What is your setup like and why.

[RimBlock]

$100! This is what I hopped to hear. 42U should fit to my car and I have a loading trolley so I should manage this part by myself. It could be dirty, worn, no problem, I have a karcher and spray-gun too

Why the movers would not touch the rack?

I was lucky to say the least but I have seen others for S$250 or so. I saw a nich HP one listed, half height (around 22U IIRC) with some shelves, PDU, UPS and keyboard & monitor in pullout draw. It was S$1000 but to buy those parts separately you are probably looking at S$2.5 / S$3k from HP.

We settled on the 42U in the end as the bottom section is now used to lock away some of my tools for little D.I.Y. projects I sometimes do. Having a 1 1/2 y/o running around grabbing everything and with saws, cable strippers and cutters etc around it is nice to be able to lock them out of the way.

I also got my Supermicro chassis which was not cheap but is very well built and some rails for it. It is great being able to pull the serber out on the rails and fiddle with the parts inside without having to pull it out of the rack. I will get round to taking some photos at some point.

I also have a 20 drive 4U Norco chassis. I bought it a while ago for a large central storage server to share out movies etc and have lots of room to grow. Unfortunately the backplanes have developed faults over time and now out of warranty, Norco S.E.A. (Singapore based) are quoting me more than a new unit to just replace the backplanes. This is doubly upsetting as in the US, Norco have been known to send out free replacements even if the units are out of warranty. Needless to say I wont touch Norco units again. I ended up stripping out the backplanes and just direct connecting the drives. I use this as my SAN chassis now.

My 4 new fans and temp controlled fan controller are hopefully making their way to my Borderlinx address and will be with me in a week or so. I can then take the fan panel off, unscrew the 4 cast aluminium fans and put the quieter ones in. The current ones are pretty noisy, I can't even hear my ML110 G7 over them (which is also pretty noisy) .

RB

[RimBlock]

I would have loved this thread about 5 years ago. I could have spent hours discussing my Linux router, custom iptables rules with traffic shaping and redirection, massive SCSI raids in a file server, dhcp, Dns, transparent caching proxies, the works.

Better late than never .

I have never got in to the Apple ecosystem although came close with various Macbook offers from Singtel in the past and a bit of flurting with Hackintosh.

The danger with having multiple machines is paying for the hardware, electricity etc and then not using much of the capability (power / storage). This is one reason I like vSphere very much.

Of course it is not suitable for desktop usage as it is a back end server virtulisation tool but in a lot of cases it does allow best of software to be used for different solutions with one set of hardware. I used to use Windows for some situations (Windows Home Server) but found better tools for other uses (Linux for SABnzb etc).

Unfortuantely my AC Ryan HD2s plug is broken with the pins (two pin plug) pushing in to the body of the plug. As AC Ryan has now gone bust internationally with just a small presence in SG remaining I did hope to get a replacements but unfortunately that have so far not responded to my request on how to get a replacement. I may end up getting a laptop replacement power brick but need to confirm the HD2s power requirements.

RB

[zzm9980]

I would have loved this thread about 5 years ago. I could have spent hours discussing my Linux router, custom iptables rules with traffic shaping and redirection, massive SCSI raids in a file server, dhcp, Dns, transparent caching proxies, the works.

Better late than never .

I have never got in to the Apple ecosystem although came close with various Macbook offers from Singtel in the past and a bit of flurting with Hackintosh.

The danger with having multiple machines is paying for the hardware, electricity etc and then not using much of the capability (power / storage). This is one reason I like vSphere very much.

Of course it is not suitable for desktop usage as it is a back end server virtulisation tool but in a lot of cases it does allow best of software to be used for different solutions with one set of hardware. I used to use Windows for some situations (Windows Home Server) but found better tools for other uses (Linux for SABnzb etc).

Unfortuantely my AC Ryan HD2s plug is broken with the pins (two pin plug) pushing in to the body of the plug. As AC Ryan has now gone bust internationally with just a small presence in SG remaining I did hope to get a replacements but unfortunately that have so far not responded to my request on how to get a replacement. I may end up getting a laptop replacement power brick but need to confirm the HD2s power requirements.

RB

Well, I'm in the Apple ecosystem pretty heavily for a particular reason... I'd be a little bit more removed if various circumstances changed.

That said, I did love OS X long before I found myself in this situation. I've played with Linux on and off since I was a teen installing Slackware 3.x off floppies. I always loved it, but hated I couldn't fully divorce Windows as my primary GUI (despite trying at least a dozen times; back then things like non-working sound or CD Burning killed it). My friend worked for an ISP and had a NeXT Turbo Color, and I enjoyed that as a UNIX with a (slightly) better GUI than x11. Right around the time OS X 10.0 Beta came out, a friend who worked at a CompUSA (big US chain store at the time) was able to get me a refurbed iMac w/FW (I think generation after the original?) for next to nothing, so I bought it to play with OS X. I fell in love with it immediately as a UNIX with a usable GUI. Once the Powerbook G4s came out, I've always had an Apple laptop as my personal laptop (usually with a Windows desktop for games/whatever on the side).

