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Up until recently, the WRAP devices were only available as the bare-board. This has recently been addressed by the introduction of an optional anodised and pressed aluminium case. But the way PC Engines have implemented the case has its advantages and disadvantages. 

On the plus side there is no doubt (in my opinion anyway) that the anodised aluminium finish is much more attractive than the odd shade of green of the powder-coated steel Soekris cases. A complete absence of branding decals and case markings also lends the case to OEM use. The use of pressed aluminium has resulted in the PC Engines WRAP being positively light-weight, around half the weight of the Soekris net4501 at 384g (0.9 lb) compared to 750g (1.6 lb). Externally, the case measures 158mm X 155mm X 25mm (6.2 in. X 6.1 in. X 1 in.).

Tip: After a bit of digging around prompted by a rumour on the m0n0wall mailing list about a black case for the Soekris net4501, I can confirm that they indeed exist and are distributed by kd85.com in Belgium.

Figure 1: PC Engines WRAP, Front View

The front of the WRAP has three LEDs mounted directly on the board and a small recessed reset switch, again mounted on the board. Under m0n0wall only the left-hand most LED is functional as a power indicator, the remaining LEDs and the reset switch are not implemented at present by the m0n0wall software.

Figure 2: Rear View

As on the net4501, the rear of the WRAP has from right to left, the 12V power connector, 3 X RJ45 Ethernet interfaces and a DB9 Serial Console interface. The right-hand most Ethernet interface (LAN1) supports passive Power-over-Ethernet.

Figure 3: Top Cover Removed

On the minus side, the top and bottom of the case are held together by four self-tapping countersunk head screws that fix at each corner. This, I think, gives the case a slightly home-made appearance. The anodised aluminium finish is also relatively easily scratched, something I discovered when clumsily fixing one of the self-tapping screws first time. More importantly in-use, the CompactFlash card is not very easily removed as the case and board have to be partly disassembled, something that will quickly become tiresome if you have to re-flash the contents of the card often. This said, once installed, there is no chance of the CompactFlash card being dislodged during transit etc.

Figure 4: PC Engines WRAP Main-Board

Tags: m0n0wall, open source,

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