Thursday, September 23, 2010
I set up my first network yesterday! I had been helping my parents at their place building a new deck and came across their old computer in the basement. They said I could have it so I brought it home and did a clean install of Windows XP. My initial plan was to use it as an effects station but the specs on it weren’t up to par with what I needed. Instead I decided to make it into a music station. This way we can compose while watching an edit and not have any latency issues. So I installed Mixcraft without any problems. Next I decided that I wanted to network my editing station with my music station. I ordered a crossover cable on ebay for three bucks. It arrived and I go to hook it up…
Uh oh. There’s no network card in my parents computer. I pull out my linux box (which actually has a better processor) and it does have the card. So I pulled out the hard drive from my parents computer and swap it out with my linux drive. I go to fire it up and it won’t go past the OS select screen. I bite the bullet and do another clean install of XP. Now it boots up. The a 30 day trial notification pops up. WHAT?! I check the sticker on the back of the machine-XP Professional. I installed Home. I dig through my CD’s and find one for XP Pro. Another clean install. Now when it starts up I have no sound, 800×600 resolution and 4 bit color. And oh by the way the network card isn’t working, nor is the keyboard for Mixcraft. I spend the next few hours downloading drivers.
It’s 1am when I finally get the computer working the way it should. Now I have to get the two computers talking to each other. After a quick Google search I discover how to share files using the crossover cable and a Shared Documents Folder. By 1:30am, the first network for STARS Digital is up and running.
After spending more than 12 hours getting things working, here’s what I get out if it. I can play the movie on my edit station while composing to the video on my music station. I can then render the music and send it straight to the editing station where I can then drop it in to the mix.
Phew! Being my own IT guy is a lot of work!
I feel ya. Being your own IT guy does take a lot of work, but it does save you some money.