Okay, Then yes you might want to build a Win-NT server with large capacity drives. You could use something like a HP 8300 SFF PC as a server and just add some large capacity hard drives.
Install a network monitoring application and performance monitoring client software on the PC’s.
Install something like “Symantec ghost” or “Lab expert image blaster” software. Its an application for creating and pushing out hard drive images over the network. So if a computer becomes unusable you can push out a fresh image in an instant and reload the computer in minutes. You could also create multiple images and have them stored on your server of all the stuff you want loaded on your PC’s.
You could have a DOS/3x image, Win95 image, Win-2000 image, XP image etc. Pre-configured with all the software and games you plan on playing.
To do this you want to try to keep all the computers as identical as possible in hardware but you could create individual images too for
Each computer but for mass distribute of the same image to all the computers you want identical hardware.
Its easy to do and once you get it setup life becomes easy. We used these hard drive image distribution applications in the computer education sector to reload the classroom computers with anything the instructors wanted to teach.
All you need is a Win NT 4.0 or WIn-2000 workstation or server set up as your server.
With just 3 clicks of the mouse you could reload and entire classroom of 30 computers in just 5 minutes over the network

But I would definitely get a router and switch.

maxtherabbit wrote on 2021-05-25, 16:56:

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-05-25, 15:24:

802.11g didn't even come out until 2003, so nobody was using those linksys routers in the '90s.

the seminal variant of that linksys product line was the BEFSR41, which had no WiFi and was released in 1999

Yes, I think I had one of those for home networking back in 1990's

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2021-05-25, 17:09:

Okay, Then yes you might want to build a Win-NT server with large capacity drives. You could use something like a HP 8300 SFF PC […]
Show full quote

Okay, Then yes you might want to build a Win-NT server with large capacity drives. You could use something like a HP 8300 SFF PC as a server and just add some large capacity hard drives.
Install a network monitoring application and performance monitoring client software on the PC’s.
Install something like “Symantec ghost” or “Lab expert image blaster” software. Its an application for creating and pushing out hard drive images over the network. So if a computer becomes unusable you can push out a fresh image in an instant and reload the computer in minutes. You could also create multiple images and have them stored on your server of all the stuff you want loaded on your PC’s.
You could have a DOS/3x image, Win95 image, Win-2000 image, XP image etc. Pre-configured with all the software and games you plan on playing.
To do this you want to try to keep all the computers as identical as possible in hardware but you could create individual images too for
Each computer but for mass distribute of the same image to all the computers you want identical hardware.
Its easy to do and once you get it setup life becomes easy. We used these hard drive image distribution applications in the computer education sector to reload the classroom computers with anything the instructors wanted to teach.
All you need is a Win NT 4.0 or WIn-2000 workstation or server set up as your server.
With just 3 clicks of the mouse you could reload and entire classroom of 30 computers in just 5 minutes over the network

But I would definitely get a router and switch.

This is all beyond the scope of what I'm setting up.

Nice discussion of networking stuff. In terms of definite dates on hubs/switches, pretty sure we had a Netgear EN108TP in a shared house around 1999. Can't say much about it, other than it worked and must have been fairly cheap. Used for file sharing, UT, and sharing a dial-up connection (10 min/MB...). A couple of years later had an FS105 and a cable modem.

Copyright year in the manual puts it as 1998:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/en104 … p106108ints.pdf

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 19:54:

Nice discussion of networking stuff. In terms of definite dates on hubs/switches, pretty sure we had a Netgear EN108TP in a shared house around 1999. Can't say much about it, other than it worked and must have been fairly cheap. Used for file sharing, UT, and sharing a dial-up connection (10 min/MB...). A couple of years later had an FS105 and a cable modem.

Copyright year in the manual puts it as 1998:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/en104 … p106108ints.pdf

I am thankful for all of the model numbers that people are sharing in the thread! Finding and using the old stuff, or using old things in tandem with the new, and maintaining it, and finding new uses for it (I'm going to learn x86 assembly, C, and C++ for the same reasons - I love Udemy!) is "ikigai" to me. The model numbers provided are allowing me to look things up to hopefully find the perfect switch or hub that existed back in the day, and matches the aesthetics of the set up. I am also learning things I didn't know, and I have more topics to research (constantly absorbing knowledge and information is also ikigai to me.) For example, I was reading about Arachne, since I haven't used it in a while, and then I found out about DR-WebSpyder, which I'm hoping to find the latest version of so that I can surf the net in DOS once more, after I get this retro LAN set up.

