4 ms·

An older laptop with two xircom realports[1][2] is a great platform for a router. First, you never, ever have to futz around with monitors, monitor cables, ser

by rsync 12y ago

An older laptop with two xircom realports[1][2] is a great platform for a router. First, you never, ever have to futz around with monitors, monitor cables, serial cables, terminals, etc., because the kvm is built in. I don't care how slick your tools are, when things aren't working, you don't want to spend the first 15 minutes dicking around with tip and ring and your null modem cable, etc. Second, with two xircom realports, you have a laptop with up to three full size rj45 ports, which is very handy. No dongles. Bonus: it has a built in UPS! [1] xircom realports were these really slick full-height pcmcia cards that were modular and you could mix and match them ... and they had real, full size rj11 or rj45 ports in them. [2] xircom realports work in FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE, but neither 8.2 nor 8.4. So you need to choose a pfsense build based on 8.3 ...

callesgg 12y ago
I used to say the same stuff about the built in ups in my laptop server. Until I almost burned down my house. Aparently laptop battery charge controllers do not work as intended when plugged in for long periods. Otherwise laptops are perfect as cheap low power servers.
- mnw21cam 12y ago
  Sounds like you had a duff charger circuit. However, yes, a LiIon battery is not meant to be left continuously on charge. A lead-acid battery (typically used in UPSes) is meant to be left continuously on charge.
  - simoncion 12y ago
    Shouldn't the charging controller in the laptop stop charging the battery once the battery is at full charge? It seems to me that a great many folks leave their laptops plugged in for weeks or months at a time, and that this would be something that a laptop designer would account for. (Anecdata: The six-ish year old battery in my primary laptop still holds ~60% of its original maximum charge. This laptop spends the vast majority of its time on, with the battery installed, and plugged in to an AC outlet.)
    - callesgg 12y ago
      It definitely SHOULD turn off when full. No doubt about it.
- simoncion 12y ago
  I agree with mnw21cam's assessment of your charging circuit. I have a Toughbook and a Thinkpad that have been continuously plugged in for many, many, many years.
gonzo 12y ago
Which is every pfSense release for the last 2 years. (everything version 2.1(.x)) but, comes now FreeBSD-10, in the form of pfSense 2.2

by rsync 12y ago

callesgg 12y ago

I used to say the same stuff about the built in ups in my laptop server. Until I almost burned down my house. Aparently laptop battery charge controllers do not work as intended when plugged in for long periods. Otherwise laptops are perfect as cheap low power servers.

mnw21cam 12y ago
Sounds like you had a duff charger circuit. However, yes, a LiIon battery is not meant to be left continuously on charge. A lead-acid battery (typically used in UPSes) is meant to be left continuously on charge.
- simoncion 12y ago
  Shouldn't the charging controller in the laptop stop charging the battery once the battery is at full charge? It seems to me that a great many folks leave their laptops plugged in for weeks or months at a time, and that this would be something that a laptop designer would account for. (Anecdata: The six-ish year old battery in my primary laptop still holds ~60% of its original maximum charge. This laptop spends the vast majority of its time on, with the battery installed, and plugged in to an AC outlet.)
  - callesgg 12y ago
    It definitely SHOULD turn off when full. No doubt about it.
simoncion 12y ago
I agree with mnw21cam's assessment of your charging circuit. I have a Toughbook and a Thinkpad that have been continuously plugged in for many, many, many years.

gonzo 12y ago

Which is every pfSense release for the last 2 years. (everything version 2.1(.x)) but, comes now FreeBSD-10, in the form of pfSense 2.2