[Soekris] is there any source to deliver alternate cases for the net4801?

[Erhard Schwenk]

Hello,

we would like to use some soekris net4801 and perhaps later 5501 as a 
minimal Server appliance for SoHo-Customers, e.g. as an Internet Router 
with integrated Firewall and VPN Connection, as a small Outpost 
Fileserver, as a Print box and so on.

First Tests seem to work nicely, but the Cases delivered by Soekris have 
- while seeming to be overall remarkably painless at all - some small 
drawbacks especially for us:

- if we order the Box without any PCI card, it is mechanically 
impossible to put lets say an ISDN card later because there are no 
fitting holes in the case. So we would have to replace the case as well 
or to make some modifications to the metal...

- worse, the case without an extension card wastes much room just for 
some extra Air inside since it is as wide as the Board with attached 
PCI-Card, but we cannot put in a PCI Card without making extra holes 
(ok, perhaps we coult plug it into the Slot, but there would be no Way 
to access any Connectors which are normally placed in the Slot screen of 
such cards).

In some cases, this Room could nicely be used for some Power supply so 
we do not have to use an external one.

- there is no Kit to put in two 2,5" Hard Disks. We would like to do so 
to be able to mirror our data in some cases - whereby I must say I have 
not tested yet if the IDE Interface can even handle two drives (does it?)

So, are there any suppliers of affordable cases (best would be if they 
were in Europe oder Germany) which fit for some of our needs, lets say...

- a Case without PCI card  which is more narrow than the one delivered 
by Soekris so that there can be put 3 of them into one 19"/1HE Rack?

- a Case with preparations to later insert some standard PCI extension 
Card without having to cut some holes into the case?

- a Case with integrated power Supply?

- a Case which allows mounting of two 2,5" Hard Disk Drives

- perhaps a Case which has an additional Connector for the second USB 
Plug on the Board?



-- 
Erhard Schwenk

Akkordeonjugend Baden-Württemberg - http://www.akkordeonjugend.de/
APAYA running System - http://www.apaya.net/