Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Server for home network

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Server for home network

    The accident with the water and board has reminded me about something I wanted to ask lately...

    I'll probably build a server/firewall (running some form of free *nix) serving 3 computers in the home network, giving them (normal wired Ethernet) Internet acces that goes through not very fast WiFi link (256/384/512 kbps, something like that; yes, local network between machines is wired, but the link to the world will be wireless), using PCI WiFi card based on Prism2,5. I don't expect that my dillema, which I'll describe below, will have any inpact on network throughput, but perhaps on latency? Oh, and server/firewall will act also as the main machine on which p2p apps are running, probably most of the time. I can imagine also simple http hosting for my private needs or ircbot etc., so nothing serious/bandwith and usage heavy so it's irrelevant.

    It'll be built mostly from spare parts I have lying around...one of questions is should I go dual or single cpu. But that really means this choice: should I go with
    a) Asus Intel LX board (p2l97-ds) with two p2 266MHz
    b) Microstar K7T Turbo2 (Via KT133A) with cheapest, used, Socket A cpu I'll find (so probably Duron 600)
    The other important thing is that not all of my SDRAM sticks work in Asus board. So:
    a) will have 128MB of RAM
    b) will have 384...
    But I'm not sure it's relevant...if the tasks I described in the beginning won't exceed 128MB (yes, server only, console only, not even gfx card from some point...) than it should be irrelevant?
    Duron600 would be the bets choice probably...(OTOH...Via - yuck; still OTOH - with dual I'm practically limited to Linux and perhaps FreeBSD, right?) right?

    I also wonder about networking cards, how should I swap them. Ignoring 2 (they're not mine ) of the 3 workstations, I have 2 computers: workstation and the server, and also somehow 3 NICs to distribute amonf them. One is integrated in the desktop SiS900 (SiS746FX chipset), one is newest 3com905C model and one is typical recent realtek. I guess 3com in server and onboard in desktop would be optimal? Or perhaps it's not that important in server when it comes to realtek vs. 3com and it would be best to use 3com in desktop, giving it somehow reduced cpu utilisation?

  • #2
    Just noticed that I have only 256MB of RAM...but that doesn't change anything probably. (and why di I have a feeling this will be at most log of build process? )

    Comment


    • #3
      I'd say KT133 will outperform dual PIIIs with even lowish CPU. The only drawback is if you plan any fancy IO cards on VIA Chipset.

      Start with whatever you have, then upgrade incrementally to what you want to have.

      If you plan this to sometime in the future become fileserver, consider your upgrade path to SATA motherboard (2 or 4 drive cards are expensive compared to motherboard). Personally I'd resell KT133A board and dual PIIs for something like Abit NF7-S and lowish SocketA CPU (they might cover board and small part of CPU). Then Sell 256MB of PC133 and get 512MB of DDR for same price.

      Also screw console, VNC/RDestkop is the way to go.
      Last edited by UtwigMU; 24 October 2005, 00:52.

      Comment

      Working...
      X