Alternatively, this is kinda cute:

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/linkstation/linkstation-pro-ls-xhl/

Bat-out-of-hell fast (60MB/sec+ over gigabit), runs linux, some unspecified DLNA server, 1.2GHz ARM CPU and 256MB of RAM. Plus it takes something like 4W idle and 17W peak.

Truly impressed with a budget network hard drive handily outrunning a USB2.0 one

Hugo

Mmm.. their own spec sheet says 17W consumption with no USB devices connected.

I do have a similar, but lower-performance thing as a backup device (it only does 900K/s over 100Mbit Ethernet, but this is rsync+ssh, and I suspect SSH is CPU-bound, especially as the only ARM cross-compiler I could get working was the old car-player one) -- but the x86 server in question is also a firewall and Freeview DVR, all of which I suppose I could hang off a hacked NAS as USB, but that's a lot of hassle.

Peter

Yeah, though other reviews have shown 4W. I ought to grab my killawatt and check it myself, really. Still, even 17W isn't bad considering its speed....

Hugo

Well, that question was answered this past week, just after I departed for a rock-climbing trip.

The system started crashing with various random errors, and SWMBO did her best to keep rebooting it in attempts to try and maintain internet/email access in my absence.

Now that I'm back, the hard disk has been moved to another machine to restore service -- I've actually just hooked it up via USB to a small notebook computer, along with a USB ethernet adapter to provide the second network port. Works fine!

Meanwhile, I now have to order some new caps from digikey to refurbish the mini-ITX board.

Cheers

Digikey delivered today, and I've now replaced *all* of the electrolytic capacitors with new, high-grade / high-temperature ones.

Seems to be working again, for now.

Still working fine. Another thing we noticed is that the USB2 ports can once again power external notebook drives, something that hadn't been working for a couple of years.

Gee, I wonder why that was..