[TriLUG] looking for advice for physically small PC for router, dhcpd/named, firewall

[Joseph Mack NA3T]

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007, a collection of people wrote

Thanks everyone. I didn't realise there were other 
alternatives.

> You may want to consider a Mini-ATX unit, and add a couple 
> multi-port PCI network cards, and slap something like 
> m0n0wall on it (http://mono.ch/wall)

had heard of mini-atx but had forgotten about them.

the mini-atx units I found just now still look like a 
desktop (under the table) machine. I'm looking for something 
the size of a 16 port switch (1.5" high). I don't want 
anyone to think this is a computer and go poking it - I want 
people to thinks it's just another piece of networking 
hardware.

> also, there's the dsl store: http://damnsmalllinux.org/store/

these look interesting. Didn't know about mini-itx

> Don't know how small you had planned, but you can get 
> mini-itx and mini-itx cases at Case Outlet 
> www.caseoutlet.com/ that have three ethernet connections. 
> You have to search but I believe some have pcmcia.

thanks

> What's wrong with a laptop? can go with a few USB Ethernet 
> adapters?

this was one of my early thoughts too. The problem is that 
laptops are relatively expensive, fragile, someone is going 
to close the lid on it and turn it off, or open it up and 
start typing on it, the battery will die in 2-3yrs, and in 3 
yrs, someone is going to try to type on it and find the 
screen pink and dim (or not working at all) and want a 
replacement.

thanks everyone

Joe

-- 
Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
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Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!