[Help] Building my own router

[Spinks]

I'm not too sure if this is correct section, but I hope so!

My goal:
My goal is to build a lower powered computer which will operate as a router. Hoping to keep the power usage low and have it small as possible.
Though, it doesn't matter too much it will be a fun project.

Operating system:
What would be the best operating system to act as a router? SmoothWall?
Or are they better alternatives out there?

Hardware:

• MicroATX
• Pentium 4
• Just some generic 512MB of RAM.
• Is there some form of NIC which has couple of Ethernet ports on it? (I know you can get a single ethernet port on a PCI NIC.)

I'm hoping someone has had experience or some good recommendations on hardware before I give it ago.

 

[Enigma102083]

Sophos UTM Home Edition. As for NIC go with this:

http://www.allhdd.com/313559-001-hp...it-network-interface-card-new-bulk-pack-.html

 

[Spinks]

Sophos UTM Home Edition. As for NIC go with this:

http://www.allhdd.com/313559-001-hp...it-network-interface-card-new-bulk-pack-.html

Ok, I'll check it out. Cheers!

 

[drebo]

A Pentium 4 is going to consume significantly more watts than any SOHO off-the-shelf router.

Not going to recommend going this route. Just plop the $25 for a cheap ASUS wireless router and be done with it. The $$$ savings in power alone over the first 6 months will pay for it.

 

[Spinks]

A Pentium 4 is going to consume significantly more watts than any SOHO off-the-shelf router.

Not going to recommend going this route. Just plop the $25 for a cheap ASUS wireless router and be done with it. The $$$ savings in power alone over the first 6 months will pay for it.

I'm sure my existing router would be better than $25 router.
It was just going to be a fun project more than practical and money saving.

Thank you for your response though.

 

[hoboville]

If you want a fun project, download Ubuntu Server and use a dual-nic setup. Setup masquerading and NAT, as well as DHCP and DNS daemons. If you're new to linux it will take you some time, but there's plenty of good step-by-step documentation out there for setting up an ubuntu server router.

If you want to go even further, try setting up an OpenVPN server on your new router.

 

[drebo]

I'm sure my existing router would be better than $25 router.
It was just going to be a fun project more than practical and money saving.

Thank you for your response though.

If you want a fun project, buy a used Cisco 1841 or ASA5505 off of ebay and configure that as your router. Would be far better and cheaper in the long run. Also would teach you some fun things about networking.

 

[drebo]

If you want a fun project, download Ubuntu Server and use a dual-nic setup. Setup masquerading and NAT, as well as DHCP and DNS daemons. If you're new to linux it will take you some time, but there's plenty of good step-by-step documentation out there for setting up an ubuntu server router.

If you want to go even further, try setting up an OpenVPN server on your new router.

That teaches nothing useful, either.

No one uses iptables for routing in the real world unless they've been lead astray by a useless "network guy."

 

[hoboville]

That teaches nothing useful, either.

No one uses iptables for routing in the real world unless they've been lead astray by a useless "network guy."

Learning linux is more valuable than learning cisco routers unless you are a "cisco guy". Sure, he could learn static routes and private routing too in linux, but how valuable is that to someone who just wants a simple home setup? Let's push a home user into a brand-specific course because that's what enterprise uses...

Regardless, edge servers are useful for many scenarios, which any "network guy" would know..

 

[Spinks]

Ok, I'll give Linux setup ago on a VMWare before I decide to get a dedicated machine to operate it on. I'd done minimal amount of knowledge on Linux. I've used CentOS 5.5 about 2-3 years ago for small website at my job. Nether the less, even If I did go down the linux solution, I'd still require to build some form of system for linux to operate it on. This is what I was thinking of before but instead of ubuntu I was thinking SmoothWall as it is Linux distribution for firewall router (Though, I don't have experience really in either). My only question really is, what do you think cheapest box I can operate linux distribution on? Something such as raspberry Pi with more ethernet ports would be great.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Ddwrt has an x86 version. I'd try that before I bothered configuring a generic Linux as a router .