Ultimately, I want to set up a room as such that if someone were to walk into it, they would feel like they stepped back in time. I think that I will eventually start filming videos in the room while using the retro machines. Other items to seek are webcams, printers, and other things from the late 90's. I had a Sidewinder Gamepad Pro back in 1999, and I just found one recently, still in the shrink wrapped box. You mentioned sharing a dial-up connection; I think that when playing UO with my friend, it was before I had broadband and we were sharing my dial-up connection via a 56k PCI modem and a crossover ethernet cable. I do recall having a hub, though I don't remember exactly how we had it all hooked up. Those few months, back in 1999-2000, were the only times I had a hub and a cross-over cable. Remembering how much I used the net on a 56k modem and that the 2nd PC had decent internet access through the crossover cable is making me want to create a BBS.

I guess you have to be a real genius to find all that net gear by the bay networks in 'cisco. You'll need at least a level one certification to broadcast the three com, and don't forget the junipers by the nortel buildings.
There's definitly more that I forgot, it's difficult to remember and link sys. With so many brands, relabeled, rebadged and HP also matters when you need a lot of oomphf, Just No kia. and don't forget Eric'son.

I recall having this 8 port switch with a green function, late 90's, beginning 2000. A 'Green' Power saving function, that when all minus one of the computers were turned off, the switch would go into a sleep mode, which for some reason unknown to me it never woke up from. very annoying to have to power off/power on the switch every day . though easily fixed by adding another computer that didn't get turned off.

Good work dlinking all those together.

I used to use a Linksys EFAH24 10/100 hub, until I started upgrading some machines to GbE. It would sometimes lock up when it was cold, but once warmed up it worked well. If you're like me, you want to hook up a lot of connections but very few of them will be in use at one time so hub vs switch hardly matters.

I'm not sure when it was made but the manual I downloaded is copyrighted in 1998.
EFAH16 is the 16 port version.
It's a rack mount style and it does have a 40x20mm fan. There is a nice chunky power switch so it's easy to turn off when not wanted.

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:36:

Good work dlinking all those together.

Dangit! I must work some more on my user robotics.

Going back to what I actually used as new in the late 90s - we had a consumer SMC Barricade 8(7?) port router that included a serial port for a shared external modem. It would autodial when somebody tried to use the internet. It might have also had an LPT port for a printer but I'm not sure.

I didn't network anything until 1998 or maybe even 1999, so I never got to experience the 10baseWhatever stuff.

weedeewee wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:39:

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:36:

Good work dlinking all those together.

Dangit! I must work some more on my user robotics.

There's some quip here about acting like a wise(com) guy, but I can't find it.

Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class.
We had the computers wired up with Coax and Ethernet for training purposes.
So if you really want to be early 1990’s tech go COAX.
You can use 3com 3c509b Ethernet cards. Its easy to setup too.
These cards have Ethernet 1o-base-t, coax, and serial connector.
I use this card in all my 386 and 486 builds.
It’s a classic from the 1990’s

Performance and reliability is okay too.
We use to load the computer operating systems over the coax network with no problems.

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:52:

weedeewee wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:39:

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:36:

Good work dlinking all those together.

Dangit! I must work some more on my user robotics.

There's some quip here about acting like a wise(com) guy, but I can't find it.

It's definitly a trip down memory lane, since I still have some commodore ethernet cards, and I can't help shake the feeling that maybe a bell labs rings though it would probably be a longshine.

shamino wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:37:

I used to use a Linksys EFAH24 10/100 hub, until I started upgrading some machines to GbE. It would sometimes lock up when it w […]
Show full quote

I used to use a Linksys EFAH24 10/100 hub, until I started upgrading some machines to GbE. It would sometimes lock up when it was cold, but once warmed up it worked well. If you're like me, you want to hook up a lot of connections but very few of them will be in use at one time so hub vs switch hardly matters.

I'm not sure when it was made but the manual I downloaded is copyrighted in 1998.
EFAH16 is the 16 port version.
It's a rack mount style and it does have a 40x20mm fan. There is a nice chunky power switch so it's easy to turn off when not wanted.

Nice! Only 50 bucks on ebay, probably cheaper if I scroll through listings.

weedeewee wrote on 2021-05-25, 22:01:

snufkin wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:52:

weedeewee wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:39:

Dangit! I must work some more on my user robotics.

