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FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

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Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#41

Post by sigil »

zx2c4 wrote: post #12

I've been running Gentoo Linux on my EdgeRouter Lite for a long time now. " rel="nofollow">https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MIPS/ERLite-3> I must say: the ERL is terrible hardware. You can get some performance out of it if you're using Ubiquiti's kernel, because it ships with a series of highly specialized proprietary modules that offload packet handling to hardware accelerated modules, for their custom proprietary netwo…

I've cheered Ubiquiti's wireless hardware in the past on here [1], but I have to agree with you. Stay away from their wired stuff. We've had problems with the EdgeRouter and the ToughSwitches.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6829483

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#42

Post by jimmcslim »

zx2c4 wrote: post #12

I've been running Gentoo Linux on my EdgeRouter Lite for a long time now. " rel="nofollow">https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MIPS/ERLite-3> I must say: the ERL is terrible hardware. You can get some performance out of it if you're using Ubiquiti's kernel, because it ships with a series of highly specialized proprietary modules that offload packet handling to hardware accelerated modules, for their custom proprietary netwo…

What about Microtik's gear?

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#43

Post by helper »

Neat. I've been using an ERLite for the past ~6 months. It does its job, but I'm not super excited by it. I find the Vyatta interface to be a little annoying (most enterprise network gear I've worked with just copied Cisco's CLI exactly, Vyatta is just different enough to be surprising).

I'm thinking about swapping it out for a Mirabox[1] I have laying around. Its an ARMv7 with dual Gigabit interfaces and 1GB of memory. With the 3.14 kernel the SoC is quite well supported. Now if only I could run pfSense on it.

[1] https://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/p-58-mirabox-develop...

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#44

Post by justincormack »

helper wrote: post #43

Neat. I've been using an ERLite for the past ~6 months. It does its job, but I'm not super excited by it. I find the Vyatta interface to be a little annoying (most enterprise network gear I've worked with just copied Cisco's CLI exactly, Vyatta is just different enough to be surprising). I'm thinking about swapping it out for a Mirabox[1] I have laying around. Its an ARMv7 with dual Gigabit interfaces and 1GB of memo…

Do you know if it can drive the interfaces at anything near gigabit? That seems to be a problem with a lot of ARM chipsets.

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#46

Post by js2 »

js2 wrote: post #32
zx2c4 wrote: post #12

I've been running Gentoo Linux on my EdgeRouter Lite for a long time now. " rel="nofollow">https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MIPS/ERLite-3> I must say: the ERL is terrible hardware. You can get some performance out of it if you're using Ubiquiti's kernel, because it ships with a series of highly specialized proprietary modules that offload packet handling to hardware accelerated modules, for their custom proprietary netwo…

It's a $100 box. I've been happy with mine as a replacement for an AirPort Extreme. It handles my 30/5 broadband while doing QoS for my VoIP at no more than 10% CPU. Anyway, what would you recommend instead at that price point?

Maybe something like this but it's 3.5x the price after equipping it - http://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-SuperServer-Rackmount-Bareb...

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#47

Post by rasz_pl »

zx2c4 wrote: post #14
jlgaddis wrote: post #4

Related: I picked up a couple of Neoware CA21 thin clients on eBay real cheap recently. 800 MHz, 512 MB RAM, and 1 GB disk-on-module. I built customized (NanoBSD) images and run them read-only off of a flash drive. I connected a Garmin GPS 18 LVC to one and have my own stratum 1 NTP server for < $100.

Unfortunately, only one shitty Ethernet port. I'd love to find fast hardware with multiple independent gigabit ports for an affordable price.

Newer Atheros routers are 2 chip solutions with radio chip hanging on PCIE connection. It is possible to cut this connection and insert PCIE Bridge between.

http://www.hwtools.net/Adapter/DB8605.html

This way you retain radio, but get two additional PCIE slots for SATA controller and another network adapter for example.

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#48

Post by stephen_g »

zx2c4 wrote: post #12

I've been running Gentoo Linux on my EdgeRouter Lite for a long time now. " rel="nofollow">https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MIPS/ERLite-3> I must say: the ERL is terrible hardware. You can get some performance out of it if you're using Ubiquiti's kernel, because it ships with a series of highly specialized proprietary modules that offload packet handling to hardware accelerated modules, for their custom proprietary netwo…

There's a reason for the old kernel - basically the company that owned the Vyatta project really started neglecting the free version by the end and it hasn't seen much proper maintenance in ages.

I'm starting to get invloved in the fork that was recently taken, called VyOS [1]. Updating the base to a newer version of Debian is a high priority, but there's a fair bit of work in it.

Since Vyatta Core (the community version) is essentially dead, and there is at least one Ubiquiti guy involved in the fork, we hope that VyOS will eventually be the base for EdgeOS.

And as for the hardware acceleration - I wish the drivers were open source but even as it is, it's really a necessary evil to get very good performance on low cost hardware.

1. http://vyos.net

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#49

Post by stephen_g »

helper wrote: post #43

Neat. I've been using an ERLite for the past ~6 months. It does its job, but I'm not super excited by it. I find the Vyatta interface to be a little annoying (most enterprise network gear I've worked with just copied Cisco's CLI exactly, Vyatta is just different enough to be surprising). I'm thinking about swapping it out for a Mirabox[1] I have laying around. Its an ARMv7 with dual Gigabit interfaces and 1GB of memo…

Vyatta's interface is modelled on Juniper's Junos, if I remember correctly.

Re: FreeBSD 10.0 on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite

#50

Post by stephen_g »

purple_horse wrote: post #17
zx2c4 wrote: post #12

I've been running Gentoo Linux on my EdgeRouter Lite for a long time now. " rel="nofollow">https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MIPS/ERLite-3> I must say: the ERL is terrible hardware. You can get some performance out of it if you're using Ubiquiti's kernel, because it ships with a series of highly specialized proprietary modules that offload packet handling to hardware accelerated modules, for their custom proprietary netwo…

I also do not like Vyatta's weirdness. It looks like Linux, acts like Linux, but then you have to use all of the awful Vyatta commands to actually do anything.

It's not awful - just different. They specifically did it that way because people who configure large networks are much more used to this kind of interface (a la Cisco and Juniper hardware) and like this way a lot better.

I'm hoping to really work on improving the documentation in the new Vyatta fork, VyOS, because poor documentation really let Vyatta down.

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