[Soekris] Temperature in net4801

[Jean-Gérard Pailloncy]

Hi,

I would like to share some experience with the net4801 boxes and some
temperature problems I have.

I have 10 net4801 boxes: some with drives, some not. One of the disk died
one year ago due to the hot temperature inside the box after 5 months of
work. The temperature was between 70°C-75°C.

1) Extended Temperature Drive
The first solution I applied was to buy an expensive extended temperature
drive. 3 times the price of the regular drive ! The box is runing since 10
months now. No more problem.

2) Two 30x30x7mm 7000rpm 12V Fans
I ask a guy to make 29mm holes on each side of the box and I installed two
fans.
The boxes stay runing opened during 2 weeks while I was making the holes
and buying the fans.
The temperature drops to 52°C.
When I add the cover with the 2 fans running, the temperature drops to 42°C.

For less than 15 euros by boxes, the temperature drops from 70°C to 40°c !!!

Note:
1) Why two fans ? because if one stops the remaining is enough to cool the
box.
2) I want to use slower fans to prevent noise and to have longer MTBF, but
I did not find somes easily in Paris, France.

Cordialement,
Jean-Gérard Pailloncy