[SLUG] Guidance and Recommendations on Hardware + Distro

["Gavin Tomlins" <gavint@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings All,

 

my 8 port barricade router is starting to misbehave badly, so I thought I would replace with a Mini-ITX/switch combination.

 

The following are a few questions regarding hardware acquisition and distro.

 

Criteria

1. Small

2. Quiet

3. Aesthetic

4. Budget is fairly open to achieve the functionality

 

Current HW Topology/System Setup Summary

 

NSLU2 - Maxtor OneTouch/BlueEye

Xbox #1 - 90% XBMC streaming TV Series from a NSLU2/Maxtor OneTouch Combo

Xbox #2 - 80% Games/XLink Kai/Streaming from a NSLU2/Maxtor OneTouch Combo

3 PCs + 2 Notebooks  all XP

SMC Barricade Router 8 port

Print Server off Barricade

1 Fax Machine

Telstra ISDN Stream Duet

House Networked

Wireless connectivity (external to neighbours and community)

 

ISP

- Telstra Bigpond Cable - 'Unlimited/128k Up'

- Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem

 

Usage

 

- 80% work

- 10% online gaming - WET/Xbox Xlink KAI

- 10% downloading TV Series

 

Mini-ITX aka 'smallbox' Functionality

 

01. Router

02. Firewall

03. Samba

04. Print Server -- CUPS ?

05. Apache

06. MySQL

07. KAID daemon for XLink Kai

08. Asterisk **

09. VPN/SSH

10. FTP

11. LDAP

12. Cacti

13. File Server

 

Question 1. Number of boxes

 

 

One or two small boxes eg. #1 lower spec dedicated to routing/firewall functionality eg. 600Mhz dual nic etc #2 running other daemons. Will a 1Ghz machine handle the load with Asterisk going etc. Keeping it simple and not blurring functionality and configurations?

 

Question 2. Number of NICs

 

Dual NIC or Triple NIC? NIC to WAN, NIC to LAN, NIC to Wireless ? The traffic I get on Wireless at the moment is negligible.

 

Question 3. Hardware recommendations

 

A one box configuration http://www.elx.com.au/item/ELS4000 ? I was thinking more of that configuration in the Morex case, don't know if this is possible. I was looking for the 1.2Ghz Dual NIC combo

 

2 box solution #box 1, same as above, #box 2 http://www.elx.com.au/item/ELS1000 with a 5Gb HDD in it. once again in a morex case

 

I liked the look of the Hush Mini-ITX's but they seemed a fraction on the large side.

If a triple NIC is a solution, any suggestions where to get one from in Oz?

 

or do I go with a VENUS case etc. Any suggestions on alternatives to Morex etc. most welcome

 

or Do I just go with like a hardware specific router with embedded linux ?

 

Question 4.Distro (my linux skills are average, Win32 high)

 

All in one solution. Ubuntu/Debian ?

 

Small Box one - Smoothwall?

Small Box two - Ubuntu/Debian

 

The biggest problem I see is the Asterisk integration. Do I install Asterisk @ home, install other daemons to do task or Start from basics and just manual install everything and stuff around with configuration

 

** The NSLU is a brilliant little device, but the network file transfer throughput is a bit wanting. I was considering choosing a min-itx housing solution that could take a 3.5" HDD, but I'm thinking an external enclosure still might be better.

 

** Stating the obvious. The VOIP is to replace two Telstra lines and hopefully cut down comms costs etc. hopefully allowing voice-mail and fax storage.

 

Any suggestions or comments on the above would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

 

Gavin