New PC to replace gPC

[jrubins]

Well, it appears that Everex went belly up.
Too bad.

I wonder though, are there any other plans for an 'orgasmotron' pc in the future?
Alternatively, what's a good (cheap) pc I can buy now to use as a server?

Thanks
James

 

[markiper]

Jetway PC from works like a charm

Take a look at this post:

http://pbxinaflash.com/community/threads/jetway-pictures.5164/?t=5164

I also replace my Everex gPC2 for a Jetway, and it works like a charm. you can find them at newegg.com.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856107043

Add some memory and a HDD (CD-ROM Drive will make installation easier), and you are good to go.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134187

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145251

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118018

Hope this reference and links help (I do not work for newegg.com, so feel free to shop around, but I have had really good service with them; that is why the recommendation). Once you have all the pieces, loading PBXinaFlash is breezy, everything works out of the box.

 

[gregc]

X2 on the Jetway.

Very happy with it.

 

[dswartz]

same here. 160gb notebook sata HD, and rhino pci card with one each fxo and fxs.

 

[jrubins]

Great, thanks for the info.
How about the eee box ?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220012

It doesn't have pci ports, but if it's all voip with voip phones, then who needs 'em, right?

 

[jrubins]

Wow, there's actually a few neat looking Atom packages
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883108204

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883228012

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883114074

What are the differences in the Atom processors?
is the one in the jetway 'better'?

 

[digital_archivist]

How about the Foxconn R10-S4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856119012) and/or R20-S4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856119013)boxes? And does anyone know the difference between the two?

 

[Alex728]

is it easy to set unique IRQ's on the jetway for line cards etc?

 

[Snapdragon]

How about the eee box ?

If you follow my posts, anytime I run into a problem or have something to share about the EEE Box I post it up here. The only annoying quirk so far is the network card driver issue, but it's an easy compile-around.

So far I've managed to push the EEE Box up to about 0.3 load with all our trunks in use and me mucking around on the system. FreePBX loads slightly slower, and the install does take longer, but that's a one time thing. You'll also need an external CD/DVD drive of some sort to get it going.

The current fleet: Meet NS1, NS2 and PIAF 2. NS3 has graduated into the operation room rack. The rest will follow as soon as I install the dedicated breaker.

I have 17 extensions running off this PIAF/EEE Box currently, without any hitches.

Granted, the EEE Box does have some wasted features, such as the wireless, the audio -- however I do find the card reader useful, and the fact that they have DVI and integrate nicely with our KVM... however, if you're looking for the cheapest solution, then building your own Atom based machine is probably a better way to go.

For me, it's the fact that it's an all in one, off the shelf, if it dies, I kick it to the curb, pull another one out of the box, image it and go -- solution; I can stack them four wide on a 6U spaced shelf and two deep, so I can put 8 servers in a 6U space at a very reasonable cost, so that's the appeal for me to spend a few more dollars on it.

Also to mention, I did have one of them die the second boot out of the box -- I RMA'ed it to Asus and it was repaired and shipped back the next day. You cannot beat that kind of service, for $20 in shipping.

 

[gregc]

I have the Jetway with the 330 processor which is a dual core.

Jetway's bios (nor any I have seen in recent years) allows bios setup of unique IRQs for devices. One of my Sangoma cards gets it's own IRQ, the other is shared with a couple other things. There is no performance issues due to it though. None that are noticable anyways. It has been running fantastic.

 

[wardmundy]

Here's a link to the EEE Box being discussed. And here's an Open Box at NewEgg for under $250.

 

[Snapdragon]

It comes back as deactivated, must have sold.

Too bad as that was the B206, the media-geared one with HDMI output and ATI Radeon 3000 series graphics, remote control, etc. Overkill for a phone system, would look better under my TV

I'm waiting for the B208 for that though, supposed to handle full 1080p with HDMI without choking (dual core Atom).

 

[vcallaway]

I just setup a box using a mini-itx atom processor.

I bought a barebones from the ebay seller mitxpc. I ordered it minus HD and with wall mount brackets. Cost was about $220. I added a 64Gb SSD from NewEgg for another $180.

This configuration is fanless and no moving parts. It also runs on 12v. You could build it cheaper using a standard laptop drive. I wanted the speed of the SSD.

Being able to mount it on the wall with the rest of the networking gear is why I went this route. In this installation it is plugged into a big UPS with the rest of the telco and networking gear. The computer uses about 60w. Much more effecient that a standard desktop that pulls about 180w.

 

[dotman]

Well, it appears that Everex went belly up.
Too bad.

I wonder though, are there any other plans for an 'orgasmotron' pc in the future?
Alternatively, what's a good (cheap) pc I can buy now to use as a server?

Thanks
James

Jrubins, may I ask how long your Everex machine lasted before it went belly up as well as how long was the longest period of time of constant use without a reboot or power cycle?

Thanks,
Dotman

 

[jrubins]

Jrubins, may I ask how long your Everex machine lasted before it went belly up as well as how long was the longest period of time of constant use without a reboot or power cycle?

Thanks,
Dotman

@dotman:
Never used one, honestly.
I wanted to get one for a client, but now it no longer exists
So the search is on for a cheapie replacement

 

[wardmundy]

Actually, Everex hasn't gone belly up. They've just pulled out of the U.S. We've had two gPCs running 24x7 for 18 months with no problems... knocking on wood.

 

[jrubins]

Actually, Everex hasn't gone belly up. They've just pulled out of the U.S. We've had two gPCs running 24x7 for 18 months with no problems... knocking on wood.

Weaksauce. The ogasmotron looked like it would save me lots of time (and money)

 

[wardmundy]

You still can buy a Dell for under $400 that will run circles around the gPC's.

 

[jrubins]

You still can buy a Dell for under $400 that will run circles around the gPC's.

Those look nice, but a bit overkill for a four person office, no?

 

[wardmundy]

Let's see... 5 year life cycle makes it $80 a year or $20 per employee per year for rock solid phone service. Sounds like a bargain to me.