+Fahim S. MVC Posted January 24, 2014 MVC Share Posted January 24, 2014 The cost of a smart switch with proper VLAN support would exceed just buying another NIC card usually. I can't disagree with that. But using a smart switch you already had wouldn't cost more than a new NIC. My point was that it isn't the only option as Budman suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted January 24, 2014 MVC Share Posted January 24, 2014 ^ true, the cost of a smart switch with decent vlan support is going to cost more than a nic and another dumb switch even to create multiple network segments. Depending on what the other network segment is, you prob don't even need another switch or can leverage say a wireless router your using as a AP switch ports. So for example you see I have a wlan on mine. Connected this is my wireless router as AP, and then off its built in switch on the wireless router I have another AP for G, and then my printer with airprint support so wireless clients can print using that. Doing mdns for printer discovery in airprint over network segments is a PITA ;) Easier to just connect the printer lan port to my wlan network. I don't run the vmkern on a different network, just has its own interface on my lan in the same 192.168.1.0/24 network. Is is possible to do with vlans and 1 physical nic - sure, can be done. Its a bit of a more complex setup, where many of the people setting this stuff up don't have the proper skillset to do it. Your going to prob see performance hit running vmkern, lan and wan and say wlan all over the 1 physical connection. If you look at the nics I purchased that are not very expensive and they work great in my "home" setup. So three ethernet ports over 2 cards cost me like $80.. Where a smart switch is most likely going to run more than $100. Sure if you were really on a tight budget and you had a switch that supported vlans you could do it - I really would not recommend that sort of setup unless you were wanting it for learning and testing and playing with vlans in general. I have a smart switch, and could of saved a few bucks doing it with vlans - but running each segment on its own physical connections is much simpler setup and much easier to troubleshoot and worth the few bucks for a couple of nics if you ask me. edit: BTW didn't mean to suggest you HAD to use 2 nics, maybe I should of worded more like you will "want" 2 nics one for lan, 1 for wan ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n_K Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yeah you don't need a rack setup for a rackmount server (and you get tower servers as well, usually quieter, less power from not as many fans, not as close together so less heat and cheaper because not the U-size), just put it on a piece of wood and be done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hello, Just checked, ?480 for that (about ?400) seems incredibly overpriced, I mean, that is rediculous. Before you buy it, look on ebay spain and see if anyones selling a second hand server (dell or HP) with similar specs for cheaper.. Over here you can now pick up dell poweredge 2950's for ~?200, proper rackmount servers with dual xeon sockets... Sadly, nothing on eBay here :( Thanks for the idea though. A single dual port card, get something from a decent respected brand like Intel, not Syba. Use one port as your outside network, the other port for your inside network. Port on the Microcenter would stay internal, possibly a way to use it as a DMZ port with all the other VM's using the inside network port on the add-on nic.Any model recommendations? edit; Here is the dual nic I got http://www.amazon.com/HP-Express-Gigabit-Adapter-412648-B21/dp/B0071TXD98/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1390573783&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=HP+412648-B21+NC360T+PCI-Express+DP+GigaBit+Adapter http://www.amazon.es/HP-412648-B21-Express-Gigabit-Adapter/dp/B000J3OPOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390602893&sr=8-1&keywords=412648-B21 :laugh: I think you'll see that and want to send one to me (paid by me) out of pity :laugh: And yes the Gen8 does indeed have a dual port NIC card. Ebay there has this: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=412648-B21&_sop=15 (for me 57.80 euros) Ebay here has this: http://www.ebay.es/itm/HP-412648-B21-NC360T-PCIe-Dp-Gigabit-Serv-USED-SECOND-HAND-/380809271409?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_186&hash=item58aa005871 (86,95 euros) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hello, Anyhow, If I do happen to get another dual port NIC (well if I need it), Im running out of space on my Netgear GS105E...Ill problably have to get another switch (this will be a dumb one though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted January 25, 2014 MVC Share Posted January 25, 2014 You have a 2 ports on this gen8 your so set on.. So why would you need more than 2 for your simple pfsense/nas vms? I would ot go spending 100 plus euro so you can breakout your vmkern, dude that is just waste of money. The reason I bought mine is I wanted to break out the wlan for common sense setup and security. Only reason I broke out my vmkern was I now had a extra nic I wasn't using. I got the dual port because it was cheap and fit the slot I had open with the x16 slot. At those prices I would of never picked up a dual. And btw the hit on sharing the vmkern was back in 5.0, maybe they changed that in 5.1? And your talking 5 mins vs 2 minutes to copy up your iso. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hello, Also, since the footprint is so small, I plan on installing ESXi 5.5 on a 2GB USB 2.0 flash drive on the internal connector of the Microserver. Just laying that out there just in case :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
]SK[ Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I just installed on the HDD. It partitions off part of the drive so you don't lose a whole disc to the OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hello, I just installed on the HDD. It partitions off part of the drive so you don't lose a whole disc to the OS. Oh yeah? I thought, if installing to the HDD, I would have to make a small partition for ESXi....Would I see any issues having it installed on a thumb drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
]SK[ Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Not at all. Just a slower boot time. I just moved to a HDD as I wanted the flash for something else. Which actually meant it went through the washing machine :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Hello, Well Im gonna problably order this week.... Im playing with WS2012R2 today (problably tommorow too) on a VM just so I wont bore all of you with questions later on. Thank you for all the commends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Hello, And I took the plunge; 24-48 hours till arrival... Thanks to everyone who has held up my BS and answered all my questions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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