How to Set Up Your Own Mac Plus (or Later) Web Server
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This
week I am going to talk about my Mac
Plus setup. As I mentioned before, it's a web server.
I know there are many old Mac web servers on the 'Net today, and
it has been mentioned here on Low End Mac before, but I still
insist on writing about how mine works in the later part of the
year 2005.
My Hardware
Kensington System Saver Mac: This is a classic Mac cooling
device that also includes a multi-plug power cord outlet
built-in.
Mac Plus: My floppy is busted after a lizard crawled up in
there and died. It has 4 MB of RAM and is in good shape.
Kensington Screen Guard: protects the screen and your
vision.
Apple SC20 hard drive: It's missing the top, but it has a piece
of wood to support the Mac Plus. Mine has a 40 MB hard drive
instead of the stock 20 MB.
Asante EN/SC: The gold jewel of any classic Mac setup is
getting one of these. I got mine brand new (still factory sealed)
off eBay.
It connects to the Mac Plus through the SCSI port and then has a
extra port for the hard drive. This provides your classic Mac with
a Ethernet port.
Bay Networks 10Base-T hub: Hubs that support 10Base-T and
100Base-T can cause problems.
The Kensington System Saver Mac is a very cool, hard to find
add-on for my Mac. It makes it easy to turn the Plus on and off
along with two other devices.
Mac System 7.5.5 is used for stability, along with MacHTTP 2.6. Both
are the latest for classic Macs and run pretty solid.
I got the Asante EN/SC driver from Asante's website. A very
important thing to know is that there are different version of the
EN/SC, but all will really work the same - just make sure it has a
10Base-T ethernet connector.
You must have a hub that supports only 10Base-T to connect the
EN/SC or chances are it won't work. Newer network equipment
automatically switches between 10Base-T and 100Base-T, and that
causes problems with the EN/SC. I have a Bay Networks 10Base-T hub
that I used together with my Mac Video Security system in the
picture.
What You Need
Mac Plus or better
4 MB RAM minimum
20 MB hard drive or larger
ethernet port or adapter
Mac System 7 or later
MacHTTP
What Makes My Setup Different
Mine has the Asante EN/SC, which is a must, but the Kensington
accessories also make it look cool and stay cool. Everything else
is just like any other Mac Plus server out there.
Ways to Make It Better
A Mac SE or Classic would run better. A bigger
hard drive is a must. A Zip drive would be really cool. Setting the
disk cache to 128K will improve drive performance. Remember, this
is lowest you can go on a Mac - anything above this is a lot
better.
A custom
config file for MacHTTP and a domain name will help optimize your
server experience. See
MacHTTP Configuration for information on customizing your
setup.
You can do this with almost any Mac. The important thing is that
MacHTTP is free and works with System 7 and above.
You must also have a network connection - preferably an ethernet
connection. You can choose to run this on a closed network or on
the Internet.
You can have your very own web server for your website, and even
a Mac Plus can handle a decent load, but not a whole lot.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
My Hardware
What You Need
A custom
config file for MacHTTP and a domain name will help optimize your
server experience. See 