Tired of constantly changing hardware

[dac2040]

For several years, we've been using tp-link, then Nexx, then Gl.iNet and some others. All of those manufacturers are driving us crazy with their nonsense. Changing revisions but leaving the same stickers on, changing hardware/CPUs and other parts once or more per year, we simply cannot keep up.

I badly need to find a piece of hardware that we can stick to for at least a year or more at a time, longer would be better.
In terms of pricing, we use those devices because we can get them under $20.00 so would hope to remain somewhere in that area and less when buying hundreds at a time.

Typically, we'll buy a few to a dozen at a time and at times need a hundred or hundreds. I'm not sure if this manufacturer can help us but here are the requirements. Perhaps someone can shed a little light for me.

-Don't need a lot of CPU power, anything over 500Mhz is more than enough.
-Need 16flash and 64RAM minimum.
-Need all units to come in the cases or can order cases at the same time.
-Need both single and dual NICS, dual always best if the device remains at our price point.
-Need NICs in 100Mbps and 1Gbps.

Not much else really. The devices just need to run some form of Linux which allows us to add packages as needed. To date, we've been using OpenWrt which is pretty limited but have been able to utilize it for our needs.

Any input you can offer will be most appreciated.

[texy]

Hi,
the Raspberry Pi Foundation doesn't supply NIC's so.......I'm not sure how they can help.

Texy

[dac2040]

I'm confused, no NICs? I see NICs on several of the boards. Sorry, not sure what you mean.

[fruitoftheloom]

I'm confused, no NICs? I see NICs on several of the boards. Sorry, not sure what you mean.

Neither am I, but a Raspberry Pi 3B does not fit your requirements

[dac2040]

I didn't ask about a specific model, I'm simply wondering if any of these products might solve the problem.

[W. H. Heydt]

I'm confused, no NICs? I see NICs on several of the boards. Sorry, not sure what you mean.

NIC == "Network Interface Card", yes? RPF doesn't do that. The B-series Pis use a LAN951x (9512 on early Pis, 9514 after that). The LAN chip provides USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet port. Raspberry Pis have no field-upgradeable hardware, so a single NIC equivalent is what you get. In addition, they don't fit within your $20 budget. On the other hand, the first router I ever bought was $150, and that was a price drop from the previous $200, so I'm not sure exactly why you think $20 is a reasonable price for a router.

Now having said that, you can add a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to a pI to get a second Ethernet interface, so that kind of fits your requirements.

I'm not sure you're going to be able to do what you want unless you start with custom selected hardware and build your own software stack, but even then, you're going to be dependent on continued availability of a given piece of hardware. The current changeover of the PI2B to the Pi2B2 shows how risky that can be if you don't plan to keep your software at least reasonably current at all times. Companies are continuously looking for cheaper, better, faster chips to use in their products. Over time as new standards emerge, companies want to sell the latest and greatest and will include new features in hopes of selling another box to someone who already has a perfectly usable device.

Personally, I have equipment, like switches and KVM switches, that are many years old and still in active use. Eventually, I will replace those units as it gets increasingly difficult to make them work with newer devices attached to them. (For instance, my latest PC has neither VGA nor DVI-A outputs, which is a bit of a problem when one wants to connect it to a VGA/PS=2 KVM).

What you might consider looking at would be a custom CMIO board (with two Ethernet connections) and using the Compute Module (CM), since the CM has on board eMMC flash memory rather than depending on an SD card. But you're not going to go that route for $20 per unit.

[mikronauts]

You are putting too many constraints on your ideal device.

The main problems are:

<$20
2x Eth incl. 1Gbps

You might get close around $50, but even then, two NIC's is a problem.

And none of the Raspberry Pi models are suitable for your use.

I suggest you go to the list of devices supporting OpenWRT, and pick something from there.

For several years, we've been using tp-link, then Nexx, then Gl.iNet and some others. All of those manufacturers are driving us crazy with their nonsense. Changing revisions but leaving the same stickers on, changing hardware/CPUs and other parts once or more per year, we simply cannot keep up.

I badly need to find a piece of hardware that we can stick to for at least a year or more at a time, longer would be better.
In terms of pricing, we use those devices because we can get them under $20.00 so would hope to remain somewhere in that area and less when buying hundreds at a time.

Typically, we'll buy a few to a dozen at a time and at times need a hundred or hundreds. I'm not sure if this manufacturer can help us but here are the requirements. Perhaps someone can shed a little light for me.

