Hardware for TF2 Server

thezfunk

I debated whether or not to post in the games section but this is dealing with hardware so I put it here. If it needs to be moved…do so.

I have a PII 350 running pfsense...embedded. I finally have a TF2 server working through it (static outbound NAT on the LAN). Should this machine be able to handle 24 players?

jahonix

How much bandwidth are you going to push through the unit is the important factor.
And what kind of bus with which NICs?

thezfunk

It's on old BX board. I am using a 3com 590tx as the LAN on the PCI bus.

As a side note…does pfsense support VIA padlock hardware encryption i.e. openvpn...wait a search has told me that it will work.

Then...does pfsense support usb wireless cards?

oh and my connection is 15mb down with 1mb up.

Accounts

With only 1mb upload you will want to limit to 8 players. You'd want about 3 megs for 24 players.

GruensFroeschli

Somehow i dont believe you need 128 kbit/user.
I know that the mods on the HL1-engine (like TF1, CS, etc.) used about ~45 kbit/user, and somethow i dont think Valve more than doubled the communication payload ^^"

jahonix

@thezfunk:

…PII 350...
oh and my connection is 15mb down with 1mb up.

That's challenging.
There was a speed test on the retired Soekris boxes with 233MHz CPUs. They were maxing out at 16MB and IPsec was only 3MB IIRC.
For game play I wouldn't want a router that's running on the edge. Personally I would use some beefier old hardware. But I don't play and don't plan to. ;D

But I think you have the hardware already, so why don't you just check it out and post the results here?

@thezfunk:

Then…does pfsense support usb wireless cards?

AFAIK not.
Look on the Hardware compatibility list.

thezfunk

@jahonix:

@thezfunk:

…PII 350...
oh and my connection is 15mb down with 1mb up.

That's challenging.
There was a speed test on the retired Soekris boxes with 233MHz CPUs. They were maxing out at 16MB and IPsec was only 3MB IIRC.
For game play I wouldn't want a router that's running on the edge. Personally I would use some beefier old hardware. But I don't play and don't plan to. ;D

But I think you have the hardware already, so why don't you just check it out and post the results here?

@thezfunk:

Then…does pfsense support usb wireless cards?

AFAIK not.
Look on the Hardware compatibility list.

I will be getting this: http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4842001#

That should do the trick.

Ok…I see about the USB wireless cards...but what about USB NIC cards...it looks like they are supported and then I can just plug a WRT into that?

jahonix

@thezfunk:

…but what about USB NIC cards...it looks like they are supported and then I can just plug a WRT into that?

Why do you want to do that? USB-NICs aren't likely to work well with BSD if at all.
You got 2 PCI slots in that board. Put some NICs in there, probably a dual or quad NIC and you're done.

And check the hardware compatibility with the onboard NIC: LAN: VIA VT6103L PHY 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
If that's not supported you better forget about that board!

thezfunk

The reasoning behind it is I need four interfaces. WAN, LAN, DMZ, and Wireless. I can get three on that board to include the onboard NIC. There are good dual NIC cards?

GruensFroeschli

Intels !
If you have the money get Server-class NIC's that reduce CPU usage further.

jahonix

This one is Intel based and is not PCI-X:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250186740434 DIGITAL/Compaq/H-P DE504 QUAD 10/100 Ethernet PCI NIC

Or just search for "PRO/100 S Dual" on eBay.
Here's a great one:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270181793781 Intel Netzwerk Adapter PRO/100 S Dual Port 22P4909

Use one quad or two dual NICs.

thezfunk

@jahonix:

This one is Intel based and is not PCI-X:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250186740434 DIGITAL/Compaq/H-P DE504 QUAD 10/100 Ethernet PCI NIC

Or just search for "PRO/100 S Dual" on eBay.
Here's a great one:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270181793781 Intel Netzwerk Adapter PRO/100 S Dual Port 22P4909

Use one quad or two dual NICs.

How aboot: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230191399806&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

razor2000

@thezfunk:

@jahonix:

This one is Intel based and is not PCI-X:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250186740434 DIGITAL/Compaq/H-P DE504 QUAD 10/100 Ethernet PCI NIC

Or just search for "PRO/100 S Dual" on eBay.
Here's a great one:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270181793781 Intel Netzwerk Adapter PRO/100 S Dual Port 22P4909

Use one quad or two dual NICs.

How aboot: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230191399806&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

Those parts you listed work grea as I use them all the time in my pfsense builds. I have even bought from the seller in that ebay auction. He lots of those that he has sold before and all have been flawless.

thezfunk

There wouldn't be any throughput differences between the dual and quad? Each controller seems to have it's own chip. If I remember correctly from my microcontrollers class…the PCI bus is parallel so those multiple NIC cards just have parallel controllers, correct? It would be the same as just having a second card plugged into the board? I did notice some people on the m0n0wall forums saying they use these cards. I am guessing if something works on m0n0wall it will always work on pfsense. Considering m0n0wall development seems behind pfsense development.

jahonix

@razor2000:

Those parts you listed work grea as I use them all the time in my pfsense builds.

Actually, these are exactly what I use. I just didn't find them when searching on eBay.

thezfunk

Thought I would respond here so everyone know how the hardware choice has worked out. That 60 dollar VIA board is working great with those two dual Intel NICS I got off of Ebay. It's quite the nasty low power pfsense build. Used the embedded version on a SD card. I would recommend this configuration, heartily.