DIY router
DIY router
Here’s a rephrased version of your message:
So, I’m reaching out for your thoughts. Right now I have a top-tier 100/100 Mbit internet connection via a Netgear Nighthawk R700, and I’m using Private Internet Access as my preferred VPN on all my devices. However, I’m experiencing some problems:
1) My Samsung Galaxy Note 9 doesn’t work well with my smart home gadgets or the Google Chromecast when I enable the VPN.
2) I recently upgraded to a laptop equipped with a Ryzen 5 processor and a dedicated Vega graphics card—hoping it would handle photo editing, video editing, and Adobe Premiere (1080P and 4K). But unfortunately, there’s significant latency that’s becoming too much. My idea is to connect my laptop through the VPN to a faster desktop PC at home.
3) I’d like stronger security settings without sacrificing too much performance—specifically AES 256, SHA256, plus RSA-4096 handshake. My older Netgear isn’t up for that level of protection, so I’m considering building my own router or NAS server. This is new territory for me, but I need enough power to run encryption and handle real-time video transcoding for Plex at 1080P. I also want to keep power usage and heat low while staying budget-friendly. Right now, I’m looking into used parts and thinking a Dell Precision T1700 Xeon E3-1246V3 might work best. It would have an Intel Xeon E3-1225V3 at 3.20GHz, 8GB DDR4 RAM, a 1TB HDD, and I plan to upgrade it with two RAID 0 SSDs. The setup will run Linux with Frenema, Plex, and PIA installed. Do you think this would be a solid configuration that meets my requirements? I’ve assembled PCs before but never built a server.
Verify if the LAN traffic ID distinguishes different systems; if not, deploy a hypervisor instead. It’s simpler, more dependable, and safer. I’ll run Proxmox as the operating system here. Avoid FREANAS in a VM—use ZFS on the hypervisor instead. How much are you paying for this setup? I’d prefer something else depending on cost. Opt for RAID 0 across two drives rather than splitting them, and ensure robust backups are in place.
Sure! Let's break this down simply. A hypervisor is software that manages multiple virtual machines on a single physical computer, allowing you to run different operating systems or applications side by side. Proxmox is a popular open-source hypervisor that helps set up virtual environments efficiently.
The benefits include better resource management, improved security, and the ability to test software in isolated settings. For your PC upgrade, getting a GPU will help with faster transcoding and overall performance. If you're looking for specs, consider something like an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 with at least 8GB RAM and a solid-state drive.
I appreciate your curiosity—your approach to building a system shows good planning!
Still want larger drives if possible; two terabytes seem overpriced. Consider removing drives from external HDDs too. You might be able to, though the reason isn unclear. The CPU should handle most users' needs. What exactly are you planning to convert?
You're planning to move movies from your Plex 4K server and might want a 2x 4TB storage solution.
You're planning to watch 4K movies and need extra storage. I might consider using two 8TB drives instead. Those 8TB units are currently around $140 each. Converting 4K content is tough on the processor, so a refurbished R720 would be a good fit if you have one.
I’d prefer to leave Plex outside the router enclosure, even with a virtual machine. It’s best to avoid heavy re-encoding that could slow down the router’s operating system. I’d rather keep the original router but relocate Plex and the VPN onto a new computer. This way, Plex would only affect the VPN, not the entire router. Personally, I use Plex on my NAS and a separate dedicated device with pfSense for the router. It handles multiple VPN clients and a server smoothly, though it’s more costly than your subscriptions. It feels safer and simpler to manage compared to running everything on top of another OS.