Back then I was more in a general SE type role, so I did keep a wide variety of 'stuff'. Now I focus on IT Security, and have a lab at work where I can play with anything to my heart's desire, so both of those factors leave less of a need to keep such things going at home.

All of the other Apple peripherals is mostly due to heavy discounts, needing an iPhone for work (various work apps), Android tablets sucking, and things "just working". The only thing I'd change if I had the chance is not getting an Airport Extreme (although it was the best at the time I bought it three years ago) and getting one of these:
http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/RTN66U/

Once I have a real ISP I'll probably make the switch anyway.

[v4jr4]

Seeing the server-wise setup, I can only sit around the corner. So far, I'm only a data-oriented guy:
- Laptop (Compaq) with XP
- Starhub router
- 3 external HD, due to a lot of files that I gather, which sometimes, for no specific reason, like CR2 files

[RimBlock]

All of the other Apple peripherals is mostly due to heavy discounts, needing an iPhone for work (various work apps), Android tablets sucking, and things "just working". The only thing I'd change if I had the chance is not getting an Airport Extreme (although it was the best at the time I bought it three years ago) and getting one of these:
http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/RTN66U/

Once I have a real ISP I'll probably make the switch anyway.

Having the resources at work can be very handy especially if you have an interest in the technology. I had great 'fun' setting up two virtual servers in two virtual data centers to confirm various applications, machine configurations for someones Prod / BCM solution all on a single vSphere host. PFSense was handy as virtual routers between the separate subnets. Saved me having to start from scratch when one of the servers software stacks was incorrect as I could just roll back to the previous snapshot taken after the previous stage was completed and verified. As the 'from clean' software stack build was taking 4 hours following the playbook I was building for them it made a massive difference although getting the routing working correctly was not so much fun .

The router looks fairly good. I do laugh at the 300,000 session capability though... Doing the investigations in to WiFi mesh, I know HP recommends 50-60 clients per radio in a wireless access point. Whilst possibly true, the figure is pretty meaningless in reality but I guess with the competition so tight and most products very close to each other, any little helps . I have a Linksys WRT610N which I use at home to separate my two subnets at home and it works fine. The Pace router supplied by Singtel is also fine for my fiber connection. I used to have a Belkin with the screen and that looked good but really used to overheat. It was in the storeroom though .

RB

[zzm9980]

I do laugh at the 300,000 session capability though... Doing the investigations in to WiFi mesh, I know HP recommends 50-60 clients per radio in a wireless access point. Whilst possibly true, the figure is pretty meaningless in reality but I guess with the competition so tight and most products very close to each other, any little helps . I have a Linksys WRT610N which I use at home to separate my two subnets at home and it works fine. The Pace router supplied by Singtel is also fine for my fiber connection. I used to have a Belkin with the screen and that looked good but really used to overheat. It was in the storeroom though .

RB

Pretty sure they mean TCP Sessions in its state-table, that's all. Not layer2 wireless clients One moderately busy bit torrent client can easily consume tens of thousands of sessions in the state table, and this was a common weak link/breaking point on older and cheaper consumer grade routers.

[RimBlock]

Seeing the server-wise setup, I can only sit around the corner. So far, I'm only a data-oriented guy:
- Laptop (Compaq) with XP
- Starhub router
- 3 external HD, due to a lot of files that I gather, which sometimes, for no specific reason, like CR2 files

Haha, nothing wrong with CR2s. I still have a stack from when I had my Canon 5D. Great format if you want to do adjustments without loss. Quite space intensive though.

RB

[RimBlock]

Pretty sure they mean TCP Sessions in its state-table, that's all. Not layer2 wireless clients One moderately busy bit torrent client can easily consume tens of thousands of sessions in the state table, and this was a common weak link/breaking point on older and cheaper consumer grade routers.

Sure, it was more the 50 clients filling up to 300,000 sessions between them. Of course if they are all running bit torrent, as you say ........

I tend to stay away from Torrents these days. What with Demoniod down, even safe havens are not so safe for grabbing those Linux ISOs anymore. The news servers are still decent from grabbing those high res NASA images though (and dont take up nearly as many sessions ).

