Linksys NSLU2, anyone?

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Apr 17, 2007 at 03:58:08PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
> | From: Christopher Browne <cbbrowne-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>
> 
> | I have one running, erm, ... I think "unslung."
> | 
> | Apparently Debian has gotten more pleasant on it than it was when I
> | last played with it.
> 
> I bought (but have not used) a Linksys WRTSL54GS.  Would this be
> better for your application?  It includes a wireless router, a switch,
> and one USB 2.0 port for mass storage.
> 
> Supported by OpenWRT, but I just read an unverified message that said
> that the USB2.0 support might be broken, forcing USB1.1 speeds.
> See message 178 here:
> http://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=3529&p=8

I thought OpenWRT only ran on the early revisions of the 54GS.  Is the
WRTSL different than the WRT perhaps?  Is it similar to the WRT54GL in
being a linux version again?

> Slightly cheaper than the NSLU2 at Best Buy ($149.99).
> $117.59 at Canada Computers.
> http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=009794
> $115 and Infonec
> http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=16509
> 
> But wait!  Canada Computers lists them for $88.19, with only two in
> stock (one in Richmond Hill, one in Scarborough):
> http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=004999&cid=990
> I once had them ship something between their stores.  No charge, but
> it took a few days.
> 
> According to http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware:
> 
> NSLU2 is based on a 266MHz Intel IXP 422 [ARM], has 8M flash, 32M RAM, 2 USB
> 2.0 ports, not currently/yet supported by OpenWRT.
> 
> WRTSL54GS is based on 266MHz Broadcom 4704 [MIPS 32, I think], has 8M
> flash, 32M RAM, 1 USB 2.0 port, and is supported by OpenWRT.

I think out of those two, the NSLU2 has the better hardware.  And having
debian support counts for a lot.  Of course the NSLU doesn't do
wireless, which I guess matters to some people.  I tend to believe
broadcom hardware is to be avoided, given the hassle they have given me
so far.  Would be nice with more ram of course, but oh well.  Of course
some people have modified their NSLU2 to have 64 or 128MB ram by
replacing the ram chips on the board and telling APEX to enable more
ram.

> I like the idea of hacking on these little, cheap, low power boxes.  I
> just haven't gotten around to it.  One might choose between these
> boxes based upon which community is better suited to ones interests.
> I chose the WRTSL54GS because I thought that more kinds of connection
> meant more ways of using it.  Oh, and I do want to hack on a router
> and I thought USB might make that easier.  Final reason: a good price
> at Tiger Direct (turned out to be a price error).

Does soldering bits in the unit count as your kind of hacking?

> Who else in TLUG is interested in hacking on consumer-targetted
> routers?  The best deal right now is probably the Motorola WR850G,
> refurb, for $22 or $23 (4M flash, 16M RAM, OpenWRT support).

--
Len Sorensen
--
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