[gentoo-amd64] Re: Wifi adaptor recommendations

[Duncan]

Joel Wirāmu Pauling posted on Wed, 25 May 2016 11:29:18 -0700 as
excerpted:

> Openwrt's build system is great. But as others have said running any non
> single purpose router at your edge has a lot of drawbacks. Not least
> that usable pcie wireless cards that work well in station mode are
> expensive. Whereas you can get the same chip in wifi router form for
> pennies AND you get a whole SoC platform and switch to go with it. You
> can always use you general purpose machine as a router and have the AP
> just be your air interface. But seriously Openwrt is MUCH easier to
> manage and cheaper.

[Replying to both your post and Mark's]

I've left out much of the context of the amd64 router discussion as it it 
happened in a thread here last year, as it wasn't apropos to the 
immediate adapter discussion.  Here's a link to my original post starting 
that thread, and you can follow the links from there to the thread in the 
fancy or classic interface:

http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.amd64/17039

(I asked two questions there, but only the router one got much response.)

The recommendation there (originally by Thanasis, whose reply I like here 
as well, tho I'm not replying directly to it ATM) was a 25-watt 4-core 
amd cpu and a matching mini-ITX or micro-ATX mobo and case.

As originally envisioned, I'd get a mobo with one free PCIE slot, into 
which I'd plug a 4xGigabitEthernet card, which runs about $100 on 
pricewatch.com (tho refurbished are available somewhat cheaper), making 
that card the single most expensive component.  Making it into a wireless-
AP was an option, but I mostly intended to stay wired, for better 
security.

25 watt peak CPU, probably 12 watt or so idle, say 25 watt idle total 
power draw.  That's not /too/ bad.  Certainly better than repurposing and 
old normal machine at perhaps 100 watt idle, especially here in Phoenix, 
where all that heat has to be paid for in AC costs as well.

And I meant what I said there about finding the hassle of keeping 
openwrt's somewhat different setup and config in mind, as opposed to all 
gentoo, and about the hassle of having to build everything multiple 
times.  That's the biggest factor that kept me from doing much with 
either my existing limited router or my netbook, and would consequently 
be for me the biggest advantage of an amd64 router (and netbook 
replacement).

I could use it for other things too, then, of course, and would, possibly 
including streaming music or youtube, etc (if I didn't care about 1080p
+), when I didn't want to turn on the main machine, maybe as a personal 
server, etc.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman