[BC] Internet Routers

[Broadcast List USER]

Um, but, do you pay for electricity?

A 500 Watt computer is using half a kW per hour, just to filter  
Internet traffic.

It might be better to spend $200 on a router which uses Linux and can  
be programmed to do that filtering.

Even a laptop is better than an "old PC."

Power consumption will be MUCH less, and a laptop has its own included  
UPS.

--chip

On Nov 21, 2010, at 9:00 AM, broadcast-request at radiolists.net wrote:

> Message: 21
> From: Chris Gebhardt <chris at virtbiz.com>
> [...]
> Got sticker shock yet?  Read on.  I have an alternative.
>
> If you have an obsolete old PC and about 20 minutes, check out some  
> of the free (Open Source) routing projects.  If you have even the  
> most mediocre of old computers that has 2 or more NICs (Network  
> Interfaces) on it then you've got the makings of a really great  
> router.
>
> Here are a couple of my suggestions:
>
> SmoothWall Express
> http://www.smoothwall.org/
> Open source, Linux-based.  Very easy to install and set up.  Just  
> drop the CD in the drive, let it install (it will wipe out whatever  
> is on the hard drive, so make sure you're OK with that), answer the  
> basic questions about your connection and it does the rest.   Then  
> it will reboot as your new router and will be available via a web- 
> based interface for you to configure.
> [...]
> Chris Gebhardt
> VIRTBIZ Internet Services
> chris at virtbiz.com | (972) 485-4125