Allstar wasn’t an option when our repeater was first activated and
ultimately grew into three sites. There is something to be said about each
repeater being able to drop out and connect elsewhere. But that isn’t our
current situation.
As I stated this is partly about $$$. We already have the RC-210’s and need
to question over $1k per site. You cannot run FSCK via SSH if the file system is
really FUBARed. How will you reformat and restore from a back-up without going
to the site? Our sites are at >5k feet and often inaccessible due to snow.
Without KVM/IP you will lose connectivity. I have been a network administrator
for many, many years. Been there; done that. Your point is well taken that a
small OS can be recovered faster than terabytes but only if you can drive to the
site. I remain very hesitant to become PC-based at a remote site.
One point on VM containers. A PC that has multiple or even a single
container [some still call it a node] can have a scheduled backup run to a
remote PC. If the node or even the PC fails it may be restored by issuing a
simple command on the back-up server that would in our case be located in our
data center. No KVM/IP needed in this case; just a second PC running
Linux/Virtuozzo/VMWare. In a CRON one enters vzbackup –Cg –p –e [nodeID][nodeID]
one time unless you alter the config file(s). Restoring is just as easy once a
P2 that finally died has been replaced with another legacy PC just as aged and
long in the tooth. It is one thing to say that the overhead is minimal and that
a P2 will work and still another to use something with a limited supply of spare
parts.
Why such a powerful hub? Because a have a room full of already built server
class PC’s for free. 
Add a HDD and
go. Most of the boards don’t have SATA/IDE busses in anticipation of an external
controller that actually could be SATA/SSD. But would you really risk an
out-dated P2 at a remote possibly inaccessible site? But we also would like to
share with others. This is why our preference of RTCM’s. Regardless of a RC-210
controller we can be all Allstar-based without PC’s at remote sites far cheaper
than with. No moving parts.
I think that the initial question has been answered but each of you has
given me things to think about. At this point I am leaning towards using the
RC-210’s rather than selling them on eBay for far less than we paid. 
One RTCM,
one node number, X number of repeaters/remote bases. If it doesn’t work we can
change it and add RTCM’s for each repeater.
From: Robert A. Poff
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: [App_rpt-users] Multiple Repeaters Per
Site
How
many simultaneous connections are you talking about that you need that kind of
horsepower?
One on the nice things about this software is how relatively low the overhead is.
I have run two usbradio (URI) nodes and a hub on a P4 3.2 GHZ machine with 2 GB of ram, and 80 GB of disk. An IBM Think center Small Form Factor desktop to be exact.
My first setup here at home was a P2 800 MHZ with 512 MB of RAM, and I think maybe 40GB of disk (that I happened to have on hand). That ran a simplex base and a hub.
My favorite hardware thus far is a Super Micro Atom D2550 1 RU box, with 4GB of RAM. It now has a 500 GB conventional disk in it. After the SSD that it came with failed one month out of the warranty period. Also using that box for my others to rsync with to backup files.
My standard setup now is a repeater and a hub on each box.
As far as a long time to recover after power failure, hasn't been a problem for me in the last 4-5 years. But then I'm not maintaining terabytes of (un-needed) disk at the sites.
No multiple container VM's or any of that stuff. Define the multiple nodes in the config files.
Nor have I found the need for an IP KVM.
And in a multiple repeater system, it's so very convenient to have them connected via a hub node. Each node in the group can then drop out and connect somewhere else, say for a net or something, without dragging the others along.
I'm about to connect a BBB node to one of our local club's RC-210. So I've read up on the controller. OK, the RC-210 is very capable. But, I think they would have been better off basing the repeater on Allstar to begin with.
《/SOAPBOX》
--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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One on the nice things about this software is how relatively low the overhead is.
I have run two usbradio (URI) nodes and a hub on a P4 3.2 GHZ machine with 2 GB of ram, and 80 GB of disk. An IBM Think center Small Form Factor desktop to be exact.
My first setup here at home was a P2 800 MHZ with 512 MB of RAM, and I think maybe 40GB of disk (that I happened to have on hand). That ran a simplex base and a hub.
My favorite hardware thus far is a Super Micro Atom D2550 1 RU box, with 4GB of RAM. It now has a 500 GB conventional disk in it. After the SSD that it came with failed one month out of the warranty period. Also using that box for my others to rsync with to backup files.
My standard setup now is a repeater and a hub on each box.
As far as a long time to recover after power failure, hasn't been a problem for me in the last 4-5 years. But then I'm not maintaining terabytes of (un-needed) disk at the sites.
No multiple container VM's or any of that stuff. Define the multiple nodes in the config files.
Nor have I found the need for an IP KVM.
And in a multiple repeater system, it's so very convenient to have them connected via a hub node. Each node in the group can then drop out and connect somewhere else, say for a net or something, without dragging the others along.
I'm about to connect a BBB node to one of our local club's RC-210. So I've read up on the controller. OK, the RC-210 is very capable. But, I think they would have been better off basing the repeater on Allstar to begin with.
《/SOAPBOX》
On March 21, 2015 1:42:26 PM EDT, "R. Wayne"
<allstar@controlservers.net> wrote:
Thank you all for some fresh ideas. I too like the hub idea even though it means a Linux server at the repeater site. The problem with Linux at a repeater site is power outrages. I work for the hosting company that has allowed me to place our high powered hub in a rack (dual Intel processors, quad core, 16GB RAM, RAID [ to be replaced with SSD ]) with a 100MBit pipe. We will be able to handle a lot of connections. At the repeater site we need to make sure that we at least have a UPS installed that will give the site owners generator time to come online. Otherwise Linux sucks when it scrambles. It may take hours to do a FSCK. That means a trip to the site unless we add a KVM over IP device. $$$ all the way around.We have three repeater sites. We have three RC-210’s. I propose adding a RTCM on the 4th port of the RC-210 and then port 1 –> 2m port 2 –> 440 port 3 –> 900.Here’s the price breakdown:1 PC: $3003 URI’s: $2971 APC SmartUPS UPS: $5001 KVM/IP: $305==>> $1397Compared to:1 Arcom RC-210: $4001 RTCM: $269==>> $669The difference here besides the price is that each repeater cannot be individually linked via Allstar. But the RC-210 can allow all three repeaters to connect to one RTCM. From what Chris Kurtis tells us the RC-210 worked out fine.I’d love to read more ideas.Wayne @ Node 41660From: Chris CurtisSent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 9:26 AMTo: 'R. Wayne'Subject: RE: [App_rpt-users] Multiple Repeaters Per SiteI used a port on the 210 for IRLP and then later allstarlink.
Works fine.
You still need a sound fob in between the PC and the 210 though.
The 210 treats the fob as a radio and the fob treats the 210 as a radio.
210 port àfobß PC
No problem at all.
Chris
KB0WLF
From: app_rpt-users-bounces@ohnosec.org [mailto:app_rpt-users-bounces@ohnosec.org] On Behalf Of R. Wayne
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 10:32 AM
To: app_rpt-users@ohnosec.org
Subject: Re: [App_rpt-users] Multiple Repeaters Per SiteBut what about using an external controller like a Arcom RC-210?
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--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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