mini DIY routers
mini DIY routers
Have you explored the DIY routers available on Amazon? They usually come with 4 or 5 Ethernet ports and run on a Celeron chip. You're considering setting one up with Linux to handle your home network, especially since your current ISP router has been unreliable for years. If these turn out to be problematic, you might opt for an older Dell R710 or R720 and add multiple Ethernet cards. Alternatively, if they perform well, you could move toward a server setup using your existing hardware.
Many people do this, but they’re more affordable on Aliexpress. I don’t suggest the Celerons; the N100 models offer great performance at a lower cost compared to older Dell options.
I purchased a basic N6000 model for $120 with shipping, one of the top investments in my tech budget recently.
You don’t have to buy many Ethernet cards. Switches work just fine. I’m running a NUC with a dual NIC, and I’m handling the rest with switches.
Yeah, I'm mainly concerned about how things perform under different conditions. With around 30 machines on the LAN and some public-facing servers, I'm keeping an eye on that. Power isn't a big issue since I have affordable electricity nearby. If I end up with a Dell, I'll definitely look for options with upgradeable SSDs—maybe even add a solid drive to it. I'm hoping it arrives in time so I don't have to replace my old router.
I’ll definitely examine this because it looks promising (the prices appear to have increased).
I considered the Ethernet cards because I might segment the network and add an SFP card later, especially since companies are phasing out outdated models for cost reasons.
routers are straightforward devices. Ten users isn't enough for a N100
I’m reviewing several cards because having my servers on a dedicated port would be ideal. They’ve been under heavy load with over 2 requests per second and about 750KB each, which is quite intense—last weekend I got around 150k requests in one weekend. AKA: if they get many more, it’d help keep things stable so my home server isn’t impacted.