Understanding connections and relationships Key takeaways about building professional links
Understanding connections and relationships Key takeaways about building professional links
It seems my router isn't working properly. I can connect through the modem and PC. The one I bought was supposed to last a while but failed after two years. I don’t want to buy another basic model, so I’m seeking recommendations. My household has five people—two of them play games, one streams, and the rest use it for everyday tasks. We have gig service, so the router must handle that too. Perfect Wi-Fi 6 is a must.
There will likely be varied viewpoints here, so I’ll keep it brief. I tend to steer clear of discussions that escalate into heated debates or fanatical arguments. For someone familiar with technology, a budget-friendly old PC paired with PFSense works well—simple to set up and manage. A solid access point/pointing device plus unmanaged switches is usually enough. It’s straightforward, dependable, and the main risk is the AP itself.
For the PC setup:
- Minimum two Ethernet ports (one for WAN, one for LAN)
- At least 2GB RAM
- Two cores or higher from a model released after 2012
The power consumption is low—plenty of room for other devices.
When choosing switches, match the number of Ethernet ports to your needs; many 1Gb ports are ideal for handling multiple users simultaneously.
For APs, this is where opinions often clash. Many enthusiasts favor specific brands like TP-Link’s Omada series—they’re affordable, easy to configure, and offer features like seamless handoff. You’ll probably see Ubiquiti models join the conversation soon.
Just steer clear of mesh networks and basic consumer devices. They tend to underperform compared to properly managed APs, which usually last longer and function more consistently.
PFSense is a network device that uses its own operating system, though it may seem unusual for a compact unit in a residential setting.
It functions as an operating system or firewall tailored for routers. You can deploy it on various computers, making it feasible for a compact device with several network connections. However, the setup process is more involved and it may not be as cost-effective compared to a specialized solution.
I like PFSense, but I will give you a warning: Be careful of building your own router/firewall unless you know what you're doing. It can be fun though, so I'd definitely suggest doing it, but not if you're building it to get internet - which is pretty crucial to your household. I would get an Asus Router like an AC-58U, Asus updates their firmware often, they work pretty well and have Trend Micro protection built in - which gives you that extra layer of protection at no noticeable performance cost. For free. If you want to build a router - I'll list some of my advice below (keep in mind my advice does not mean it's the best option) I'll some ideas for custom router/firewall options below and you can choose what you want: PFSense - This is a reliable, tested, Firewall distribution. I recommend it if you've got some networking experience already, and have a little Linux/Unix knowledge so you can navigate the documentation and troubleshoot issues if you need to. OPNSense - I prefer this to PFSense, but it's all personal preference. It's more free easier to navigate (in my opinion), it has an IPS built-in - which is useful for extra network protection for your household. Sophos XG Firewall Home - If you aren't using this for commercial use, and don't mind using proprietary software, this is a great option. It's got great AV, mail filtering, very easy to use, and great protection all around. It's got some good enterprise features. Untangle - This is really easy to use if you want an easy firewall solution. It's got some restrictions in it definitely, but as a home user you shouldn't run into any issues. You can't run it in high-availability, and you can't use LDAP authentication on it as an example. IPFire - This is really easy to install, but be warned... it's an advanced firewall and you should be prepared to go through some extra configuration to make sure the firewall is configured properly. This is the most secure and lightest option in my opinion. If you want to build a custom router to just be an internet gateway (no IPS, Antivirus, Web-Filtering, etc), then you should be fine with 1-2GB of RAM and a single core even. If you want to have more fun and build a firewall you can use as an internet gateway and have an IPS, Antivirus, etc. You should have around 4-6GB of RAM and a Dual core. You can also install any of these in a Virtual Machine as a test if you'd like to experiment with them before you commit.
Consumer routers usually lack sufficient power, relying on the slowest CPU available and employing workarounds to boost speed for Gigabit speeds, which often turns off useful features. With the right hardware, a PC can surpass those routers in performance without sacrificing advanced capabilities. You don’t always need to create one; several manufacturers produce low-power systems tailored for running pfSense or similar router operating systems. For instance, I recently bought one from Amazon, though I’m still using my current setup.