Support for the Lawrence tech stack?

Noob to the forum. Sorry if this isn’t the right one to post in.

Tom’s videos have inspired us (a midsize manufacturer) to consider adopting the Lawrence Technologies tech stack (ubiquity, freeNAS, pfSense, etc.). But I’m concerned about the level of available support.

Obviously I’ve contacted Tom & glad they can support us. But I’d feel more comfortable knowing there’s multiple providers who support these solutions. So are there any companies in this forum or that you’re aware of that support these technologies?

TIA.

Well for FreeNAS & pfSense you can get support directly if you purchase their commercial equivalents.

So in the case of FreeNAS that would be a TrueNAS box from IXSystems, and a pfSense box directly from Netgate. Not sure if Ubiquiti offers any direct support, but I’m sure there are many others out there that support their gear - hopefully someone else can share some advice on that.

Perhaps we don’t quite know what you’re after here. You’ve already contacted Tom and know his team can support you; so are you after more local support or a competing bid?

I’d certainly hope it’s the former, as the latter would be a bit rude on here imho.

If indeed you’re looking for a more local solution, I’d recommend posting your general location, as there’s a few of us on here that could run local support, however I doubt any of us would knowingly compete with Tom on a remote support basis.

@faust, why would you jump to the conclusion that I’m shopping for bids? And even if I was, what’s wrong with that? I’m not a capitalist zealot but c’mon, what’s wrong with some fair competition? And what’s wrong with shopping for other MSPs that might be a better fit for us?

Anyway, back on topic, I said I’m happy that LT can support us but I want to know there’s enough support beyond LT. I like Fiat but there’s only one shop in a 300 mile radius of me that works on them, so I won’t consider buying one. Right now I know of ONE company that supports this stack, so I’m asking who else supports it. Because if LT is the only provider, I’ll stay with my enterprise gear.

I asked “who else support this stack?” If you do, please let me know. That’s it. This info helps inform my decisions about the direction of our IT infrastructure, & it may help others find the professional resources they may need.

I don’t mind this discussion being here and the questions are valid. Specifically when it comes to UniFi support https://crosstalksolutions.com/ offers support as like we do and I think they do some pfsense, but not any FreeNAS support. TrueNAS is an awesome enterprise solution with support options, but it does come with the enterprise price tag. We make it simple as we are a one stop shop for those products and a few others.

@Rand0 I’m not quite sure how the only thing you got from my reply was, ‘shopping for bids’. I thought I was more broad and optimistic than that. And you’re correct, there’s nothing wrong with ‘fair’ competition, however personally I find it in poor taste to do so in someone else’s back yard. You wouldn’t expect another Fiat dealer, to show up on your local Fiat dealerships lot and try to poach customers, would you?

I live in LA, and will admit to being jaded as dealing with the populace here isn’t a picnic.

I’ll withdraw from this thread. I hope you find what you’re looking for in your endeavors.

@Rand0
Depending on your location look at the mfg’s support offerings. I and others offer remote support similar to what Tom offers although different. The “stack” as you describe it is very user friendly the most complex being pfSense in terms of having to understand networking. Many excellent books on ZFS, pfSense docs are extensive and combined with a good networking reference will serve you well. So what I am saying is don’t be afraid to deploy because of to few support MSPs make a plan, eval, deploy. One peice at a time start with the most critical, data storage, then protecting the edge [put first if edge is weak] the do your network properly. A couple of axioms to follow: P to the 7th and 2is 1 1 is none.

Hi Rand0,

I do provide support for some of the following software.

Pfsense
Untangled
Sonicwall
Freenas
Synaptic
Qnap

I also can support Ubiquity, Cisco Aruba, Mojo, Ruckus networks.

@faust

You wouldn’t expect another Fiat dealer, to show up on your local Fiat dealerships lot and try to poach customers, would you?

Except I’m not a dealer, I’m a customer. And you’re a guy from another dealership(?) who’s agitating the customer. Not a great sales tactic. Certainly not a way to win over businesses to adopt FOSS solutions. So let’s just move on.

Everyone, as I said, I’m new here & don’t know the rules or the community. I certainly don’t mean or intend to cause trouble. I thought this was a simple, honest question–I’m trying to make sure there’s adequate support IF we adopt FOSS at our company. I avoided posting on /r/msp because of their focus on MS. With LTS fondness for FOSS solutions & this being a forum for MSPs, this seemed the ideal place to post. And as a buyer, I thought this would be a welcome question since it’s hard to find clients AND providers interested in FOSS. If this is problematic or against the guidelines, please just let me know & I’ll happily delete the post.

@LTS_Tom, thanks for suggesting Crosstalk. I’m actually currently talking to Chris about a freePBX system–just like you did (great video, BTW!).

@g-aitc, thanks for the info. It’s good to know there’s more support out there. My background is somewhat similar to Tom’s, so I’m comfortable with these technologies but if I’m hit by a bus or whatever the company MUST be left in good hands. So I have to make sure support is there, & thus, this post. So I’m glad you’re providing these services. Thank you. (BTW, “P to the 7th”, are you referring to Deming?)

@BigBadAL, thanks for letting me know your services. FreeNAS, pfSense, & ubiquiti in particular will likely play an important role here. Our QNAP & Synology NAS’ play a limited role but I really like them. Solid so far but great to know you support QNAP. I appreciate your reply!

@Mike, excellent suggestions. My primary goal right now is to make sure there’s enough general support for this stack–planning, configuring, integrating, troubleshooting. But commercial support from the makers is definitely an important thing to consider going forward. Thanks for the suggestion!

@Rand0
FYI P to the 7th supposedly has it origins in the British Navy and means, Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Thank you for the good words. “if I’m hit by a bus or whatever the company MUST be left in good hands” One of my lines the part about getting hit by the bus. That goes to one other axiom 2 is one, 1 is none. If you should want a second opinion on anything you are contemplating feel free to get in touch.

@g-aitc Ah, “P to the 7th”, TIL. That’s sage advise. It’s also dangerous for overthinkers who plan & plan & plan & never get anything done. Speaking from experience :wink:

A wise sounding board is invaluable. I appreciate the offer. Thanks.

1 Like

@Rand0 what was Yoda’s line “there is no try only do.”