/ domm
At home, we're using an very old PC (486) running Linux as a gateway/hub/router to the internet. In theroy, we're only allowed to connect one computer to the net (a multi-user contract would be more expensive), but with some Linux-foo and two network cards in this gateway thingy, everything works (and is undetectable by the cable company).
Now, for various reasons, the name of this computer is 'schmetterling' (butterfly). Schmetterling is rather noisy and draws quite a bit of power. So if we don't need connection to the net (e.g. everybody is sleeping), we shut it down.
Previously, if somebody would stop working/browsing/etc, s/he would yell "Does anybody need 'schmetterling'?" and if nobody needed connection, s/he would turn of the computer.
Now, for some time, we happened to change that to "Should I shut down the Internet?" or (even better): "I'll shut down the Internet, if you don't need it anymore". Which is much more fun, and gives a certain powerfull but slightly delusional feeling...
Original: http://use.perl.org/~domm/journal/28274
I have found in the past that old laptops make good gateway machines -- a NIC in each card slot. Especially since the battery is often the first thing to give out on a laptop, and a gateway doesn't need one.
And if it DOES work, hey your gateway has a built-in UPS
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