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I started learning networking with Cisco IOS nearly 25 years ago, but I hate Cisco on many level (licensing, hardware price, support experience). They pushed th
by kuon 8y ago
I started learning networking with Cisco IOS nearly 25 years ago, but I hate Cisco on many level (licensing, hardware price, support experience). They pushed the technology forward, there is no denying to that, but they need to be disturbed a lot more than what is happening now.
I have been using PCEngines for small routers running OpenBSD. But I am still waiting for larger hardware (ethernet switch, telco routers...) to be able to run an open source software. I know facebook/google started building their own "open" hardware, but it is not generally available.
- xiconfjs 8y agoTake a look at EdgeCore Switches [1] and Cumulus [2] or Pica8 [3]. Should be interesting for you. [1] https://www.edge-core.com/productsKind.php?cls=1 https://www.edge-core.com/productsKind.php?cls=1 [2] https://cumulusnetworks.com/products/cumulus-linux/ https://cumulusnetworks.com/products/cumulus-linux/ [3] https://www.pica8.com/ https://www.pica8.com/
- kuon 8y agoThose EdgeCore switches looks like a good "start". Thanks.
- monocasa 8y agoI wonder if we would have had something better though, if Cisco hadn't gotten their early start on blatantly and unashamedly stolen IP. EDIT: For those downvoting: https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2013/12/10/the-real-story-of-ciscos-creation/20785939/ https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2013/12/10/the-real-stor... Cisco got started by blatantly stealing the Stanford Blue Box code and board layout, replying with "well sue me then" when Stanford found out, and put so many legal roadblocks up that Stanford finally said "fine, whatever, just give us some proceeds".
- ausjke 8y agoRouterOS on Mikrotik, pfsense on x86, VyOS(debian) on x86 are all good options. It's just hard to find off-the-shelf parts to build your 1u/2u router/switches running open source though, software is there, but no such hardware, the best you get is some random formats(e.g. mini-itx) and you can not really put them on the rack.
- sekh60 8y agoSpeaking as a pfSense user, it isn't hard to build a rack mountable router. I used an Intel Rangeley C2758 and put it and a power supply, and a pair of SSDs to mirror the install in a 2U chassis. Nothing would have stopped me using a 1U chassis, but I have no experience with smaller power supplies yet.
- closeparen 8y agoAre they really? My understanding is that the ASICs in real routers and switches deliver performance way beyond what’s possible in a reasonable general-purpose computer.
- ausjke 8y agodepends on how fast you want to achieve, there are good pcie cards for network and storage purposes with excellent linux support. gosh I miss those low power powerpc boards with excellent network performances, x86 is still power-hungry/less-network-efficient comparing to them, arm is a joke at the moment, not familiar with mips there though
- dboreham 8y agoMikrotik supports those ASICs, when you run RouterOS on their native hardware.
- opello 8y agoAnd if Linux or *BSD had a framework to represent the switch configuration I think more switch IC device drivers would be forthcoming. Last time I worked with a Marvell switch in Linux the configuration ended up being manual MDIO accesses. Not difficult, but not a nice interface either.
- kuon 8y agoI meant big hardware, like the Cisco ASR 9000 line. That's the market I want to switch to open source.
- Johnny555 8y ago
- smcl 8y agoI recently read about an open router connected to CZ.NIC (who operate the .cz domain): https://omnia.turris.cz/en/ https://omnia.turris.cz/en/ Might be worth checking out to see if it fits any of our needs