If you have an old disused laptop - use that - or secondhand low spec ones
can be obtained very cheaply.

I do, I guess a 17 dollar Ethernet card WOULD be much cheaper then a
low-powered PC.

This is my old laptop:

Compaq Presario 1925
Intel Celeron 400 MHz
64 MB SyncDRAM
6.4 GB HD
Windows ME

I thought this would be too slow for what I am seeking, however I will give
it a try.

Many thanks

 

[Frank McCoy]

I was looking for something much cheaper, not needing a monitor, keyboard,
or mouse a package seems like a waste.

Since the mouse, monitor, and keyboard are such a small percentage of
the package-deal, and when a huge company like Wal-Mart gets through
squeezing the supplier, it's generally less than buying the separate
components you *do* need ... AND that I've always found it convenient to
have direct-access even to a server for debugging and modifications, I'd
say having them on hand adds to the deal.

Sometimes you have to pull the PC off the net; and it's usually a *lot*
easier finding out what's gone wrong when you do have monitor, keyboard,
and mouse. Trying to debug a PC through remote connections can be
rather trying ... Especially if the problem is that it doesn't connect.

When the total of all three items adds less than $30 to the price ....

Other than that: You can go down to just about any computer-show, and
most computer shops, where you can pick up a bare-bones system with
essentially CPU, disk-drive, power-supply, and case for around $200.

However, who knows exactly what combination of the above you'll find, as
almost all were turned or "traded" in by somebody who disliked that
particular system. That could be because it was crap ... or just
because the person wanted a bigger, faster, prettier machine with more
bells and whistles. The problem is: You don't know; and it's unlikely
the reseller will tell you the truth (if he/she even knows why).

Since a new motherboard will run about $100-$150, a new
case/power-supply will run about $70-$100, a new disk-drive will run
about $80-$250 (depending on the size, and the CPU itself will run from
$120-$250, as most stores just don't stock the older/cheaper mobo/CPU
combinations; then add in the price of the operating system (Priced
XP-Home *separately* lately?) that price I mentioned at Wal-Mart looks
cheaper and cheaper; because it comes already running and set up to go.

Yes, you *CAN* do better if you hunt and chase all over town.
Then you have the hassle of getting an operating-system on the thing up
and running, along with the rest of the stuff.

Building your own is for people like me who WANT a custom system with
special tweaks ... Or have a legacy system they're upgrading just to get
the thing to work again with new components.

I connect using a cable modem and plan on networking the 2nd PC to my
router. (hardwired)

Probably the best; and what I'd recommend.

 

[Frank McCoy]

I do, I guess a 17 dollar Ethernet card WOULD be much cheaper then a
low-powered PC.

This is my old laptop:

Compaq Presario 1925
Intel Celeron 400 MHz
64 MB SyncDRAM
6.4 GB HD
Windows ME

I thought this would be too slow for what I am seeking, however I will give
it a try.

It's probably *way* faster than what you need.
I'd get the *good* network card though ... Not for the downloading, but
for transferring the downloaded files to your other system/systems.

Your bottleneck in both cases is the network or modem, *not* the PC.
That is: Unless you're decompressing large video files or such on the
machine; and you say not.

Hell, an old 80386 based machine would likely be more than fast enough
.....
As you describe the job, all it has to do is take the data from "here"
(the modem) and store it "there" (on the disk); or reverse the process
to the network. Not exactly machine-hungry in clock-cycles. Since even
an old and slow hard-drive is about an order of magnitude faster than
100 base-T network, what more do you need?

 

[John Doe]

My wife is from Colombia and loves Salsa music, however the stuff
that is available in the States is mainly Mexican, Cuban, etc and
is very different from what she grew up with. I have grown tired
of buying CDs and DVDs off of Ebay that cost 40 dollars, were 20
minutes long, and nothing but poor bootleg copies.

--
WooHoo2You

If this post appears twice, blame crappy ass TeraNews. They offer
unlimited posting because messages take a week to show up. (if
you're lucky)

Think "USENET".
And kill two birds with one stone.

 

[WooHoo2You]

Think "USENET".
And kill two birds with one stone.

I do not condone killing animals (other than for my lunch, dinner, etc).

BTW, I really like Supreme Commander. Thanks.

 

[goodwitch777]

What is the cheapest way to go about getting a PC used for only downloading
from
BitComet/Limewire/large demos/patches etc? Buildor buy?

I have never gone this route before, and would like something quiet and I
could run almost full-time.

What sparked my interest was a Tiger Direct mailer that had this off this
lease IBMbuildfor 179 after a 75 dollar rebate. Could I go cheaper if I
built it myself? This config looks like more then enough power for what I
am contemplating.

