[FoRK] AP+Storage UNit+Cheap Storage+DuctTape (fwd)

[Tomwhore]

Jim Buzbee was one of the folks I remember seeing come up early with hacks
tot he WRT54G. He is at it again with yet another low cost Linksys device,
this one is called the NSLU2[1]. The tie in with the WRT could not be
better  for some of the projects the PTP could taken on in the near
future.

The WRT54g, as most already know, is a low cost AP that also has Linux
running on it. Having Linux on it allowed it to be modified beyond its
original purpose simply because this is what folks with linuxfu do. So the
WRT got nocat and ssh and traffic shaping and a quake server and pretty
much anything and everything that could be stuffed into the memory on the
device.


The NSLU2 also has Linux running on it. What this device does is allows
you to plug into it two usb storage devices , like a usb2 hard drive or your
256meg pen shaped files mule, and in turn plug the NSLU2 into your
ethernet  AP or network hub/router. The NSLU2 will try to grab an IP
address from  your DHCP pool or you can use your web browser to go
configure it manually. Bingo Bango those two USB devices are now on your
network as ip getable devices.

This in and of itself is cool. Enter Mr Buzzbee and what should be the
eventual hoard of linuxfu masters. Even now they are digging into the guts
of the NSLU2 and learning how it works in hopes of making it do more than
it was ever meant. Buzbee's weblog[2] on the subject already has ways to
add  a few apps to the devices with as well as tales of the evolution of
the this devices hacking.

So why all the words on this device? Well a couple of reasons. I am always
impressed when i see low cost off the shelf gear get worked over by the
million fingers of the hackfu masters such that the power is increased
with t he cost staying the same. The WRT54G has been an amazing example of
this. The NSLU2 opens up other possibilities, possibilities that require
storage capacities the WRT could not be burdened with.

In my minds eye I can already see a glob of gear that comprises a WRT54g,
a NSLU2, two 1GIG usb flash drives, an omni antenna, an ethernet cable to
back haul, two power cords and a weatherized box all sitting in my
chimney..or over at Sunnyside Elementary, or in any number of cool places
where a node can or should be.

The modified WRT would have a PTP modified Ewrt firmware and be able to
mount the two 1 gig usb devices right into the path of the web server. the
2 gigs of memory would hold, heck...lots of things. The NSLU, if the dev
goes on like it appears to be, could stream music, serve up web pages or do
a number of other things as well.

I have heard the price for the NSLU2 is about 80-90 bucks. The WRT can be
had for about 70.

One of the interesting aspect of this whole idea is..way back when I first
joined up with the PTP the idea of a totally solid no moving parts system
was thought of as a great idea. At the time though it was just too damn
expensive or just plain not doable in scale. Now though with  the linksys
marketing dept dropping prices...it all seems much much much more doable.


(note bene   as with all things of this type not all gear is good for all
solutions and not all scales scale the same.. in short while the linksys
solution is great for some projects, it may not be the best thing to use
if your working on unwiring the eastern seaboard or you have a few hundred
thou in grant money to buy better built longer lasting gear like the
Metrix boxes[]. So before the "linksys is crap for project X" posts come
up, yes you are right.  On the other hand if I go to my wife with a
request of 600$ to put up a new Ap on the roof do ya really think thats
going to be a workable solution as well? Its all about knowing what is
useful where, and where that sweet spot of price , performance and
pleading for funding all meet. )


[1] http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=35&scid=43&prid=640
[2] http://www.batbox.org/nslu2-linux.html
[3] http://metrix.net/metrix/products/packages

-tomhiggins