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Small box, big server

NetWinder great for small offices, but its size makes it vulnerable to being
stolen

By Simson L. Garfinkel, 10/21/99



The NetWinder OfficeServer, by the Canadian firm Rebel.com, brings a breath of
fresh air to the stuffy world of network servers and firewalls. Weighing just
two pounds and taking up less space than a three-ring binder, it combines
innovative hardware with great software in a package that won't intimidate the
typical small-office computer manager.


NetWinder is designed to be a one-stop shop for office networking. It comes with
an e-mail server, a file server, and a print server, all managed through an
easy-to-use Web-based interface. This combination makes the OfficeServer ideal
for small offices that have a few computers but haven't yet put together an
office LAN. All you need to buy is a NetWinder OfficeServer for $895, a $25
network interface card for each PC, some cables, and a $100 multiport network
hub. The OfficeServer can easily handle up to 100 workstations.


The OfficeServer also can connect you to the Internet. For the typical small
office, you can connect the serial port on the back of the computer to a modem,
then use the OfficeServer to dial up an Internet service provider. OfficeServer
software lets everyone in your office share the single dial-up connection. The
computer also includes a built-in firewall, so files and e-mail will be safe.


When you are ready to upgrade to a faster Internet connection, the NetWinder is
ready, too. The computer's box has two Ethernet interfaces on its backside. The
first is for your company's internal network. The second is for a high-speed DSL
or cable modem connection.


When I first took the NetWinder out of its box, I did a double take: I knew it
would be small, but its truly diminutive size still caught me off guard. The box
measures just 9-by-6-by-2-inches, which is still enough room for a hard drive
(4.6GB with the $895 OfficeServer package; 10GB with the $1,995 version), a
speaker, the two Ethernet connectors, the serial port, the printer port, and
standard sockets for a PC-style keyboard, video, and mouse. Most buyers, I
think, won't even connect a keyboard, mouse, or screen. Instead, they will just
drop the OfficeServer onto a network and configure it through a Web browser
connected to a nearby desktop computer.


Using OfficeServer's Web-based system administration program, you can configure
the network adapters and the firewall, add user accounts, set up the e-mail
system, and even configure the printer. The computer comes with software to
support Windows, Macintosh, or Unix-style file sharing. It has discussion
forums, Internet-chat, and even a built-in Web server. This is all standard
stuff for most Unix gurus. What's amazing about the OfficeServer is that it
comes preconfigured with all these features.


One of the things that makes the NetWinder possible is its StrongARM RISC
microprocessor, an extremely fast chip that nevertheless draws very little
power. The StrongARM lets Rebel.com build a tiny package that doesn't need to
dissipate vast quantities of heat, as do most desktop PCs and laptops built
around Intel's Pentium, AMD's K6, or Motorola G3 and G4 microprocessors. The low
heat and power requirements also make this computer ideal for Internet service
providers who want to stick a few hundred of them into a single 19-inch rack and
lease them out to customers.


The second thing that makes the NetWinder work is the Linux operating system.
Linux lets Rebel.com ship a boatload of server software to its customers free.
It is simply impossible to put together a low-cost network server using Windows
because of the astronomical cost of licensing Windows NT Server and the
requisite software that Windows needs to get working.


I have two big fears with network appliances such as the NetWinder: backup and
security. On backup, Rebel.com has done a pretty good job. By design, You can
back up the OfficeServer from a typical Windows desktop computer. You can back
up just the computer's configuration, just the user files, or the whole computer
system. If the system crashes, just get another machine and restore your backup:
There are no user-serviceable parts inside.


But theft is a bigger issue for this small system. It is fairly easy to pick up
the NetWinder, rip off all the cables, and carry it away under your coat. Since
an attack like that could shut down many organizations, it behooves people using
the NetWinder to make sure the computer is kept under lock and key.
Unfortunately, Rebel.com made this harder than it should be. Many computers
these days come with a little slot to attach an anti-theft lock; the NetWinder
doesn't.


I was prepared to dislike the NetWinder. I thought a computer running Red Hat
Linux would be too difficult for most small offices to handle. But
OfficeServer's Web-based management shields all but the most inquisitive of
administrators from the Unix operating system that governs this machine's brain.
I also thought a computer without a floppy disk would be an invitation to
disaster, but it's clear to me now that most people who use this machine
couldn't rescue their computer with floppy disks if their lives depended on it -
it's easier for them just to get another computer and restore their backups.


Indeed, the only thing I really don't like about the NetWinder is its fan.
Although small, the fan makes more noise than practically every other computer
in my office. For this reason, I can't recommend it as a desktop machine. And
that's a pity, because I know a lot of Linux fans, who have already given
Microsoft the boot, would dearly love to be rid of Intel as well. Who knows?
Perhaps Rebel.com has a laptop system in the works that will overcome this noisy
problem.


Technology columnist Simson Garfinkel can be reached at http://chat.simson.net/



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