-Don't need a lot of CPU power, anything over 500Mhz is more than enough.
-Need 16flash and 64RAM minimum.
-Need all units to come in the cases or can order cases at the same time.
-Need both single and dual NICS, dual always best if the device remains at our price point.
-Need NICs in 100Mbps and 1Gbps.

Not much else really. The devices just need to run some form of Linux which allows us to add packages as needed. To date, we've been using OpenWrt which is pretty limited but have been able to utilize it for our needs.

Any input you can offer will be most appreciated.

[bensimmo]

They are all based around the same basic design, read the specs and see if it fits your bill, buy one and have a play amd see what you can do with it.

None come with cases, you pick your own.
It has an Ethernet port, it's 100M run via USB2.
They run off SD cards or via USB devices and network (still in testing and development really)

You might be better off asking RS or Farnell who actually have them made, see what they can do for you and if they can price it right for you.

The hardware changes, supply and demand determines a lot of thing as does production space (best to ask RS/Farnell about that though)
For example a recent Pi2 processor switch has caused a few problems for people using them as a product board.
They may be able to advise wether the compute module garment is suitable and could provide your nice capacity.

EDIT ^^^ them up there say it better

[dac2040]

Great input, now I get what you're saying.

Yes, I know what a NIC is .
Yes, I've been able to keep the price around the $20 mark so far using devices such as tp-link, nexx and others as I mentioned.
Yes, I've no issues having to spend more and later cutting a deal when I need hundreds at a time.

Either way, sounds like I need to keep looking since this won't cover my needs and appreciate the input.

Thanks.

[fruitoftheloom]

All we as volunteer responders can say for certainty is the A+ / B+ / CM board sizes are/will be carried forward....

IMO an open forum is a strange place to ask, OEM's would confer with RPT

[dac2040]

Nothing strange about it, just looking for input and got some. Thanks.

[hippy]

Element 14 offer a 'Design your own Pi' service -

https://www.element14.com/community/doc ... on-service

They might be able to design a Pi with multiple integrated NICs connecting via USB. Not sure it would suit your bufget. There is a minimum order quantity but there may be a market for selling a Pi board with multiple NICs which allows costs to be recuperated.

[dac2040]

Great lead, thanks very much. I'll look into that as well.

[DavidS]

There is also the option of the RPi Zero ($5 SBC) with an added USB Hub with two integreated NIC's, these hubs can be sourced for under $5 from many vendors, they are external though inovative mounting could solve that issue.

You would have to consult the RPF to see about an arangement to purchase in bulk, I think most vendors only do one unit sales of the Raspberry Pi zero.

And that would meet your requirements, even if you add a $5 case to the equation.

[dac2040]

Yes, that would fall into my under $50.00 range (not sure I mentioned it in my first post).
However, assembly time might be an issue.

Good lead and I'll look into that also. Thanks.

[rpdom]

AFAIK, the Pi Zero is not available to buy in bulk yet, apart from certain approved retailers.

[Heater]

I have not followed all the posts here but I notice that some are incredulous as to the 20 dollar claim.

The thing is, you can buy something like a TP-LINK wifi router for a few dollars. Like my TL-MR3020.
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/deta ... R3020.html

Many of these things can be reflashed with Linux. Namely OpenWRT:
https://openwrt.org/

Which is cool. Now your router is under you control and more secure than whatever software the manufacturer put on it.

Even more cool is that you can put your own code on them. I have some that I have installed loaders for micro-controllers attached via serial ports on.

As our OP says. The problem is that when you buy these things even if the have the same product name they can contain different technology in hardware or software. So you cannot be sure what you have spent time hacking for them will still work. It's a lottery.

Well, such is the nature of hacking on stuff. You can never be sure the stuff you are hacking does change to make your hack unworkable.

Which is why we pay a bit more for a product like the Pi. Which is incredibly cheap anyway. But has some suggestion of longevity.

However I don't think the Pi can do what my TL-MR3020 can do in terms of being a WIFI router.

Or maybe it can. OpenWRT is available for the Pi....

[jamesh]

Just to add, you are unlikely to get quantity discounts. You might save on postage, but the product is already a very low price, so little room for movement unless you are buyings a LOT (1000's).

[dac2040]

Quantity discounts would be nice but if it met our needs and was a fair price, that would not be a deal breaker.