Low power low end cheap server

[Giles Orr]

On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:29 AM, Lennart Sorensen
<lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 09:57:29PM -0400, Giles Orr wrote:
>> I want to set up a computer for file storage, accessible via VPN.  I
>> want it to consume very little power (I'm going to have it running
>> always-on and at home), and it doesn't need much horsepower or memory
>> but does need file space.  I thought initially I would use a DecTOP
>> (https://store.dataevolution.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DT-7001)
>> but it has no ethernet, a 10GB HD, only 128Mb memory (I know I said it
>> didn't need much memory, but that's _very_ low), and USB 1.1.  By the
>> time you put in a new HD and remedy the ethernet, HD, and possibly the
>> RAM issues you might as well have started with a more expensive base.
>> mini-itx looks good, but seems hard to buy and build a full system in
>> Canada - especially cheaply.
>
> Well something like this might be close to what you want:
> http://www.goodcleantech.com/2008/02/build_your_own_ultralowpower_p.php
> With a harddrive it uses about 23W full out, and about 12W idle
> apparantly, and it has 100Mbit ethernet, VGA, etc.  No SATA, only IDE
> unfortunately.  It also has a power brick.  The price seems about right
> for what you wanted too.

I like the look of that system, but it requires a laptop hard drive -
not only are they more expensive, but they don't come up to the kind
of capacity I was hoping for.  But it is a lovely system.

The router idea isn't a bad one at all either - I'll consider that.

For the moment I think the best thing would be to set up one of my
existing spare computers and see if A) I can build the kind of system
I want with Linux and get it working properly, and B) see if it
actually gets used as I'd intended.  If these things happen, then
maybe I'll consider putting money into it (should have thought of that
first ...).

Thanks Richard and Len.

-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
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