Tiny Computer

[Tandum (Robin)]

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26320

Check this thing out, a mini linux box, just add a USB disk, unbelievable .....

[acropolite (Phil)]

It would be interesting to see how well they run at that price worth a try.
I bought a couple of NAS boxes that promised the same, in my experience they were very slow on network transfers, went to sleep and wouldn't wake up without a hardware reset and the web and FTP services are quite flaky.

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

Originally Posted by acropolite

......
I bought a couple of NAS boxes that promised the same, in my experience they were very slow on network transfers, went to sleep and wouldn't wake up without a hardware reset and the web and FTP services are quite flaky.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=509
I use a D-Link 2bay NAS its fast never let me down
(going on 2 years)
It is accessed wirelessly from OBS 50mt away
have had up to 4 laptops linked at any 1 time

[pmrid (Peter)]

Good one Robiin. I ordered one. It might be good for the obs to move files back to the house for processing on cold winter nights.
Peter

[acropolite (Phil)]

I have the same Dlink NAS Rob, it's quite stable, not as fast as I would like though.

[RobF (Rob)]

Could this thing act as a wireless USB hub, so you could keep your laptop safely inside while an imaging run continues into the wee hours?

[pmrid (Peter)]

Acropolite - have you installed the Snake OS? That does seem to speed it up a bit.

Originally Posted by RobF

Could this thing act as a wireless USB hub, so you could keep your laptop safely inside while an imaging run continues into the wee hours?

Rob, yes. It interfaces with your storage medium via 2 USB 2.0 outlets either or both of which can suppport a hub. But I would be inclined to suggest a powered hub. I have 2 external HD attached to mine and it plays withe them just fine. It is ethernet connected to my wireless router so any machine within my WAN can interface with it. I can dump to it from the obs, for example. The limitation is speed though, so I'd only dump to it after I'd processed the images and could go to bed and let it work on its own.
Peter.

[DavidTrap (David)]

I'm not sure if Peter is exactly on the same wavelength as you Rob.

I think you are wanting to plug your camera, etc into this box and remotely drive them with a computer from inside your house. Peter is saying he has the laptop in the observatory and dumps data wirelessly back inside his house to hard drives attached to this device (????) I have no idea whether this will do what you're wanting - but my suspicion is no (my reading of the specs said file and print server).

I think this is what you're after, but reading the blurb implies limitations (it mentions webcams negatively!)

link

DT

[DavidTrap (David)]

This is something that works over Cat5 cable.

Link

DT

[RobF (Rob)]

Thanks David - yes, I was thinking in that direction, though from limited examples in past they've been pretty expensive and reliability for cams questionable as you say.

Thanks Peter too - I've never got into the whole NAS thing - helps me understand a bit better