network ZTHQ | The Before

[MACE529]

Hey Guys,

Finally have gotten around to cleaning my desk enough for a decent photo with all of my rigs, so thought it a good enough time to do a writeup of what I’ve got!

In saying that, Please (for the love of Gaben) ignore the PotatoCamera. My 6S+ currently has an issue with the Beta firmware and AutoStabilizer that I can't fix. 

 

First off, like any functional network, is the modem or router, depending on the use case. I’ve got myself running a TP-Link modem bridging to my dedicated VESA-mounted ITX pfSense box (with all the good packages running) on the back of my servers’ screen to the Right. Theres a D-Link 802.11ac AP hiding behind there aswell, with everything connecting to a 16pt Netgear ProSAFE switch secured under the desk.

Speaking of Server, refer to image 3 (black & green background). This i5-4670K@4.2GHz beast has looked after every device that’s come into contact with the residential wireless. Handling everything from SMB shares & DHCP leases to PXE boot environments & a few CSGO games, this 12tb storage box has lasted the last 3 years. But its now completely full, and due for a rackmount upgrade once my new living area is put together. Which I’ll get to later.

 

Laptops have been slow and progressional, but all in all I think I’ve got a good combination.
18.6” Horize P170SM. i7-4700HQ, 16gb DDR3L, GTX765M, 1080p IPS, 2x mSATA drives (Win & Linux)
13.3” Metabox W230ST. i7-4770HQ, 16gb DDR3L, Intel iGPU (dGPU fried), 1080p TN, 2x mSATA (Work & Home)
13” Kogan Atlas UltraSlim Pro. M3-6Y30, 8gb LPDDR3, HD515, 1440p IPS, 256gb SSD (Win)

Hiding away behind the 1080p IPS USB-C (DP/TB) screen just above the keyboard, is my Intel SkullCanyon NUC6i7KYK. i7-6770HQ, 32gb DDR4L, Iris Pro 580, 2x 256gb M.2 RAID0. Absolute beast of a PizzaPocketPC. Much worth.

 

And now, my current main configuration. Weighing in at about what feels like 30kg on some days, The BeastRig. Equipped with an i7-6800K@4.2GHz and cooled with the H100i w/pushpull, my (unfortunately-replaced) GTX780Ti and gorgeous GTX1080Ti (Both ‘Founders’ and not OC’d), 32gb of CorsairDommyPlats (2x16gb DDR4@2400MHz), 512gb 950Pro M.2 SSD (and some 500gb 850EVO’s in the drive bays), with all of this connected to the only LGA2011-3 mATX motherboard I could find, Asus X99-M WS (I went through 3 DOA’s). A beautifully-crafted system. But I wanted more. So GOverlay LCD screen, all the compatible Corsair Link components and the USB headers are being jumped through the NZXT Hub+ thingo, all crammed into the Corsair Air 540. Of course, with RGB.
Full load, pulls as much as possible from the HX1000i, which is pretty incredible.

 

Now, I said I wanted more, didn’t I. So the BeastRig doesn’t stop there.
I’m very familiar with virtual technologies, having used VMWare for a number of years for personal usage. But never having known about ESXi or Bare-Metal initialization. Which, when I looked into it (surprisingly just before Linus did one of the unRaid videos), I was amazed at what could be done with it. Google it, its pretty sweet stuff.
Fast forward 2 weeks, I’ve got 3 virtual systems fully operational on this Beast of a machine. One connected to the 1080Ti with 6cores & 15gb RAM, and the other with the 780ti, 4cores and 10gb. Theres another machine with 2cores&4gb that I VNC/RDP into for downloading all of my perfectly legal content.
Now, I’ve got my own little corporate environment running in my bedroom. Soon to get a more-than-hefty upgrade, which I'll re-post in a few weeks-months when its all up and running. w00t!

 

If anyone wants more info on how the rigs run day to day, lemme know and I’ll fill you in. Shits pretty awesome IMO.
*Last image, PC on the Right is not my rig; took BeastRig to a mates' for a sesh*

Edit: I have atleast 3 instances of Synergy being served between these rigs for different purposes. Absolutely love Symless' program. 

 

Signing off, </MACE529>

Edited June 25, 2017 by MACE529

[RedSpade]

What do you do with all of it? 

 

I can't imagine anyone needing more than half of what you have...

[MACE529]

16 hours ago, RedSpade said:

What do you do with all of it? 

 

I can't imagine anyone needing more than half of what you have...

Originally, the server started as a NAS, serving a few TB of media via Plex. LAN after LAN, ended up with more data than i could handle. So bought 4x3TB drives and started the server from scratch. Then the upgrades kept coming. Then I procured a new laptop. So then I made a local Domain for shits. 4-6 years later, here we are. 
My server currently handles DHCP, ADDS, DNS, PXE/WDS (custom installs are necessary for any IT guru), SMB, IIS (Web server for educational purposes), WSUS and Hyper-V to give home to an old x64 XPVM I still care for. Oh, also have backups going to a 4tb drive I threw in a few months back. Thought it was time to start backing things up  hahah

All in all, I'm a tech head. I like spending my money on computers, and then finding a productive project to utilize that computer. 
Lately, i've found myself quite set on my toys. Server will get an upgrade in its' own time. Really digging the rackmount vibe. 

BeastRig was merely a very successful idea. GPU was due for an upgrade, and didn't have anything to suit the 780Ti on its' own. So utilized it, and built a Bare-metal ESXi rig, because it sounded doable. Against all green odds (Lookin at you, NVIDIA Virtual compatibility list -.- ), I got it to boot two fully functional virtual machines. One of which was found to be in the top 98% score of the 3dMark FS charts, Day 1 or 2 of the 1080Ti launch when I received mine. I had a virtual machine that was 'more powerful' than 98% of other recorded PC's.

 

That blew my mind. 

Thats the shit that I enjoy doing with my time lol

Edited June 26, 2017 by MACE529

[MACE529]

And before you ask how I've filled 12tb so quickly...