On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 2:13 PM, Erich Titl <[email protected]> wrote:

> So why don't you opt for an ALIX based platform?
>
Cost.

I considered a Soekris box, but then thought again when I did an
(unscientific) energy-savings analysis and concluded that it would take ~2
years for it to pay off vs using what I have today. Of course, that could
change if electricity gets wildly expensive.

My conclusion with ALIX is similar. The cheapest ALIX board I could find on
their website is $99.99. This is before adding in an enclosure, power
supply, CF card, and shipping. Not to mention a *relatively expensive* CF
card. Maybe ALIX boards aren't so picky, but Soekris recommended Sandisk and
admitted that they are more expensive but Just Work. OK, I'll just reuse my
old AP and ancient 10Mbit 5-port hub. Final cost? I'll be generous and say
roughly $150. However...

In comparison, I can go to Newegg (where I've shopped before and have had
pleasant experiences) and pick up a Linksys WRT54GL for $49.99 shipped. It
comes with OpenWRT on it, a 5-port 10/100 switch, dual wireless antennae,
and a huge community constantly working to get it to do new and amazing
things. Hey, for the same cost as an ALIX or Soekris, I could get 3!

Now, if my plan was to start up an Internet provider for a small town, a
SOHO router simply wouldn't cut it and some purpose-built system would be
absolutely the way to go. For me in my apartment, however, even my 10 year
old PC is overkill.

Will the Linksys outlast an ALIX/Soekris/Mikrotik? Probably not. Will I
still be using 802.11B/G when my Linksys dies? I suppose, but I will also
likely be looking forward to 802.11N or whatever.

I will gladly accept proof that my argument makes no sense, so feel free to
punch holes in it :-)

Andy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn how Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) One Node allows customers
to consolidate database storage, standardize their database environment, and, 
should the need arise, upgrade to a full multi-node Oracle RAC database 
without downtime or disruption
http://p.sf.net/sfu/oracle-sfdevnl
------------------------------------------------------------------------
leaf-user mailing list: [email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/leaf-user
Support Request -- http://leaf-project.org/

Reply via email to