Return to BSD News archive
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msunews!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!hookup!news.sprintlink.net!news.indirect.com!wes From: wes@indirect.com (Barnacle Wes) Subject: Re: FreeBSD -- possible Internet gateway platform ? Message-ID: <D1r77L.MDF@indirect.com> Sender: usenet@indirect.com (Darin Wayrynen) Organization: the Briney (notso) Deep Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 01:09:21 GMT References: <bluewiz.1.0042AE4D@cts.com> <3e4fg1$759@tipellium.apana.org.au> X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2.1 [BP] PL2.1] Lines: 38 bluewiz@cts.com (Bob and/or Perry Mack) asked: > My company is planning for a 56K Internet connection, I thought that a > FreeBSD machine would make a good firewall/gateway/server machine. I've > done some browsing & some lurking, but I still have some questions: > 3) What are minimum/reasonable hardware requirements for FreeBSD ? ( I > browsed the FAQ quickly -- coudn't find this ) Leigh Hart (hart@apanix.apana.org.au) kindly replied: : For this sort of machine, a main server, I'd use a 486dx2/66 or dx4/100 : with 16mb ram to be comfortable. Disk space minimum 500mb, for news : spool try for 1-2gb. PCI, EISA or VLB disk controllers improve performance, : so does SCSI-2 disks on a PCI or VLB controller. Hmmm. Good suggestions, but your suggestion assumes heavy local network use. If this machine is going to be mostly used over the 56k line, such as an anonymous FTP server, a 386/40 would do fine -- the 56k link will throttle your usage adequately. ;^) BTW, if you're looking for an inexpensive 56k solution, Motorola UDS makes a 56k CSU/DSU in a modem-sized box that sells for $229 now. It has async connections (presumably 57600 or 115200 bps) to talk to the host as well. This should make 56k leased/sync lines as simple (or not) to configure as async PPP. I haven't used them myself, but I've used other Moto UDS products in the past, and have had a good experience with them. If you obtain one (or two) of these, I'd love to hear about your experience. One of my clients is running out of gas on their 28.8 PPP link, and this *looks* like a simple, relatively cheap upgrade for them. ;^) Wes Peters P.S. DataComm Warehouse advertises this CSU/CSU for $229. I don't have their number, but they are the same company as PC Warehouse and Mac Warehouse.