You see, I needed Internet access to find information, or at least to download Ubuntu images. But my Internet is down, because the gateway is a virtual instance on the broken host that I’m trying to fix.
It seems to make sense that an important critical infrastructure like my Internet gateway ought to be a standalone box. However, when I originally decided on such a setup, the rationale then was that I want to run a 24×7 Linux server anyway, and it did seem wasteful to have two boxes running 24×7.
Back then, I also didn’t consider the option of a low-power standalone box. Something based on Intel Atom processor platform. The D2550 Cedarview processor with 32 nm lithography, for example, boasts a maximum TDP of just 10 W. It’s more than ultra-low power netbooks of old (some can go under 5 W), but it’s certainly more energy saving than a regular notebook. The Intel i5-4258U in Apple’s current generation (late 2013) 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, for example, lists a maximum TDP of 28 W.
Cost is another matter to contend with. Of course, you’d expect that a low-end box like this to cost less than a regular desktop. But that’s not good enough. It has to cost way less, like maybe at the level of current flagship wireless routers? I know that’s not an apples-for-apples feature comparison. I choose that simply as an indicator of price tolerance. I imagine, too, that many parts are probably not so easily available in Singapore.
Although we’re talking about a low-end type of computer here, one has to remember that it cannot at all be underpowered or have too low specifications. After all, you’re likely to expect the box to handle Gigabit Ethernet traffic. It’s possible that you may even want more than 2 ports.
The more I think about it, the more interesting this sounds like for a future DIY project.
If you use something other than a mainstream wireless router for your Internet gateway, what do you have?