RB

[taxico]

i own an upgraded HP 2570p i just finished putting together for use with adobe CS6 (mostly indesign) + win7 pro. i'm quite pleased with it as it's my first time tinkering with a user-upgradable laptop.

it has 2 internal drives (180gb SATA-3 SSD in the upgrade bay and a 750gb main HDD), 8gb RAM, an upgraded CPU (i7-3520m - upgraded from i5), and i attached a 23" viewsonic flat screen to its external GPU (GTX-460).

my previous laptop was a stock HP 2560p (vista ult) which was soon taken over by my wife as her personal laptop died. her work laptop is a dell vostro 3300 (her choice) running w7 business.

my just-retired laptop is an HP nc2400 (vista biz) with one of those 1.8" 80GB HDD and ULV processor - sips battery and really good to travel with although it runs hot when multi-tasking.

i've got another nc2400 running XP Pro that now streams music and news in my kitchen... i owned it before the vista version - different processor and hard disk capacity but the same 4gb of RAM. also runs hot.

i use a 3G connection when i'm out, and 1mbps (yes ONE mbps) internet that comes gratis with my cable set-top box at home. it's the older hubstation that comes with a usb input/output (no clue what it's for and i charge stuff with it) connected to a d-link bgn wifi router (high gain antenna x 2) running in wireless AP mode.

my new laptop has no encryption (yet), but all my previous laptops are fully encrypted using various free software due to the amount of confidential notes and data i have.

i don't like desktops but i have a desktop computer, connected via s-video to my TV, that i use mostly to playback video files from portable drives that my wife downloads, often tv series with hunks, vampires and bad guys (usually one and the same) like grimm.

[synack]

Geeks unite! I haven't been here long enough to convert the store room into a server farm, but not to be left out, here's an anecdote.

I was wearing my Ubuntu tee last night and as I was queuing to get out of the plane, the lady in front of me said "nice shirt". Totally priceless :-)

[x9200]

That said, I did love OS X long before I found myself in this situation. I've played with Linux on and off since I was a teen installing Slackware 3.x off floppies. I always loved it, but hated I couldn't fully divorce Windows as my primary GUI (despite trying at least a dozen times; back then things like non-working sound or CD Burning killed it). My friend worked for an ISP and had a NeXT Turbo Color, and I enjoyed that as a UNIX with a (slightly) better GUI than x11. Right around the time OS X 10.0 Beta came out, a friend who worked at a CompUSA (big US chain store at the time) was able to get me a refurbed iMac w/FW (I think generation after the original?) for next to nothing, so I bought it to play with OS X. I fell in love with it immediately as a UNIX with a usable GUI. Once the Powerbook G4s came out, I've always had an Apple laptop as my personal laptop (usually with a Windows desktop for games/whatever on the side).

When I got my MacAir I was not familiar with OS X and immediately installed Ubuntu alongside with OS X. Everything was pretty functional but after playing with OSX for a while, installing macports and majority of my favorite linux apps etc. I concluded that I could live with it alone, so Ubuntu got transferred to a virtual machine and kicked out from physical partition. Now, after a good half year or so I am more and more thinking to go back to a linux distribution. In short, I found the OSX GUI buggy and not possible (difficult?) to customize. For me the only more practical advantage of OS X at this point over a Linux is of its commercial software support but this I can get running it inside a virtual box. Another thing I like is the multigestures control. I was never GUI oriented but even if I were I really don't see here any advantage of OSX over any modern Linux distribution. The later have it all (with some minor exceptions) and much more to offer.

[x9200]

I have a Linksys WRT610N which I use at home to separate my two subnets at home and it works fine. The Pace router supplied by Singtel is also fine for my fiber connection. I used to have a Belkin with the screen and that looked good but really used to overheat. It was in the storeroom though .

Have you ever thought of building an 'eco', fully functional (minus virtualization in your case server around one of these mikrotik router boards? They seems to offer a lot and are highly customizable. I was close at one point going after one but had no time than to learn more about it and I needed a quick solution as my old WRT54G was clearly dying.

[zzm9980]

That said, I did love OS X long before I found myself in this situation. I've played with Linux on and off since I was a teen installing Slackware 3.x off floppies. I always loved it, but hated I couldn't fully divorce Windows as my primary GUI (despite trying at least a dozen times; back then things like non-working sound or CD Burning killed it). My friend worked for an ISP and had a NeXT Turbo Color, and I enjoyed that as a UNIX with a (slightly) better GUI than x11. Right around the time OS X 10.0 Beta came out, a friend who worked at a CompUSA (big US chain store at the time) was able to get me a refurbed iMac w/FW (I think generation after the original?) for next to nothing, so I bought it to play with OS X. I fell in love with it immediately as a UNIX with a usable GUI. Once the Powerbook G4s came out, I've always had an Apple laptop as my personal laptop (usually with a Windows desktop for games/whatever on the side).

