MJ optimized image for 5700 or 5720?

[gdelius]

I own Inn and am building 3, 5700's & 1, 5720 for use in guest rooms. all are 1Ghz, 1Gb/1Gb configurations w/4Gb thumb drives. All units have been flashed to latest BIOS and XPe OS image

I'm looking for a MJ optimized XPe image for the 5700 and 5720. I'll also take a 'cheat sheet' with a step by step optimization. I've seen the numerous guides on-line but just want to optimize the units for the 5700 and 5720 in a relatively short time frame.

I already have and have deployed GHOLMANS image for the 5710, and it works GREAT! Thank You George you are the best! I've also added Firefox and SKYPE to the 5710 image and am happy to share that image.

These units are not for resale, and all information provided will be happily shared when the 5700 and 5720 images with Firefox 7 Skype added are completed.

[tony]

I'm looking for a MJ optimized XPe image for the 5700 and 5720. I'll also take a 'cheat sheet' with a step by step optimization. I've seen the numerous guides on-line but just want to optimize the units for the 5700 and 5720 in a relatively short time frame.

Hi,
I have a T5700 in our guest room with a wifi adapter. House guests can use Firefox or IE to check their email, the weather forecasts, transit schedules, etc. Mine is a 512/256 unit and I've pretty much just flashed to the factory image, added Firefox, the wifi adapter driver, Flash, Active X.

With 1GB/1GB, you've got plenty of storage and RAM memory. If you have flashed to the latest BIOS and XPe images, there isn't much performance or disk space you'd gain by "optimizing". Removing unneeded components of XPe (See the Dummie's guide for which programs to remove), you gain back less than 10 MB of disk space, not a huge gain. Perhaps remove Citrix and teamnet if you are not using them just to clean up the desktop.

I would suggest making sure you've added Flash, Active X, and a PDF reader to round out your guest room thin clients. Other than that, there isn't much more to do that will generate much added benefit with your units. Go ahead and deploy them. Great idea by the way.

[gdelius]

I'll give that a try... Just know that George had added-in and tweaked some components to optimize... But with as much available RAM/ROM on these machines a LOT of optimizing shouldn't be necessary... Primarily looking for an environment that MJ is MOST happy with... Because we all know how MJ behaves when he is not happy! Just don't have the need to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to.

Much prefer to stand on the shoulders of those wonderful giants who have gone before... You included!

I'll let you know how it goes

Gary Delius
Four Gables Cottages & Suites
Provincetown, MA

[tony]

I own Inn and am building 3, 5700's & 1, 5720 for use in guest rooms.

Just to add, using thin clients is a great approach for offering Internet and phones in the guest rooms. They are unobtrusive, silent and guests can't do any damage to them. With a wireless keyboard and mouse and an LCD monitor, it would look very classy and clean.

[gdelius]

Tony;

My current phone bill is about $300/year/line. Even tricked out with all the RAM/ROM upgrades, monitor, etc, my first year savings is about $188.

After year one it jumps to $288/year/line (assuming I do MagicJack a year at a time).

That drops right to my bottom line...Plus, offering the extra services makes my units more appealing... Kewl... very kewl...

If something happens to MJ, I've still got the basis for an awesome phone system using Skype.

Gary

[tony]

That drops right to my bottom line...Plus, offering the extra services makes my units more appealing... Kewl... very kewl...

Hi Gary,
Those are very impressive return on investment figures. For personal home use, I'll never recoup the expense and time I've put into getting MJ to work! I look at it as a challenge and I can brag that I get free long distance calls (without mentioning my $250 investment in various hardware)

But in the case of your business, good work, every expense you can eliminate leaves more profit in your pocket.

[smalcom]

That drops right to my bottom line...Plus, offering the extra services makes my units more appealing... Kewl... very kewl...

Hi Gary,
Those are very impressive return on investment figures. For personal home use, I'll never recoup the expense and time I've put into getting MJ to work! I look at it as a challenge and I can brag that I get free long distance calls (without mentioning my $250 investment in various hardware)

But in the case of your business, good work, every expense you can eliminate leaves more profit in your pocket.

Yes, but if you had bought an Ooma box, you would be further in the hole, and not have anything better than the magicJack. MJ on a TC is the only way to go.

[mberlant]

gdelius, I apologize for jumping in so late, but I just thought of something that I think you should consider. If you are thinking of putting an MJ dongle in a guest room there is the problem of not being able to block or spoof outbound Caller ID.

This could be a problem if a guest makes an outbound call and the phone number gets logged in the called party's phone. A month later that person looks at the phone number and can't remember who called him for 45 minutes, so he calls back and disturbs the current room guest, who has just hung the DND card on the door 10 minutes earlier.

As a workaround, I suppose you can either leave the MJ set to DND permanently or give the guest the option to set it and release it.

[gdelius]

[/quote]If you are thinking of putting an MJ dongle in a guest room there is the problem of not being able to block or spoof outbound Caller ID.

This could be a problem if a guest makes an outbound call and the phone number gets logged in the called party's phone. A month later that person looks at the phone number and can't remember who called him for 45 minutes, so he calls back and disturbs the current room guest, who has just hung the DND card on the door 10 minutes earlier.

As a workaround, I suppose you can either leave the MJ set to DND permanently or give the guest the option to set it and release it.[/quote]

Seems I read someplace about a way to spoof the caller ID with another number... Think I'll see if I can dig that article up and put in the main number to our business, just in case. In reality, guest use the room phone so infrequently that it will never be a problem. Most guests use their CELL phones... But, we have to have room phones for 911. Hence MagicJack, why keep Phone lines installed at $30/month just in the off-chance someone needs to make an emergency call?

[mberlant]

Seems I read someplace about a way to spoof the caller ID with another number... Think I'll see if I can dig that article up and put in the main number to our business, just in case. In reality, guest use the room phone so infrequently that it will never be a problem. Most guests use their CELL phones... But, we have to have room phones for 911. Hence MagicJack, why keep Phone lines installed at $30/month just in the off-chance someone needs to make an emergency call?

First of all, there used to be a Caller ID spoof available, but that hole was plugged almost a year ago.

Second, and more importantly, as a "Hotel or Inn" your fire code may require that you provide 911 service via a POTS line if you don't have a Central Station pull box in each room, so as to ensure that emergency service is available during a power outage, etc. You know better than I do what your constraints and options are.

[gdelius]

First of all, there used to be a Caller ID spoof available, but that hole was plugged almost a year ago.

Second, and more importantly, as a "Hotel or Inn" your fire code may require that you provide 911 service via a POTS line if you don't have a Central Station pull box in each room, so as to ensure that emergency service is available during a power outage, etc. You know better than I do what your constraints and options are.

Not concerned about fire code, know a LOT about that and am in conformance, but thanks for your concern and advice. Know anything about the PNY 1Gb RAM?