Untangle on Everex

[doubtintom]

I'm considering installing Untangle on an Everex Think gPC ($199 at Walmart).
1.5GHz VIA C7-D Desktop Processor
Chipset:VIA CN896 IGP Chipset
Graphics:VIA Chrome9™ HC IGP
Memory:512 MB DDR2 533MHz SDRAM
Hard Drive Size:80 GB

This is for use as a home office router, serving 2 or three PCs. Note the power requirements for the CPU: maximum design power of 20W and an average operating power of below 2W. This seems practical.

So has anyone else tried Untangle with a VIA C7-D processor? The Untangle hardware requirements spec "Intel/AMD-compatible Processor", how likely is it that the VIA chips will "just work"?

[gotkimchi]

Walmart has a decent return policy, if it doesnt work. :)

[pbertrand]

I installed it on one of these boxes successfully. The box related issues I ran into were

1) a warning that I needed more memory (since the onboard graphics uses 64 MB there's only 448 MB of the 512 MB stick left; Untangle requires 475 MB but will let you continue installing without) and

2) a message that Untangle "sees the 1500 MHz Via C7-D Energy Efficient Processor as (2 detected) [approximated as a single 2250 MHz CPU"

I'm new to using Untangle and fairly new to routing/firewalls but it seems to be doing OK. I'm running the open source packages and right now it's just being used as a transparent bridge (dsl modem -> router -> Untangle box -> switch -> everything else) but will eventually replace the current router. I'll add another 512 MB memory stick and things should be good. Note that this is a fairly small office without a lot of data to and fro, ymmv.

[johnbenj]

doubtintom:

Was wondering if 6-months later the Everex is box still running well for you?

[Rick@BBM]

Read my topic, C7 boards work perfect.

In fact, now that I see these are $199, I'm going to buy one lol

[doubtintom]

johnbenj

I haven't taken the "plunge" yet. I was just contemplating the Everex. I have set up an Untangle box for a client thought, and it worked well for awhile. But in my judgement, the hardware we had available (not an Everex) was not up to the job.

What I'm thinking about these days is a small footprint mobo, Shuttle type box, or similar, now that that type of hardware is coming down in cost. I'd like something sort of the same size as a router and doesn't use much power. I want one for myself and my client. Both very small businesses, just a few PCs each.

Has anyone else put Untangle on something like that?

doubtintom

[tfunky]

I've bought a few of these boxes for random tasks (including untangle)

I haven't taken the time to actually install untangle on it yet, but I wanted to share my ideas on the 2 systems I've deployed so far...

#1 is my phone system. I upgraded the RAM by adding an extra 1g.

It's a ubuntu based system like Untangle with Asterisk.

It seems to have a heck of a heat problem.

I've got it in a "server room" in my basement. The system keeps hanging intermittently. I'm assuming that it's hear related.

#2 - desktop for a business...

I've had a hell of a time w/ this system. It's just a ubuntu desktop that's used to access a remote PC to use quickbooks. It has an additional gig as well. It keeps locking up as well.

I've gone so far as to swap the machine out in case it's the hardware, but I'm not having much better luck with the 2nd set of hardware out there.

It could very well be that Ubuntu doesn't play nice, or that i've just got flacky hardware, etc. but I wanted to throw it out there and see if anyone else has had similar issues with these little systems.

I LOVE the idea of them, but right now I'm not quit sold on them (which sucks because I've bought 3 of them :( )

Anyone else having any issues? Anyone else had success running Untangle on them?

[Lee Sharp]

Test the memory and swap to a known good power supply. Those are the 2 most common reasons for those problems.

[tfunky]

Forgive the dumb noob question, but what is the best way to test the memory?

Thanks!

Tfunk

[sky-knight]

http://www.memtest.org/

[Lee Sharp]

It is also a choice on boot for any Ubuntu system, and on all Ubuntu LiveCds. Also it is on the UBCD, which is a very handy tool for diagnostics. All choices mentioned here are Free. :)

[tfunky]

I just wanted to throw out an update...

I've got an everx PC installed with UT5.3. I put 2gb ram in it instead of the 512 the comes stock.

The install warns that the 1.5Ghz proc is on the low side, but everything else passes just fine.

In use I think it may be a bit slower than I would have hoped.

We've got 3 users in a home setup and with the web protection modules turned on (phishing, antispam, AV, etc) it seems to have really caused a performance hit.

I've not heard on people really running into issues with performance (without a QoS problem) so I'm leaning towards the hardware being a bit under specked.

Just as an idea of the performance I'm seeing.
foxnews.com 45 seconds to load
news.google.com 12 seconds to load
cnn.com 8 seconds to load
ebay.com 25 seconds to load

This is the first untangle in my environment (I was using astaro) but I've deployed them in customer environments and not had this type of speed hit. Also the Astaro box didn't have this kind of performance hit either.

This is all a very long way of saying I'm not 100% sold on these little boxes being up to snuff to handle the load.

Just my $0.02 :)