[Server-devel] [XSCE] "Gigabyte BRIX more scalable than Intel NUC"

[Samuel Greenfeld]

If you are looking at devices which include sales in the US (and
potentially other) market(s), you may find that your devices may only
accept one of a few internal Wifi NICs.

This is because the FCC certification of the device as a whole is often
done including the Wifi module.  And they only expect to offer certain Wifi
modules to customers.

Lenovo and HP historically have both done this at the BIOS level.

So if you are insisting on an all-in-one solution, your wireless NIC
choices may be limited, especially now that the FCC requires proof that 5
GHz transmitters cannot be tampered with to transmit abnormally.

But if you can accept an external wifi device you may be much better off,
especially because then you can get devices which are designed to handle
lots of clients, and not primarily be a single client itself.


On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 7:11 PM, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:

> On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 7:07 PM, T Gillett <tgillett at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Adam
>>
>> It might be useful to look around and see what wifi modules are actually
>> available to purchase.
>> You will obviously need to determine exactly what physical configuration
>> you need to get to be compatible.
>>
>> Once you know what modules are available and the chipset that is used in
>> each, then it should be fairly easy to find out which ones have good Linux
>> support.
>>
>> Then you can make an informed choice as to what modules to pursue.
>>
>> Keep in mind that these modules are mostly used in Laptops where they are
>> used almost exclusively as wifi clients rather than APs. So when you say
>> "good Linux support" what you are really looking for is "good Linux support
>> when used as an AP" which is rather different.
>>
>
> +1
>
> A somewhat general statement, but Atheros chipsets are considered to be
>> well supported in Linux for AP usage (at least from the OpenWrt experience,
>> and due to the fact that the drivers have been open sourced), so it may be
>> worth looking for them specifically. If you find a module that has a
>> specific chipset, then you can chase it up in the OpenWrt and similar
>> forums to see whether it has been used successfully.
>>
>
> +2
>
> And of course it would be worth testing the default module that comes with
>> the BRIX jsut in case there is a pleasant surprise in store.
>>
>
> +3
>
> Thanks Terry.
>
> Regards
>> Terry
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 12:25 AM, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:
>>
>>> On Terry's recommendation to look at replaceable WiFi modules that can
>>> serve "almost 50 kids", my current interest is to explore the $279.99
>>> Gigabyte BRIX GB-BSi3H-6100:
>>>
>>> http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5691
>>>
>>> If we go with the above CPU/chassis -- or anything similar folks
>>> recommend -- which WiFi module (PCIe M.2 presumably) to consider for
>>> maximum community support isn't an easy question of course: any
>>> recommendations for Linux support?
>>>
>>> Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy support would be an Optional Bonus, as we have
>>> a long-term desire to provide teacher smartphones' full control over their
>>> "personal" school server.
>>>
>>> PS the above unit comes with an "Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165"
>>> which we'll throw out as nec!  Or perhaps it suffices among the smallest
>>> installations, with only 12 simultaneous WiFi connections?
>>>
>>> Thanks to anybody who can contribute to this R&D discussion/evaluation,
>>> as Intel NUC's soldered-down internal WiFi (likewise limited to 12 WiFi
>>> connections) has in the end become too constricting~
>>>
>>> --
>>> Unsung Heroes of OLPC, interviewed live @ http://unleashkids.org !
>>>
>>
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