When I got my MacAir I was not familiar with OS X and immediately installed Ubuntu alongside with OS X. Everything was pretty functional but after playing with OSX for a while, installing macports and majority of my favorite linux apps etc. I concluded that I could live with it alone, so Ubuntu got transferred to a virtual machine and kicked out from physical partition. Now, after a good half year or so I am more and more thinking to go back to a linux distribution. In short, I found the OSX GUI buggy and not possible (difficult?) to customize. For me the only more practical advantage of OS X at this point over a Linux is of its commercial software support but this I can get running it inside a virtual box. Another thing I like is the multigestures control. I was never GUI oriented but even if I were I really don't see here any advantage of OSX over any modern Linux distribution. The later have it all (with some minor exceptions) and much more to offer.

See for me, I just need various command line tools along with a working web browser. I'm guessing at this point X has caught up and Chrome and Firefox under X work well enough. But for quite a few years in the mid 00s, OS X could give me what I wanted and Linux could not. At this point, I wouldn't want to give up OS X power management and gestures for Linux. Plus, I'm not big on desktop customization

[x9200]

See for me, I just need various command line tools along with a working web browser. I'm guessing at this point X has caught up and Chrome and Firefox under X work well enough. But for quite a few years in the mid 00s, OS X could give me what I wanted and Linux could not. At this point, I wouldn't want to give up OS X power management and gestures for Linux. Plus, I'm not big on desktop customization

But you emphasized on GUI. What the web browsers and command line stuff have to do with the GUI?

[RimBlock]

Have you ever thought of building an 'eco', fully functional (minus virtualization in your case server around one of these mikrotik router boards? They seems to offer a lot and are highly customizable. I was close at one point going after one but had no time than to learn more about it and I needed a quick solution as my old WRT54G was clearly dying.

I have not come across them before buit I have been recenty playing with some of the new Atom boards. One unit that does look good though is the Intel D2500CCE which is an Intel Atom board but has dual lan. This makes it perfect for routers, firewalls etc. At around S$130 they are also not bad price wise. I have a number coming in for someone and will be playing around with some spares and PFSense and Astrix (PABX software). These would be perfect to partner with the Antek ISK 100-150 tiny mITX cases with a Pico PSU included but after distribution moved from Corbell to Convergent, it seems it is unlikely to be brought in to Singapore any more. Minibox also do a decent case and offer OEM services but they have failed to respond to any emails I have sent them. Supermicro do fairly cheap 1U mITX cases which would fit in a network cabinet. A switch, patch panel, one of these mITX router / firewalls and a network cabinet and you have an all in one solution for a branch office or small company.

Another item I have seen which looks interesting is a 1U chassis that has two modules (left and right) which can house a mITX board, PSU etc each so you could put in two mITX systems in a 1U space and the units can pull out independantly. It is built to mirror the Blade type setup but with only two units and no shared resource. Seems like a good idea but have not moved to get samples or work out costings / solutions.

Server wise, Intel do a mITX workstation board. The S1200KP uses the C206 chipset, takes GXXX, i3 or E3 Xeon processors and supports both standard and unbuffered ECC ram. Great for a mITX vSphere unit. It has one PCIe x16 slot and dual lan. They tend to be special order and not the cheapest board around but they are server grade and cheaper than the Supermicro mITX boards which use mobile Sandy Bridge processors. The only downside is that Intel, in its infinate wisdom, decided to disable VT-d (IO Passthrough for virtulisation) in the BIOS which means you cannot pass any PCIe cards or motherboard components directly to a virtual machine so it can control it exclusively using native OS drivers. If it was not for the VT-d, this would make a perfect vSphere (ESXi) virtualisation server / lab machine. I will be finishing up my article for Patrick at ServeTheHome I have been asked to write on mini-ESXi builds in the next few weeks if anyone has an interest.

If there are any other areas / items people are interested in knowing more about then let me know and I may be in a position to be able to help (information wise) or have a fair idea where others may have already answered.

I am looking at putting together the CentOS / RHEL basic SAN setup guide, will do one on Wifi Meshing if something I am working on for someone works out and will also be doing a series of guides on CentOS with basic install and update, Java install, Postres install, Postgis install, Setup and mounting of separate drive / array and subsequent install of MySQL to it (not as simple as some may think with SeLinux), master / master replication between two MySQL databases on different servers, Install of Gisgraphy (Geo location software), Tomcat installation, links to the NSA guides on securing RHEL best practices.

The problem I found when building this software stack for someone was that the guides I came across are either inaccurate (missing steps) or incorrect (due to typos or requirements moving on with newer software versions released). I therefore built my own 'playbook' (go here, run this command, go here, change this file etc) and will chop it up for others to use as a reference.

Oh and on the server rack front, I got some quotes from the big manufacturers in China on their offerings and in units of 25, a 42U could be had for around S$750 including shipping (compared to a minimum of S$1.4k locally). I know people are alwatys complaining about quality from China but a 100% premium for a local rack seems excessive. Even getting some in and having them locally welded would be cheaper.

RB