There's some quip here about acting like a wise(com) guy, but I can't find it.

It's definitly a trip down memory lane, since I still have some commodore ethernet cards, and I can't help shake the feeling that maybe a bell labs rings though it would probably be a longshine.

Speaking of rings, maybe you could use some Gandalf gear in a To(l)k(i)en ring setup of which you could become lord and master . No collisions there .

EDIT : And Gandalf Digital Communications Inc actually did make token ring gear in the 90s, so this is more than just a punny joke, as running a Token ring network (not necessary to use Gandalf hardware) would be a very 90s thing and be free of collisions, as mentioned before .

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:54:

Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class. We had the c […]
Show full quote

Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class.
We had the computers wired up with Coax and Ethernet for training purposes.
So if you really want to be early 1990’s tech go COAX.
You can use 3com 3c509b Ethernet cards. Its easy to setup too.
These cards have Ethernet 1o-base-t, coax, and serial connector.
I use this card in all my 386 and 486 builds.
It’s a classic from the 1990’s

Performance and reliability is okay too.
We use to load the computer operating systems over the coax network with no problems.

I think I have that exact NIC. I'll dig it out later, because I may put it in my P3, temporarily. I'm now on the hunt for an ISA 10/100 card, as I potentially have a free ISA slot if I keep my SCC-1 out and get an AWE64 Legacy with a Dreamblaster X2.

Its not form the 90's, but I dug out a Dlink DI-707 that I used extensively until buying an N-router with those gigabit switches. It has a serial/COM port, what can I do with that? I had another thread where I was trying to figure out if it was possible to connect to the internet to download and browse via serial or parallel ports (the Xircom pocket ethernet adapter is $150!)

Scythifuge wrote on 2021-05-25, 23:44:

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:54:

Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class. We had the c […]
Show full quote

Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class.
We had the computers wired up with Coax and Ethernet for training purposes.
So if you really want to be early 1990’s tech go COAX.
You can use 3com 3c509b Ethernet cards. Its easy to setup too.
These cards have Ethernet 1o-base-t, coax, and serial connector.
I use this card in all my 386 and 486 builds.
It’s a classic from the 1990’s

Performance and reliability is okay too.
We use to load the computer operating systems over the coax network with no problems.

I think I have that exact NIC. I'll dig it out later, because I may put it in my P3, temporarily. I'm now on the hunt for an ISA 10/100 card, as I potentially have a free ISA slot if I keep my SCC-1 out and get an AWE64 Legacy with a Dreamblaster X2.

While there ARE 10/100 ISA cards (3Com 515 is one of them), they are pretty rare and rather expensive.

Also, they don't improve things very much - you might get 2-3MBytes/sec out of one compared to 1MByte/sec max for a 10 megabit card. I'd stick with the common 3c509 for ISA machines.

Scythifuge wrote on 2021-05-25, 23:47:

Its not form the 90's, but I dug out a Dlink DI-707 that I used extensively until buying an N-router with those gigabit switches. It has a serial/COM port, what can I do with that? I had another thread where I was trying to figure out if it was possible to connect to the internet to download and browse via serial or parallel ports (the Xircom pocket ethernet adapter is $150!)

Quick skim of the DI-707 manual says it supports dial-up networking, so you should be able to connect an external serial modem to the serial port and use that, rather than the WAN port on the front. There are still one or two pay-as-you-go dial up internet providers around (at least one in the UK, and some ISPs still have a backup number for broadband customers) if you want the authentic experience of having large downloads (1MB!) fail because someone else in the house picks up the phone, and then the server not supporting resume.

I've vague memories of setting up a linux box (using an old Sun Sparc IPC maybe?) as a gateway that would automatically dial up if a computer on the network tried to access an IP outside out local net, and then drop the connection if there was no activity for a few minutes. Had a phone contract that allowed free calls to a few numbers, but only up to one hour long, so also had it set up to drop the connection and redial after 59 minutes. Which was in no way annoying.

Yeah, when I was working at the computer education training center we use to install entire classrooms full of about 30 computers simotaneously with computer operating systems over the coax network with no problems. So coax is pretty reliable.
These were probable about 1gb. harddrive images. So 30 x 1gb. = 30gbs. Of data.

Coax cable data transfer speed = 10Mbps
The transmission speed of coaxial cable is 10Mbps (megabits per second), and they offer 80 times more transmission capacity than twisted pair cables.