Patrick E. Bennett, Jr., Computer Consultant

Here's a pair of articles about how great the free and open source linux operating system is for building custom appliances!  I have experience building and implementing several of the appliance technologies mentioned in these articles, so get in touch if you'd like to discuss your business' needs!

 

Internetnews.com, "Vyatta 5 Advances Linux Routing": http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3809401/Vyatta+5+Advances+Linux+Routing.htm

 

TechWorld, "Linux ideal for software appliances, says Novell": http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?newsid=111467&pagtype=samechan
 

"I've been running surveys the past four years, asking companies why they went with an open source solution," Gartner's Wurster told LinuxInsider. "[All] have adopted open source because there is a perception of a lower total cost of ownership [and] lower cost of technical support services -- and the open code and standards gives them vendor independence and flexibility."

That's the conclusion of Laurie Wurster, an analyst for industry expert Gartner, shared with the Linux Insider in their article Open Source, the Recession and the Lower-TCO Promise .

There's no doubt about it, finances are tight in the current economy.  It's times like these when small businesses realize that, first, they need to re-assess how they are spending money and look for ways to save, and second, that they couldn't afford not to have been doing that back in the good times.

I'm with those Laurie Wurster's been talking too - intelligent utilization of Free Open Source Software ("FOSS") is a great way to reduce your overhead - both at home and in your business - and it frees your from the indentured servitude otherwise known as "vendor lock-in".

 I'd love to help your business find the right spots to put FOSS to work!

In this article from Laptop Logic, a Windows warrior describes his slow conversion to an every day linux user: The Reality of Using LInux Every Day, by Blair Mathis.

Recently I've discovered the online mag Wi-FI Planet and it's affection for the linux based firmware replacement for low-end commercial routers called DD-WRT.  In layman's terms, DD-WRT is a software that can be loaded on a large variety of cheap routers and wireless access points, like the kind available at your local mom & pop computer shop, or electronics superstore (or even Wal-Mart!).  Usually these kinds of devices are shipped with operational software (called "firmware" in the techie world) that is crippled, very limited, or brain dead.  Part of the reason for this is to route you to a much more expensive product purchase if your needs are higher end (for example, instead of paying about $75 for a low-end Linksys branded router, you might instead be forced to buy a Cisco branded product for thouasands of dollars).  DD-WRT puts one of these cheap "low-end" routers "on steroids", so to speak, making it capable of many things usually only found in the much more expensive devices like Cisco's.  Some examples: the ability to use your device in many different modes: simple router, wireless access point, firewall, wireless client (this mode converts a wired ethernet adaptor to connect to a wireless network), wireless repeater and wireless distribution nodes (these modes create mesh-networks among many wireless accesspoints, effectively extending the range of your wireless signal), virtual private network server or client, and the list goes on.  In my own experience with DD-WRT, it also seems like these devices just work better with DD-WRT versus the native firmware they ship with.  Amazingly, the DD-WRT software itself can be used free-of-charge in many scenarios!

Head over to this article on Wi-Fi Planet to survey their coverage of DD-WRT (note: this list is not up to date, I noticed.  Look particularly for many new DD-WRT articles from  Aaron Weiss, the "Wi-Fi Guru") and get better acquainted.

I would love to help your home or business with your advanced networking needs and to take advantage of the power and money savings of DD-WRT!  Please give me a call to explore your needs.

     -Patrick