NSLU2 - little file server which is worth to have
I was using PC for my fileserver needs. It had few disadvantages:
- noise - very noisy (few HD, fans, cpu,…) could not sleep in next room
- power consuption - let’s face it, most of the time it will be just running without any work
Advantages:
- you can install any OS
- applications (samba, VPN, media server, …. )
I have found very nice little piece of hardware made by Linksys called NSLU2.
Little nice HW with 2 USB ports. You can install several firmwares (openwrt, debian, …). Very easy to store and other things.
- small
- small power consumption - with 1 HD about 16W/hour
- OS - either linksys firmware or linux based firmware (openwrt, debian,…)
- applications (few thousands applications compiled for given firmware)
- very silent - just HD sometimes does little noise
- connect any USB peripheral (HD, printer, …. )
Disadvantages:
- could not run windows
- just 2 usb ports, anyway you can have USB hub and connect more devices Actually it has 5 USB ports, but just 2 are open. The rest can be added by this manual.
I have set it up with OpenWRT firmware and have just 1 HD (for now). I am running:
- samba - fileshare
- rtorrent - to download linux iso images like ubuntu and other things
- iTunesServer - to stream my music to local network
- VPN - using openVPN to connect to my local network from outside (actually running it on my WRT54GL router which runs also openwrt firmware)
- Asterisk - open source PBX, telephony engine, and telephony applications toolkit
- and many others
Things which I want to do:
- 2/4 GB Flash disk which holds OS (debian)
- 1TB hard drive Western Digital Caviar GreenPower 3.5″ 1TB WD10EACS
- This how-to encrypt HD with truecrypt
