upgrade old FreeBSD home server

On a different topic, are there any compatibility issues with optical drives? As noted I want to get a new/faster one while I'm doing this, since I still receive optical media.
Works fine, I've used both PATA and SATA internal ones with USB-adapters (SATA adapters might need a new firmware). You might want to do some research about drives though, in general old ones are better than new ones and if you want a bluray unit Asus BW-16D1HT is one of the last models where you can make use of a "loophole" for reading blurays (https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19113 , https://www.dvd-cloner.com/knowledge/uhd-friendly-drive-list_377.html).
 
I just buy reasonable DVD R/W drives and haven't had one not work in a really long time.
Code:
cd0 at ahcich2 bus 0 scbus2 target 0 lun 0
cd0: <HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH24NSC0 LY00> Removable CD-ROM SCSI device
cd0: Serial Number KLIJ9P14455
cd0: 150.000MB/s transfers (SATA 1.x, UDMA6, ATAPI 12bytes, PIO 8192bytes)
cd0: 0MB (1 0 byte sectors)
 
Well I am not understanding why the newer ones are so expensive, I guess.

Edit: I guess because they do 10G, but my internet is not as fast as that anyway, obviously.
 
..or just get a pulled NIC from a server etc
I have quite a few Intel PRO/1000 single, dual, and quad port Ethernet cards that came from decommissioned servers via eBay.

I have never had a problem. But do look at the Intel spec sheet carefully before buying. The multi-port cards don't necessarily have enough grunt to drive all ports at full speed. This generally comes down to the number of Gigabit controller chips soldered onto the board. My single port cards have one. The quad port cards have two. All this means is that to get full throughput, I only use two of the four ports on each quad port card.
 
Which video output port should I be looking to use with my old VGA monitor, "HDMI port" or "Display port"?

So just get a simple adapter?

What about an old KVM switch (only for purposes of doing the config from old->new), slap a video adapter on it?
 
Which video output port should I be looking to use with my old VGA monitor, "HDMI port" or "Display port"?

So just get a simple adapter?

What about an old KVM switch (only for purposes of doing the config from old->new), slap a video adapter on it?
You might need to buy an adapter... VGA port is shaped differently than HDMI or DP. If your monitor only has a VGA port, but your PC does not, then you need an adapter. You can get those from Amazon for about $15-20. A KVM port might work for than, but only if it has both VGA and (HDMI or DP).
 
Won't matter, I would however recommend to get a "branded" one such as one by HP, Dell, Lenovo instead of some random cheap run of the mill as they tend to be dodgy a best.
In general though if your monitor only has VGA I would seriously recommend you to upgrade, it's going to save a lot of eye-strain.
 
Actually I guess my monitor has HDMI, but my old computer has the VGA port.

So trying to figure out how to transition this....
 
The transition involves using both computers simultaneously to copy/configure for the new, so switching (for a short time...) between the two. With one having VGA port & one HDMI, this seems to be a challenge for KVM.
 
The transition involves using both computers simultaneously to copy/configure for the new, so switching (for a short time...) between the two. With one having VGA port & one HDMI, this seems to be a challenge for KVM.
Yeah. Two monitors, keyboards, and mice might actually be easier.

Can you ssh to one from the other?
 
I don't want to buy another monitor obviously....

Yeah, maybe I just plan to unplug the k/v/m from the old computer and access it via ssh....

Not very elegant, especially since I intend to take my time getting things configured to my liking, but I suppose it'll work....
 
Yeah. Two monitors, keyboards, and mice might actually be easier.

Can you ssh to one from the other?
That takes either a crossover cable or going via a router.

Back to monitors: You have two ends of the cable to check: one for monitor, and one for PC. And don't confuse monitor cable with network cable.
 
If you have monitor with VGA and HDMI inputs you could conceivable connect it to to both computers and switch back and forth using the monitor's input settings. You'd still need two keyboards. Still sounds like a pain.
 
If you have monitor with VGA and HDMI inputs you could conceivable connect it to to both computers and switch back and forth using the monitor's input settings. You'd still need two keyboards. Still sounds like a pain.
Actually, that's the case for a KVM switch...
 
Well I ordered all this stuff today. Hopefully it goes smoothly. Thanks for the discussion.

(I don't know what to make of the reported delivery times via newegg. It might be a while before I'm building this thing....)
 
Just a small – but important – note on converters …

Usually, signal converters can be used in one direction only. For example, a VGA-to-HDMI converter will not work as HDMI-to-VGA (except if it’s explicitly bidirectional, but these are very expensive). So be sure to buy the right one.

Unfortunately, vendors don’t all use the word “to” in the same sense. In some cases, “VGA-to-HDMI” refers to the direction of the video signal, meaning VGA on the PC and HDMI on the monitor. But in some other cases, the same name refers to the direction of the peripheral connection, so it’s VGA on the monitor and HDMI on the PC. So you have to read the description of the adapter carefully, in order to find out what connector is supposed to connect to what side.

Of course, all of that doesn’t apply to passive converters, like DVI to HDMI, or VGA to DVI(-A). These are always bidirectional because they don’t contain electronics for converting signals.
 
Of course, all of that doesn’t apply to passive converters, like DVI to HDMI, or VGA to DVI(-A). These are always bidirectional because they don’t contain electronics for converting signals.
They still manage to introduce directionality, by having a plug/socket direction ;)
 
They still manage to introduce directionality, by having a plug/socket direction ;)
Well, if you mess up even the socket direction, there's always a cheap coupler/direction changer plug you can buy. I think the important point that people tend to miss is that cables have two (2) ends to check, not one (1).
 
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