Help me build a linux box...

[EnragedPC]

I want a linux box that will be my hardware firewall/file server/bandwith limiter...it will run Mandrake 8.0,,,i want it to be in the smallest possible case, and quiet..but also fairly powerful since i never want to restart since it wont have a monitor except for installation...ide like it to be pretty cheap to..

 

[MGMorden]

Small firewall type computer? Well, power has nothing to do with having to restart, that's stability. I'd say to go with a microATX motherboard and case. Which chipset you get it up to you but I'd go with a socket 370 board (intel 810 wouldn't be bad). For the cpu I'd choose a Via Cyrix III. Now a lot of people will blast the frell out of me for saying that, but it will be PLENTY powerful enough for a firewall and home fileserver but runs cool enough so that you don't need a fan (which will yield a very quite system you can place almost anywhere). Then add 128mb of ram, a network card (if one doesn't come built int. these can be had for cheap. get intel though for highest performance + lowest cpu utilization) and a cheap 7200rpm hard drive (you want a cdrom too for installation) and you're pretty much set.

 

[agg123456789]

get this new shuttle board! it is teeny! http://www.shuttleonline.com/spec.php3?model=fv24
go ther and check it out.

 

[mosdef]

I too am interested in this. What would be the minimum recommended specs for a Linux box that would serve various tasks such as server, firewall, etc?

-mosdef

 

[mosdef]

Shuttle Board

-mosdef

 

[splice]

You can setup a linux firewall,router,ftp, and http server with a p200 or less.

 

[MGMorden]

Anything 486 and up would do routing and/or firewalling. For a file server (varying depending on load) anything 300mhz and up should do fine for the home setting. Business/professional setting needs a little more power but most focus is on stability and uptime (hot swappable PCI slots are available on some high end servers). As I said before though, one of those Via Cyrix III's would be PERFECT for such a tast. Quiet, cheap, and powerful-enough.

And that Shuttle board looks VERY good for this use. It comes in flexATX which yields an even smaller system than microATX. Also comes with a network card built in (though I just remembered you'll need 2 network cards for a router but it does have that 1 pci slot that can be used for that). Can't beat that.

 

[EnragedPC]

any good really small cases for that board?>

 

[EnragedPC]

and where can i get that board?

 

[mosdef]

Where's a good place to buy the Shuttle Board and a Cyrix III? Also can Cyrix IIIs be overclocked and at what point would I need to include a heatsink and/or fan?

-mosdef

 

[MGMorden]

I don't know about overclocking the Cyrix's. All I know is that at their default/rated speeds all that you need is a heatsink. NO FAN. I just looked on pricewatch and the 700mhz chip is going for $38. Not too shabby. As for the shuttle board, I don't know. I just looked on price watch (thought about building a system for myself. you guys got me interested) but there are none there. agg123456789 said it was new though so nobody might be carrying it right now.

 

[splice]

Ew... that shuttle board has a Realtek RTL 8139. I would never get that board. Go for a good standard mATX... that way you can add multiple quality NIC's if needed.

 

[mosdef]

Shuttle Board FV24 Reviews:
VIAHardware.com
ClubOC.com

-mosdef

 

[MGMorden]

I've used an 8139 in the past. It worked perfectly. Only reason it's not in my machine now is that I'm home from college and have in a Diamond HomePNA card for the phoneline networking. I've also got 2 more friends with 8139's working fine. He should be fine with one of them.

 

[mosdef]

splice - Any recommendations?

-mosdef

 

[splice]

Bah, Realtek is crap. totally unreliable, at least for me and poor performance. If I was going to build a LAN file/router/ftp/http server I would go for a board based on the KLE chipset, Duron 600, microtower, and Netgear nics. Although, I'm currently running a LAN file server off of a K6-3 350 BookPC (Mandrake 7.2)... now that's a small case. It has more than enough power to dish out MP3/MP4 via samba....It doesn't have a monitor/keyboard/mouse, just sits on my network shelf.

 

[EnragedPC]

BookPC????

 

[splice]

Directron has a selection of slim barebones PC's... they are prefect for little file servers. Expandablity is lacking on most of these systems though.

 

[mosdef]

Cool stuff. What form-factor are most of these cases, FlexATX?

 

[splice]

Most are flex, mATX, or NLX, some are proprietary.

 

[MGMorden]

splice: I think you must have just gotten ahold of a bad card. The ones I've worked with while not the fastest (copying a large file took ~14 minutes on my Realtek compared to ~12:30 or so on my friends Netgear), were EXTREMELY reliable, worked in all OS's I tried (Windows 9x/2000, Linux, FreeBSD, BeOS, and Qnx) and generally gave me no hassles whatsoever. I work with a lot of these (during school time I work for the University I attend as a computer tech), and I've seen little difference between the Generic Realtek 8139's, the Netgear's and the the 3com's (I own a lot of cards myself. 1 3com, 1 Intel, 2 realtek's and a Diamond HomePNA). I see no reason why anyone should avoid a Realtek chip. Couples with the fact that the Shuttle board got spectacular reviews I'd say it would be the route to go for a small, quiet firewall (esp compared to a BookPC which is put out by PCChips. Now if we want to talk about a company that makes crappy stuff . . .)

 

[splice]

Well you could be right about the Realtek thing.... I tend not to go back to products that give me trouble, Realtek being one of them, but that's just me. Your points are well taken though. About the PCChips/Amptron though... it's a great system, it's been running almost nonstop for the past year without a glitch.

 

[Pakman]

I have a great little system for sale if you're interested in building a server... it's about the size of a book pc with a P3 733...
Check out my thread at the Forsale/Trade forum.


P3 733 System for sale.