[CentOS] Router for SOHO network - hardware considerations

[John Hodrien]

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010, Robert Heller wrote:

> One *simple* option would be to get a "small" IDE (I assume the existing
> router machine is IDE based) SSD (or a 32G Compact Flash card +
> IDE adaptor -- see eBay) and replace the IDE hard drive with this and
> pull out the case fan (or just unplug its power connector).  Remove its
> keyboard / mouse / monitor.  Much of the noise and power use is the disk
> drive and fan (for the disk drive).

Really?  Even a meaty 3.5" drive will be less than 10W, and you're between 4
and 5 for a low power unit.  Something like a 1Tb Samsung Ecogreen is around
4.3W.  The CPU in the system is going to draw a whole lot more than that.  But
face it, if it's just acting as a router, it can completely spin that down
after boot anyway.

CPU and motherboard contribute a fair whack to the power consumption.

I've no specific recommendations, but clearly something like the following
gets you close.

http://www.simtec.co.uk/products/EB2410ITX/

Get the gold board and you've got twin 10/100Mbit network, 128Mbyte RAM,
various ways of connecting extra storage, and a 2.3W maximum power draw.

That compares rather well with the old Pentium 4 you're likely to have
knocking round which draws about 70W typically just for the CPU...

jh