Computer configurations

Sun= day, June 03, 2007

12:= 54 PM

6/3/2007, 12:55 PM - Sunthar Visuvalingam

Our home wirel= ess (that is occasionally rewired for optimizing file transfers or troubleshooting) network comprises of 3 laptop computers, a gat= eway, a color laser printer attached to a wireless print server, a portable Bluetoo= th printer, scanner, external hard-d= rive for backup, 2 webcams, and 2 external monitors. The configurations of each device is given below to facilitate those attempting to adapt my troubleshooting blogs to their own unique computing environment.

Dell Inspiron 6400 (Sunthar)

Hardware: Dual-core Pentium IV 2 GHz; 2 G= B RAM; 100GB 7200 rpm hard-drive,

Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2; Norton 360 (firewall, etc.)

Applications:

Attached Devices: Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22" external monitor; Canon = LiDE 5000 scanner on USB port; (shared) Maxtor OneTouch III 160GB external stora= ge; Logitech webcam; Plantronics 550DSP headset; Microsoft Bluetooth optical mo= use.

Compaq Presario C551NR (Elizabeth)

Hardware: Intel Celeron 1.8 GHz; (512MB expanded to maximum) 2GB RAM; 80GB 5400 rpm hard-drive,

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic; Norton Inter= net Security (firewall, etc.)

Applications:

Attached Devices: Canon Pixma iP90v porta= ble (Bluetooth) printer; Logitech webcam .

This laptop was bought on 30 May 2007 at Best Buy for $400 ($200 discount) with only 512MB = RAM installed (we also opted for 3 year extended service warranty) This was an emergency decision to replace Elizabeth's Sony PCG-R505JS that became dysfunctional after installing Norton 360 on 8 May 07. We succeeded in integrating this Presario into our preexisting Windows XP network only on 2 June 07= .

HP Pavilion XH-365 (Sunthar)

Hardware: Intel Celeron 1.8 GHz; (maxed o= ut at) 512MB RAM; (30GB replaced with) 40GB 5400 rpm hard-drive.

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic; Norton 360 (firewall, etc.)

Applications:

Attached Devices: Linksys WPC54GX4 wirele= ss PCMCIA adapter card; Mitsubishi D= iamond Pro 17" external monitor.

Sony VAIO PCG-R505JS (Elizabeth) - non-functional as of 28 May 07.

Hardware: Intel Pentium 3 (256MB expanded to maximum) 384MB RAM;= 30GB 5400 rpm hard-drive,

Operating System: (Windows XP Home upgraded to) XP Profe= ssional ; Norton Personal Firewall

Applications:

Attached Devices: PCGA-DSM5 docking station (with CD-RW + DVD-ROM drive); HP 340 portable B&W inkjet printer (replaced with Pixma iP90v)); Logitech webcam .

Bought in the = fall of 2001 (just after its release by Sony) SAMS Club for $??? with only 256MB RAM preinstalled (we a= lso opted for 3 year extended service warranty), this laptop became dysfunction= al after installing Norton 360 on 8 May 07.

2WIRE Gateway (DSL modem + wireless router)

This combined = DSL modem and wireless router was provided free ( for renewing our long standing DSL subscription) on ??? /06 by my ISP, Ameritech, when the original DSL mo= dem they had supplied failed. This ga= teway, which also rendered our earlier Linksys WRT300N draft-N router superfluous,= has been working seamlessly with all our laptops and wireless devices (unlike my previous s= eries our Linksys routers that often required reconfiguration).

Linksys WPS54G wireless print server

Bought on ???,= the WPS 54G provides all our computers wireless access to our Dell 3000CN laser printer. Though not (yet) certified as Vista compatible (th= e print server software that came in the box and worked with Windows XP will give an error message at the end of attempted installation), I managed to get the Presario to print on the 3000CN by setting the parameters (including its IP address) manually.

Dell 3000CN color laser printer

II ordered this relatively inexpensive but excellent printer along with my Dell Inspiron (12 April 06). Actually, it was the sales rep online who offered to throw in the printer "for free" instead of conceding the even larger discount I was demanding on the laptop (and I don't regret the choice at all). It provides excellent ink economy (at = least when printing mostly in black).