If you're a complete Linux noob, it'd be too easy to wind up with an improperly secured router and not realize if until you're hacked.

 

[jumpncrash]

there are tons of router OSs out there, just use one of those. Personally I was using pfsense and it worked well

As for your power efficient P4 that doesn't make too much sense, get an atom or something along those lines, of course if you're just using it because you have ti that's fine as well

 

[alfa147x]

PFsense is a good place to start. OpenBSD platform but it's easy to install and get up and running. Good documentation and community.

 

[sourceninja]

I'm a big fan of vyatta or pfsense.

 

[alfa147x]

I would also make sure which ever one you go with you take into account hardware compatibility. Possibly also the ability to SpeedStep your P4

 

[hoorah]

As others have said, using a P4 is going to consume around 100W of electricity, so thats not particularly efficient.

If you still want to roll-your-own, take a look as some router builds using some thin client PCs. They typically boot from flash memory and use considerably less powerful. Can run PFsense, monowall, a few other router OSes depending on the chip inside the box. Biggest caveat is that you have to get one with 2 nics or at least a riser card to install 2 PCI cards.

 

[sourceninja]

Just a heads up the $99 ubiquiti edgemax lite router runs a custom build of vyatta with a pretty good web UI. It's quiet, low power and has hardware acceleration. It's really hard to beat if you want "enterprise" gear.

I was going to build my own pfsense box until I stumbled on it. Now I couldn't be more pleased (I've been using it for a few days now).

 

[drebo]

I wouldn't consider a Ubiquiti Edgemax to be "enterprise" gear. They try, but it's more like "prosumer."

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Sophos UTM Home Edition. As for NIC go with this:

http://www.allhdd.com/313559-001-hp...it-network-interface-card-new-bulk-pack-.html

Deployed Sophos UTM Home on my network a couple of weeks ago and am really liking it. Another vote here.

 

[alfa147x]

Deployed Sophos UTM Home on my network a couple of weeks ago and am really liking it. Another vote here.

Deploying it on my ESXI box right now. PFSense has done it's job but I hate it's user interface (Even though I only login to it once a month at the most).

What type of hardware are you running it on?

 

[sourceninja]

I wouldn't consider a Ubiquiti Edgemax to be "enterprise" gear. They try, but it's more like "prosumer."

That's why I put it in quotes. It's not enterprise, it's enterprise like (as in a good tool for learning the methodologies, technology, and skills required to manage business equipment). It's also pretty dang powerful for it's price. Prosumer is a good word for it. I'd have no problem running one in a local business though.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Deploying it on my ESXI box right now. PFSense has done it's job but I hate it's user interface (Even though I only login to it once a month at the most).

What type of hardware are you running it on?

Running it on a Hyper-V VM and I've given it 1 vCPU, 4 GB of RAM (which I could reduce based on what I've seen), and way too much drive space.

 

[Hugo Drax]

There is a dude that is selling new 5505s that would cost about 3k due to all the licenses that are included. Ie security plus and 25 premium plus SSL licenses for 445 bucks. Why bother building a router.

 

[AlFrugal]

A member of the Linux User Group I belong to built a router using an Alix System Board ( http://www.pcengines.ch/alix.htm). He runs Debian on it because he is a hard-core Debian enthusiast. If you view the referenced web-page, you will see that there are many alternative router-oriented distros that can be used. There are other system boards besides the Alix that can be used. I haven't checked lately, but the Raspberry Pi PC may eventually become usable as a router if they ever provide suitable NIC.

These system boards consume only a few watts of power.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

There is a dude that is selling new 5505s that would cost about 3k due to all the licenses that are included. Ie security plus and 25 premium plus SSL licenses for 445 bucks. Why bother building a router.

Likely because they are created license keys, not Cisco provided ones. You can look up the tools to make them on various Cisco brain-dumping sites. If you really want to go that route (because Cisco will never support it), you can get a gently used base ASA for $200 and create the license keys yourself. Add the generated keys and voila, "3K" 5505 for $200. Works on the 5510 as well.