2 ms·

I hear you on the reliability of a known and long-tenured vendor. I got one of the AliExpress ones, because I wasn't originally certain what it would be used f

I hear you on the reliability of a known and long-tenured vendor. I got one of the AliExpress ones, because I wasn't originally certain what it would be used for. At one point it was my primary PC, and it performed silently and as well as or better than a same-specced laptop. The support is nonexistent, but compatibility is pretty good. These mini PCs are just taking generic laptop motherboard and CPU assemblies (probably the same you'd find in a Clevo or similar ODM machine). I wouldn't use one for something mission critical, but it worked great as a silent desktop and it has been a (super overpowered) router box as well.

pdimitar 6y ago
Do you use pfSense as a router, or something else? I am on the fence of not buying Mikrotik or Ubiquiti and just get one of these boxes you mentioned. But I am not a network admin and have no clue about network protocols (yet). My main idea is to return to Android but have very strict blacklists on my router machine so as to preserve privacy the best I can. And while Mikrotik routers can import various blacklists -- and even auto-update them! -- I am still not 100% sure about it and I wonder if I should take the leap to a small pfSense box that I control completely. Do you have any opinion on this?
- greggyb 6y ago
  I run the latest OpenBSD stable and several utilities for myself. The router and firewall is composed of just standard PF and a config I've built myself based on the networking FAQ. I also have a bastion host for my home LAN, local DNS caching, a syncthing server, and some useful cron jobs. My goal is to also use it for a home automation hub, but all of those projects are in the future.
  - pdimitar 6y ago
    Thank you. Do you have observations on how easy it is to add a WiFi access point to a pfSense box? I've read some obscure posts on Reddit claiming that it's a hassle and that's the main that scares me.
    - greggyb 6y ago
      I've never used pfSense, so couldn't tell you. If you are referring to adding a wireless NIC to the pfSense machine and having that box be a combination router/firewall/AP, the hardware side is easy. Wireless NICs are trivial to install - just plug in and run an antenna somewhere useful. From a software side, it's really easy to configure an AP in OpenBSD - just a quick ifconfig. I have no clue if pfSense supports this sort of config through their management interface. I would assume yes, because it seems basic. If, on the other hand, you are talking about having a discrete AP as a different piece of hardware on your network, this is also straightforward. I have both a DD-WRT flashed Trendnet router/AP acting as a non-routing AP and some Ubiquiti APs on my network. Ubiquiti stuff is trivial - just plug it in and configure through their management interface. The DD-WRT was a bit more work, because it wants to be a router by default. It's easy enough to turn off its router and just run as an ethernet switch + wireless bridge. I had to do some searching for a guide that indicated the right settings, but it was easy enough once I knew what needed to change. All of my home networking setup was my education in networking. I did this with no significant experience prior, except some high level theoretical knowledge, and having messed around in a consumer router/AP's settings before. Honestly, I'd say just give it a try. Don't be afraid to do some searching and some trial and error. And if it doesn't work out, return the stuff and buy the full gamut from a vendor that sells networking gear with a good interface. I like Ubiquiti equipment from my personal experience with it, but I haven't used other vendors to give you any comparison.

pdimitar 6y ago

Do you use pfSense as a router, or something else? I am on the fence of not buying Mikrotik or Ubiquiti and just get one of these boxes you mentioned. But I am not a network admin and have no clue about network protocols (yet). My main idea is to return to Android but have very strict blacklists on my router machine so as to preserve privacy the best I can. And while Mikrotik routers can import various blacklists -- and even auto-update them! -- I am still not 100% sure about it and I wonder if I should take the leap to a small pfSense box that I control completely. Do you have any opinion on this?

greggyb 6y ago
I run the latest OpenBSD stable and several utilities for myself. The router and firewall is composed of just standard PF and a config I've built myself based on the networking FAQ. I also have a bastion host for my home LAN, local DNS caching, a syncthing server, and some useful cron jobs. My goal is to also use it for a home automation hub, but all of those projects are in the future.
- pdimitar 6y ago
  Thank you. Do you have observations on how easy it is to add a WiFi access point to a pfSense box? I've read some obscure posts on Reddit claiming that it's a hassle and that's the main that scares me.
  - greggyb 6y ago
    I've never used pfSense, so couldn't tell you. If you are referring to adding a wireless NIC to the pfSense machine and having that box be a combination router/firewall/AP, the hardware side is easy. Wireless NICs are trivial to install - just plug in and run an antenna somewhere useful. From a software side, it's really easy to configure an AP in OpenBSD - just a quick ifconfig. I have no clue if pfSense supports this sort of config through their management interface. I would assume yes, because it seems basic. If, on the other hand, you are talking about having a discrete AP as a different piece of hardware on your network, this is also straightforward. I have both a DD-WRT flashed Trendnet router/AP acting as a non-routing AP and some Ubiquiti APs on my network. Ubiquiti stuff is trivial - just plug it in and configure through their management interface. The DD-WRT was a bit more work, because it wants to be a router by default. It's easy enough to turn off its router and just run as an ethernet switch + wireless bridge. I had to do some searching for a guide that indicated the right settings, but it was easy enough once I knew what needed to change. All of my home networking setup was my education in networking. I did this with no significant experience prior, except some high level theoretical knowledge, and having messed around in a consumer router/AP's settings before. Honestly, I'd say just give it a try. Don't be afraid to do some searching and some trial and error. And if it doesn't work out, return the stuff and buy the full gamut from a vendor that sells networking gear with a good interface. I like Ubiquiti equipment from my personal experience with it, but I haven't used other vendors to give you any comparison.