Pentium® 4 2.40GHz
512MB Ram
Ethernet Port
40 GB HD
CD-Drive

My wife is from Colombia and loves Salsa music, however the stuff that is
available in the States is mainly Mexican, Cuban, etc and is very different
from what she grew up with. I have grown tired of buying CDs and DVDs off
of Ebay that cost 40 dollars, were 20 minutes long, and nothing but poor
bootleg copies.

--
WooHoo2You

If this post appears twice, blame crappy ass TeraNews. They offer unlimited
posting because messages take a week to show up. (if you're lucky)

I purchased the exact system you are referring to, (IBM for 179). It
died within 1 week!! I usually build my own for about 300.00 from
Tigerdirect's barebones. I have built three of them and they are
superb! I would recommend going that route.

 

[kony]

I purchased the exact system you are referring to, (IBM for 179). It
died within 1 week!! I usually build my own for about 300.00 from
Tigerdirect's barebones. I have built three of them and they are
superb! I would recommend going that route.

There is no need for modern performance levels to do P2P
filesharing, it would be far more cost effective to get an
older system, and by avoiding a barebone you also avoid some
of the poor boards with iffy capacitors and marginal
came-with-case PSU.

Remember that all this system really needs performance wise
is to be able to use a 10Mb network adapter and support the
hard drive sizes and numbers needed. Biggest requirement
for memory is what OS it runs, though some P2P clients may
support caching files, I/O so it decreases HDD access - in
which case a lot more memory will help but the ultimate
result may not be any real increase in performance.

If an older system dies, it can still be more cost effective
to fix what has failed. It is unusual though that you would
get one that runs a week then fails, your unlucky result
might be weighed against many people who still run older
systems.

 

[John Doe]

There is no need for modern performance levels to do P2P
filesharing, it would be far more cost effective to get an
older system,

Why do you need a second system for that?
Genuinely curious. Thanks.

 

[WooHoo2You]

network via VNC to setup the downloads.

What program do you use?

 

[WooHoo2You]

Why do you need a second system for that?
Genuinely curious. Thanks.

I would like to setup a second PC so that the Hoover in my bedroom is not
running all night long. An older system would be quieter and draw much less
power. Currently trying to get my 9 year old laptop to work over a wireless
network, however with no success. (a laptop would using even less
electricity)

I have a DL-524 router and the DWL-G122 USB dongle (both D-Link) after 5-20
minutes of wireless uptime, the laptop becomes unresponsive/sluggish until I
pull out the wireless dongle then it returns to normal. Also, I can access
my shared files from the XP computer on my laptop, however I cannot seem to
get XP to find my laptop on it's local network. (confused to say the least)

 

[kony]

I would like to setup a second PC so that the Hoover in my bedroom is not
running all night long.

It seems like the first thing you need is better heatsinks
or case cooling so your present system is quieter.

An older system would be quieter and draw much less
power.

True, but if you leave the older system on all the time, you
may find that the amount of power used by

( [old system 24/7] + [newer system off at night] ) >
leaving newer system on overnight

There may be some P2P clients that will shut off a system
when they're done downloading too, but I don't know any
further details, you'd have to investigate that.

If you just want an older system it may depend on what you
have access to, whether it be one retired from a business or
someone you know, or bought over the internet, or pieces
bought over the internet that are new, but optimized for
lower heat. An example of the latter would be a Via C3 or
C7 type platform.

Currently trying to get my 9 year old laptop to work over a wireless
network, however with no success. (a laptop would using even less
electricity)

It you need to use it for anything else I wouldn't put the
wear on it for this, it may use up what life remains in it.

I have a DL-524 router and the DWL-G122 USB dongle (both D-Link) after 5-20
minutes of wireless uptime, the laptop becomes unresponsive/sluggish until I
pull out the wireless dongle then it returns to normal. Also, I can access
my shared files from the XP computer on my laptop, however I cannot seem to
get XP to find my laptop on it's local network. (confused to say the least)

Maybe one of your friends or coworkers is looking to get rid
of an old system, you might post a note that you want one or
look in the local newspaper. I only suggest this because it
could cost $20 just to ship a whole system bought over the
internet... but it could be a faster way to get one. Just
be sure it supports the size HDD you want to use, I would
not use a really old drive with most of it's lifespan gone
for this, you might turn it on one day and only hear a
clicking sound from the HDD.

 

[Icky Thwacket]

What program do you use?

--

I use RealVNC enterprise to connect to laptop and set up torrents etc -
available at all the usual p2p outlets ;-)

I use uTorrent for Torrent downloads, either Apache for webpages or HFS:-
http://www.rejetto.com/hfs/
for a http file server - it really is good, really easy to set up and use -
with password protection.
It means you can upload to your fileserver from any PC via a normal web
browser.
Also HFS is legally free.

and for FTP - Bulletproof FTP, although with HFS it is kind of redundant

 

[Frank McCoy]

It seems like the first thing you need is better heatsinks
or case cooling so your present system is quieter.

