Hardware for small business

Derelict · Mar 13, 2018, 10:06 AM

A tight budget should consider the long-term cost of the power bill (firewalls generally run 24x7) vs the up-front cost of the hardware.

oxhey · Mar 13, 2018, 10:07 AM

@johnkeates:

If you're gonna get one for business use, get a single vendor source. Check netgate, or if you are not afraid for asian vendors, qotom and minisys.
Other options are business desktop PC's, small servers and perhaps used pre-existing rack mounted network gear that had some other software on it (but you'd luck out on the hardware support right away).

I agree that a netgate one would be good for business use and I will present that as an option to management.

We have 2 internet connections so may end up using both a custom solution and netgate one.

Derelict · Mar 13, 2018, 10:08 AM

pfSense can wrangle two internet connections on one node.

oxhey · Mar 13, 2018, 10:09 AM

@Derelict:

A tight budget should consider the long-term cost of the power bill (firewalls generally run 24x7) vs the up-front cost of the hardware.

I will update the list with the G4560T, but by tight budget I meant only for this project.

You know how it is with management that think of this as an afterthought :)

Derelict · Mar 13, 2018, 10:10 AM

I have generally found that management likes when suggestions are made that cost them less money over, say, three to five years.

oxhey · Mar 13, 2018, 10:11 AM

@Derelict:

pfSense can wrangle two internet connections on one node.

Im aware of this :) , but the connections are on opposite sides of the building (because of course they).

We have our main Virgin Media connection which I intend to use my build for and we have a backup slow sky broadband connection which we will probably end up using a netgate system with.

oxhey · Mar 13, 2018, 10:12 AM

@Derelict:

I have generally found that management likes when suggestions are made that cost them less money over, say, three to five years.

Noted! :)

Derelict · Mar 13, 2018, 10:13 AM

Nothing some ethernet can't fix.

If you have two routers you have to overcome the inevitable asymmetric routing issues.

But it sounds like you know exactly what you need to do. I'm out.

jahonix · Mar 13, 2018, 11:37 AM

@oxhey:

but the connections are on opposite sides of the building

And that's an excuse for what? Not running a single system with WAN failover/load-balaning or for being lazy and not pulling a cable (copper or fiber)?

oxhey · Mar 13, 2018, 2:13 PM

@jahonix:

@oxhey:

but the connections are on opposite sides of the building

And that's an excuse for what? Not running a single system with WAN failover/load-balaning or for being lazy and not pulling a cable (copper or fiber)?

Its really no excuse, but Id rather not over complicate this.

I dont want to be making holes in walls to pass pass cables through.

I think one pfsense box per connection is fine.

VAMike · Mar 16, 2018, 11:17 AM

@oxhey:

@jahonix:

CPU: TDP 54 W
That thing burns 54 Watts with only two (physical) cores. Nice heating and not really the top pick in 2018.

That doesn't bother me that much as there is a tight budget for this.

I guess at some point we could always upgrade to a G4560T which only has a TDP of 35 W.

The TDP is irrelevant unless you're building something that's cooling constrained. All the TDP number means is "you need to be able to dissipate this much heat". It does not mean "it uses this much power all the time" even though some people act like it does. At idle both CPUs will draw about the same (close to nothing). The main difference is that you pay more for a T series CPU that's throttled to prevent it from getting too hot. What does this mean? If you need more CPU when you're under load, the non-T can give it to you and the T can't. Don't get the T series, you don't need it.

oxhey · Mar 17, 2018, 3:21 PM

@VAMike:

@oxhey:

@jahonix:

CPU: TDP 54 W
That thing burns 54 Watts with only two (physical) cores. Nice heating and not really the top pick in 2018.

That doesn't bother me that much as there is a tight budget for this.

I guess at some point we could always upgrade to a G4560T which only has a TDP of 35 W.

The TDP is irrelevant unless you're building something that's cooling constrained. All the TDP number means is "you need to be able to dissipate this much heat". It does not mean "it uses this much power all the time" even though some people act like it does. At idle both CPUs will draw about the same (close to nothing). The main difference is that you pay more for a T series CPU that's throttled to prevent it from getting too hot. What does this mean? If you need more CPU when you're under load, the non-T can give it to you and the T can't. Don't get the T series, you don't need it.

I agree :)