Recommendation for cheap reliable pfSense platform with 3+ Ethernet?

jimp

There are Atom boards with no moving parts that only draw ~30-40w. Still hard to beat. :-)

jonnytabpni

What we really need is something like an ALIX board with a couple more interfaces.

Speaking with the guy who made these boards, it isn't possible to add more NICs to the current design :(

jimp

You can get a Soekris board that takes a multi-nic addon board, though I wouldn't want to run that many interfaces through a Geode CPU.

valnar

@jimp:

There are Atom boards with no moving parts that only draw ~30-40w. Still hard to beat. :-)

True, but most of us just need 2x or 3x more speed than an ALIX. So 2-3x more power (under 20w) would be nice. :)

jimp

There are plenty of boards out there with ~1GHz Via CPUs. Not sure of the price offhand but they fit that general profile, between ALIX and Atom.

Though given the relatively small difference between that and the atom and the vastly better performance of the atom, it's worth the couple extra bucks.

dreamslacker

Your FitPC would handle the bandwidth just fine. Why not get a Microtik RB250GS switch that supports VLANs? It's cheap - ~US$50 street, less online. Not to mention, you can reuse it in future for 'multiplying' physical ports on other setups so you have the option of using a single NIC low power mobo which is far more abundant on the market.

jasonlitka

@jimp:

There are Atom boards with no moving parts that only draw ~30-40w. Still hard to beat. :-)

You can do better than that with an Atom. I had a few 330 systems that would idle at 24W and jump to 26W when running hard. A single core 230 or one of the newer chips would probably shave a few watts off. A lot of that has to do with the efficient power supply.

More Info:
http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,14050.msg77639.html#msg77639

What I'd really like to see is something that sits between the Alix and Atom on power consumption but is closer to the Alix's size. Something that can idle around 6-10W (my Alix at home sits around 2-3W) that is capable of maxing out 100Mbit/s symmetric would be perfect. The C7 is pretty close to that but the boards with multiple NICs are all Mini-ITX and end up WAY larger than an Alix system.

Aziz

I've just setup PFSense on a Jetway JNC9C MiniITX motherboards (passive cooling) with 5 NICs (2xRealtek, 3xIntel). Working very well so far.

HiTekRedNek

LogicSupply has some great low power stuff. Great customer service and tech's that will custom make your stuff. Many are using the jetway MB's with the optional daughterboard where you can buy a multi-homed NIC. I went with the intel NIC AD3INLAN-G

http://www.logicsupply.com/industries/firewall_networking

Bai Shen

How are you getting multiple nics on the Atoms? That's the problem I've been having with all of the setups. I need at least 4 nics.

mrbostn

I'm using both the VIA and the Atom with from Jetway with the addon 3 intel nic card. They both work great.

Bai Shen

Do you have any links? Thanks.

mrbostn

two installs are using this mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813153065&cm_re=jetway--13-153-065--Product

One install is using this mobo http://www.logicsupply.com/products/nf92_270_lf

Both mobos are using this module http://www.logicsupply.com/products/ad3inlang

Bai Shen

Cool, thanks.

mlindman

Would this do what you're needing?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16859324010

Atom with 4 realtek nics

Bai Shen

If you're referring to me, it would, except for two things. I don't need a rack mount solution and I'd prefer to use Intel NICs.

Thanks, though.

Seth

Take a look at this solution. ALIX size. Two Mini PCI. SATA/IDE support. Only down side are the NICs:
http://www.openvox.cn/products/show.php?itemid=161&lang=2
I like the higher end board. More CPU and Mem

And enclosure from:
http://www.alix-board.de/produkte/case-nrg-systems-e.html
http://shop.varia-store.com/index.php?cat=c111_Indoor-enclosure.html

When my ALIX fails or I need more horse power. But I do like the the 1u box from Habey mentioned above.
–Seth

rancor

@Bai:

If you're referring to me, it would, except for two things. I don't need a rack mount solution and I'd prefer to use Intel NICs.

Thanks, though.

I liked that one =)

I will soon got this toy to play with: http://www.applianceshop.eu/index.php/firewalls/opnsense/opnsense-pfsense-dualghz-19-appliance.html and It's going to be fun to see how much it will deliver.

// rancor

jasonlitka

@Seth:

Take a look at this solution. ALIX size. Two Mini PCI. SATA/IDE support. Only down side are the NICs:
http://www.openvox.cn/products/show.php?itemid=161&lang=2
I like the higher end board. More CPU and Mem

The pricing stinks but I like the look of the product. I'd be a little worried about buying one now though since the Z5xx Atoms are getting pretty old. I'd expect that they'll either discontinue the product if it turns out to be a slow seller or update it to the Z6xx chips in the near future.

@rancor:

I will soon got this toy to play with: http://www.applianceshop.eu/index.php/firewalls/opnsense/opnsense-pfsense-dualghz-19-appliance.html and It's going to be fun to see how much it will deliver.

That is awful expensive for what it is. I put something very similar together the beginning of 2009 with a couple Jetway Atom 330 boards with quad Realtek Gig-E NICs and I came in around $800 if memory serves.

jasonlitka

@jasonlitka:

I'd be a little worried about buying one now though since the Z5xx Atoms are getting pretty old. I'd expect that they'll either discontinue the product if it turns out to be a slow seller or update it to the Z6xx chips in the near future.

… and to reinforce my point, the soon-to-be-released Soekris 6501 uses the E600-series Atom w/ (4) Intel Gig-E controllers.