On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:41:21 -0700 (PDT), Ralph Becker-Szendy wrote: >So I'm going to set up a network router / firewall / general home >server (DNS, DHCP, NTP) using a 5501-70 card. In addition to normal >network server duties, it will also do some monitoring of industrial >control-type equipment, using both serial and USB interfaces. One of >the goals is low power consumption (the current machine is a 2U >rackmount with 1GHz Pentium, which is mostly idle, and uses about >50-60W, plus I need a separate wireless AP for the house). > >Non-default equipment will include >- a 2.5" hard disk (initially a former 80GB laptop disk, I'll try to > get a 24x7 rated 2.5" or 1.8" disk drive later), >- a miniPCI wireless card (because this machine will also become the > wireless AP for our house), >- and a 4-port USB card. > >Why did I pick the 5501? Mostly because it has a more studly internal >power supply, and I was worried that the 4801 might not be able to >handle the power draw of those three accessories. Also, the extra CPU >speed and RAM won't hurt, and the price difference is minor. And >there is another very superficial reason: Soekris has the metal cases >for the 5501 in stock, while the case for the 4801 is backordered. > >The OS will be OpenBSD, at this point 4.1. I'm not worried about the >OS running out of memory or out of CPU cycles; I'm monitoring both on >my current machine. Boot happens from the disk (no need to split the >system between CF and disk); OS install is by using the disk on >another machine (with CD-ROM drive), then transferring the disk over. > >So far, does this sound reasonable? Will all this stuff fit in the >Soekris metal case? I understand that I'll have to drill extra holes >for the 802.11 antennas, not a problem. > >This brings up the question: What wireless miniPCI card to pick. I >had assumed that Atheros cards are the default that everyone uses; >Wistron cards are for example available from www.netgate.com. Does >this sound like a good idea? Are there any known issues with Atheros >cards and OpenBSD? Transmit power is not a huge issue, as I need to >only serve as an AP for a medium-size single family wood-framed home. > >However, I'm now seeing that the Atheros card only seems to come in a >802.11a/b/g version, and I have absolutely no use for 802.11a, and >I've heard that 802.11a radios are power hogs (or at least they were >early on). Is this really an issue? Are other wireless cards >preferable? > >Any other important things I might have forgotten?
Yep! Read [EMAIL PROTECTED] There are archives. Forget the Atheros suckers. Why? RTFA. Try ral cards. I have used an MSI PCI card in a 4801. Pull the plank off. Drill holes in the back of a Yawarra case blanking plate. Et voila! I have another MSI mini-PCI in a Commell board for heavier duty work. Works jus as well and both were very low cost. Great APs with zero problems for me. YMMV. _Rod____ Depressed? Me? Don't make me laugh! :Spike Milligan:1918-2002: _______________________________________________ Soekris-tech mailing list [email protected] http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech
