[ale] Server Hardware

[George L. Allen]

Another vendor, linux based wifi: http://www.xirrus.com/

Their APs have 4, 8, or 16 separate radios per unit depending on model to provide more bandwidth. Sounded pretty cool: http://www.xirrus.com/products/arrays.php

I wanted to use them for a few things where I work, but we're not allowed to use wireless *anything* right now with current regs.


On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 06:01:24PM -0400, Jim Kinney wrote:
> 
> Hi Jimmy!
> 
> User access will only be issue #2. Issue #1 will be bandwidth. Or more
> correctly, lack. Better plan on multiple (10-30+) access points. The
> suggestions of coova are very valid. Placement becomes a challenge with a large
> number of WAPs installed as well. They must be close enough to the use points
> but far enough apart that the connection doesn't flip-flop is the user shifts
> in their chair all while being close enough to have good signal everywhere.
> Signal strength is a big factor in user bandwidth. Sharing a 10 Mb pipe with 20
> people surfing youtube would painfully slow.
> 
> 2008/9/21 jimmy halbert <jimmy_halbert at yahoo.com>
> 
>     I am looking for a open source wireless networking solution. I have an
>     organization that is going to have 450 wireless users of which half of these
>     users will be online at a time. I am looking for a solution to control the
>     access points, and provide some measure of security. Any suggested would be
>     helpful. I have looked at Aruba,Foundry and IronPoint...all of these solutions
>     are way out of budget.
> 
>     --- On Fri, 9/5/08, hbbs at comcast.net <hbbs at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>         From: hbbs at comcast.net <hbbs at comcast.net>
>         Subject: [ale] Server Hardware
>         To: ale at ale.org
>         Date: Friday, September 5, 2008, 1:38 PM
> 
> 
> 
>         In more recent years, I've advocated buying servers from manufacturers who
>         use high-quality standard-issue motherboards
>          to include the same manufacturers
>         who make the motherboards themselves as opposed to the typical Dell/HP/IBM
>         sourcing that's so prevalent in industry.
> 
>         My experience has been that even though the Dell/HP/IBM warranty, support, and
> 
>         field service are supposed to be the big compelling draw and are supposed to
>         justify the cost, in reality:
> 
>         * Field service is often slow, ineffectual, and/or incapable of making sound
>         technical evaluations of situations yet won't take your word for anything
> 
>         * Parts - from cooling fans to motherboards - are not typical COTS items, so
>         you're dependent on the manufacturer and/or field support for even the
>         slightest issue
>         * Shoddy workmanship, poor QA, and shipping damage run rampant
> 
> 
>         On the other hand, manufacturers that integrate and produce servers out of COTS
>         still give you a decent enough warranty but leave you able to source parts from
>         where you feel like it for the sake of
>          expediency or post-sale modification, and
>         you can easily buy and store extra power supplies, RAM, mobos, drive sleds, and
>         power supplies so that a server that has gone dead and won't POST can be
>         brought back to life by on-hand staff in a few minutes' time.
> 
> 
>         1.  Is this valid today?  Was it ever?
>         2. What manufacturers have you had a good history with?  What vendors sell
>         their products?
> 
>         I personally bought a Supermicro SuperServer from HL Computer locally a while
> 
>         back, and once I replaced its dodgy power supply it's been fine, running
>         without a reboot up at QTS for over 500 days.  HL does not ordinarily carry such
>         equipment so I'd like to find a vendor who has a good history of selling
> 
>         this sort of equipment.
> 
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> 
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> 
> 
> --
> --
> James P. Kinney III
> 

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