Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:04:11 -0400 From: Maxim Khitrov <max@mxcrypt.com> To: Paul Schenkeveld <freebsd@psconsult.nl> Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: looking for gigabit network appliances Message-ID: <AANLkTikmD1XsLhRSxeXGiuZ1hj9tLQ9kZtj6jcOn16U2@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <20110327131643.GA36085@psconsult.nl> References: <20110327131643.GA36085@psconsult.nl>
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On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 9:16 AM, Paul Schenkeveld <freebsd@psconsult.nl> wr= ote: > Hi, > > I've been happily using many Soekris network appliances for almost 10 > years now but Soekris is not in a big hurry to come with a gigabit > platform :( > > So I am looking for for a decent network appliance platform to start > replacing Soekris boxes. =C2=A0On my wish list are: > > =C2=A0- Can run FreeBSD >=3D 8.2 (i386 or amd64). > =C2=A0- Models with 4 to 8 (or more) network interfaces, at least 4 gigab= it > =C2=A0 =C2=A0but all gigabit is better. =C2=A0Preferrably Intel em or igb= chips. > =C2=A0- Preferrably a choice of low power CPUs (Intel Atom D510/D525?) an= d > =C2=A0 =C2=A0more powerful CPUs (Core 2/Xeon) > =C2=A0- Bootable from flash or (SATA 2,5") SSD > =C2=A0- 1U rackmount models available but preferrably also small passivel= y > =C2=A0 =C2=A0cooled desktop boxes. > =C2=A0- Serial console preferrable over VGA console. > =C2=A0- IPMI would be a plus but not absolutely required. > =C2=A0- Distribution channel in Europe. > > Any ideas? > > Thanks in advance, > > Paul Schenkeveld I spent the past few months looking for the same thing in US. Unfortunately, I haven't found any existing devices that meet those criteria. The Soekris net6501 [1] should be out some time this year, as you may already know, but there has been very little information about the time frame. In the end, I decided to build my own system, which would meet most of your requirements. The components are listed below: Motherboard: Supermicro X7SPA-HF-D525 (Atom D525) Memory: Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 (2x2GB DDR3 1066) Network Card: Intel E1G44HT (4-port gigabit) SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G Enclosure: Thermaltake Element Q VL52021N2U The final price for all components was ~$680. I've had no problems setting up FreeBSD 8.2 amd64 on this box. The system has 6 gigabit ports total (2 em, 4 igb). There is IPMI with KVM-over-IP on em0. No issues with my choice of SSD, though I've now added a hot-swap 3.5" enclosure in the 5.25" bay, which will have a mechanical drive for backup purposes. You'll have to look around for a 1U enclosure. My case has a single fan in the power supply, which I don't mind. It's impossible to hear and creates a tiny bit of airflow right over the CPU heat sink. If you don't want any moving parts at all, take a look at picoPSU from mini-box.com. - Max [1] http://www.soekris.com/net6501.htm
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