Or quieter fans, if they're the trouble.
Oh ... Sorry, you *did* say "case cooling".
Some disk drives are a *lot* quieter than others too.
(Do most come with specs on noise-levels?)

An older system would be quieter and draw much less
power.

True, but if you leave the older system on all the time, you
may find that the amount of power used by

( [old system 24/7] + [newer system off at night] ) >
leaving newer system on overnight

There may be some P2P clients that will shut off a system
when they're done downloading too, but I don't know any
further details, you'd have to investigate that.

If you just want an older system it may depend on what you
have access to, whether it be one retired from a business or
someone you know, or bought over the internet, or pieces
bought over the internet that are new, but optimized for
lower heat. An example of the latter would be a Via C3 or
C7 type platform.

Currently trying to get my 9 year old laptop to work over a wireless
network, however with no success. (a laptop would using even less
electricity)

It you need to use it for anything else I wouldn't put the
wear on it for this, it may use up what life remains in it.

I have a DL-524 router and the DWL-G122 USB dongle (both D-Link) after 5-20
minutes of wireless uptime, the laptop becomes unresponsive/sluggish until I
pull out the wireless dongle then it returns to normal. Also, I can access
my shared files from the XP computer on my laptop, however I cannot seem to
get XP to find my laptop on it's local network. (confused to say the least)

Maybe one of your friends or coworkers is looking to get rid
of an old system, you might post a note that you want one or
look in the local newspaper. I only suggest this because it
could cost $20 just to ship a whole system bought over the
internet... but it could be a faster way to get one. Just
be sure it supports the size HDD you want to use, I would
not use a really old drive with most of it's lifespan gone
for this, you might turn it on one day and only hear a
clicking sound from the HDD.

 

[WooHoo2You]

It seems like the first thing you need is better heatsinks
or case cooling so your present system is quieter.

I have an aftermarket CPU cooler, which is much quieter then the AMD's
original. I have five other fans running in my case, never seen the CPU go
above 37C (even with Prime95 running on both cores). I like cool, but not
water-cooled

It you need to use it for anything else I wouldn't put the
wear on it for this, it may use up what life remains in it.

All the laptop cost was a set of my old Army PT's (physical training T-shirt
and shorts) and a 20 dollar AC adaptor off of eBay. Not too worried about
it dying on me.

I would
not use a really old drive with most of it's lifespan gone
for this, you might turn it on one day and only hear a
clicking sound from the HDD.

If and when I get a completely stable wireless network up on my laptop, I
plan on getting a cheap external HD.

 

[kony]

I have an aftermarket CPU cooler, which is much quieter then the AMD's
original. I have five other fans running in my case, never seen the CPU go
above 37C (even with Prime95 running on both cores). I like cool, but not
water-cooled

Umm, ok?

I still think you need some cooling subsystem changes if
your system sounds like a "Hoover" and you find that a
problem at night.

The CPU doesn't need to be at 37C, and while one could put 5
fans to use, with that quantity they need not be running
fast enough, loud enough to be noticable.

All the laptop cost was a set of my old Army PT's (physical training T-shirt
and shorts) and a 20 dollar AC adaptor off of eBay. Not too worried about
it dying on me.

I don't understand... Did you strip naked and streak into
the CO's office, making an unidentified getaway with the
laptop but so fast you forgot the power adapter?

If not, where can I trade PTs for laptops? Seems too good
to be true, even if it's old.

Regardless, I guess I'd assumed it might be worth more to
you, I have a much newer laptop but go to a desktop for most
demanding uses, reserving the laptop for more mundane
activities so an older one would be suitable, worth as much
as my newer one as either way when it breaks I'd have to buy
another and I avoid buying used laptops... too much of a
lottery if they're discounted enough to be worthwhile these
days with laptop prices having fallen quite low in the last
year or two.

If and when I get a completely stable wireless network up on my laptop, I
plan on getting a cheap external HD.

If the laptop is that old, won't it be USB1, not 2, or does
it have firewire? USB1 could become a bottleneck, P2P has
very heavy disk activity in some cases.

 

[WooHoo2You]

Umm, ok?
Okay...

I still think you need some cooling subsystem changes if
your system sounds like a "Hoover" and you find that a
problem at night.

An exaggeration; prefer not to sleep with a semi-loud computer in the same
room.

I don't understand... Did you strip naked and streak into
the CO's office, making an unidentified getaway with the
laptop but so fast you forgot the power adapter?

If not, where can I trade PTs for laptops? Seems too good
to be true, even if it's old.

Look, don't ask don't tell. Have we learned nothing?!?

If the laptop is that old, won't it be USB1, not 2, or does
it have firewire? USB1 could become a bottleneck, P2P has
very heavy disk activity in some cases.

Yes, it only supports USB 1.1 with no firewire. Works great wirelessly for
like five to ten minutes , trying to get that worked out as we speak.