pfSense Box

[Hikaru12]

Hey guys. I recently built my own router yesterday for use with pfSense so I decided to post a build log of it. Cable management, pretty looks, etc. are not included with this log because I didn't feel those were necessary for a build like this. 

 

I'll be posting my build log for my newest gaming project somewhere around May as I'm working 3 jobs to be able to afford it including working during busy tax season!

 

 

Specs

CPU: Intel i3-3220

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75N 

RAM: G.Skill Sniper 1600 8GB x 1 (pulled this from my old computer)

PSU: SilverStone ST30SF 300W

SSD: Kingston 60GB V300

WiFi: TP-Link TL-WDN4800
Case: SilverStone Sugo-SG05 Lite

 

 

The goodies:

 

This is a pretty nice case for $35 bucks. Seems pretty sturdy with the side rails and it has 240mm if I wanted to install a vid card.

 

 

Installing the motherboard and stock fan:

 

 

I hope this Wi-Fi card works well!

 

Sorting out some wires...

 

Beginning to hook up the front panels (still can't get the reset to work even though manual says it's in the right spot):

 

Woo, she's looking full:

 

That's a little better...

 

The girl lives! 

 

Time of birth - 9:45PM 1/13/14

 

Backshot

 

Top view:

 

Front when she's not on:

 

PfSense Web GUI (took over 5 hours of messing around with the NIC's on the motherboard to get to this point. I had to figure which one would work and I guess they labeled outgoing traffic right to left instead of left to right which prevented me from getting on the WAN:

 

The whole setup. My Motorola Surfboard modem is on the left, the pfSense box is in the center, and my TP-Link Gigabit 8 port switch is on the left:

 

All that's left to do is to upgrade pfSense so I can get my wireless set up, pop some packages in it like Snort and Squid and buy a box of 1000' Cat 6 so I can make my own custom length Ethernet cables so everything looks nice and tidy and so I can get rid of my WD Livewire's which caps my wired desktop internet speed at 50Mbps.

 

Thanks for looking!

[Tea1337]

You can build your own router? I think I know my next project now....

[Raxxdude]

You can build your own router? I think I know my next project now....

Watch Teksyndicate's video on it.

 

Nice router. Update to tell your experiences with it later on

[LinusTech]

Funny timing for this. I'm working on a PFsense deployment right now.

[Flyguygamer]

What case?

[Vitalius]

Funny timing for this. I'm working on a PFsense deployment right now.

Video? :DDD

[Hikaru12]

What case?

 

Silverstone Sugo-05 Lite.

[Hikaru12]

You can build your own router? I think I know my next project now....

 

Yeah. In fact there are a lot of Linux distros that can do that for you: pfSense, Smoothwall, IPcop. It's great because then you can replace hardware as new wireless standards come out and you don't have to throw out your old router when something new comes out. 

[LinusTech]

Video? :DDD

 

no sorry.

[cjeffcoatjr]

no sorry.

999 POSTS LINUS YOU BADASS

[Retro Gaming]

Funny timing for this. I'm working on a PFsense deployment right now.

If linus is doing this, I'm doing this.

[the pokemon kid]

I have just bought myself a computer to do this. Surely an SSD is a bit overkill for a router?

[ForsakenLive]

I have just bought myself a computer to do this. Surely an SSD is a bit overkill for a router?

you can reset it at the speed of light,

But yeah, totally overkill

[Hikaru12]

you can reset it at the speed of light,

But yeah, totally overkill

 

The SSD was for silence, not necessairly for speed but it's nice to reset the router quickly. Lol.

[the pokemon kid]

The SSD was for silence, not necessairly for speed but it's nice to reset the router quickly. Lol.

The stock CPU fan will make a lot more noise than a HDD.

[paulsterio]

I have just bought myself a computer to do this. Surely an SSD is a bit overkill for a router?

 

You can get a 64GB SSD for the same price as a 500GB HDD (smallest you can get), so might as well SSD. 

[the pokemon kid]

You can get a 64GB SSD for the same price as a 500GB HDD (smallest you can get), so might as well SSD. 

You dont need a huge drive for this sort of device. You could probably spend pennys on a 80gb drive and it would probably use less than quarter of that space.

[paulsterio]

You dont need a huge drive for this sort of device. You could probably spend pennys on a 80gb drive and it would probably use less than quarter of that space.

 

Where do you get an 80GB drive though, definitely not in a computer store. 

 

I guess you could find one from an old system or something, but not everyone would have access to one. 

 

Also, just curious, but does pfSense work from a USB flash drive? Maybe that's another option. 

[the pokemon kid]

Where do you get an 80GB drive though, definitely not in a computer store. 

 

I guess you could find one from an old system or something, but not everyone would have access to one. 

 

Also, just curious, but does pfSense work from a USB flash drive? Maybe that's another option. 

Yeh, just an old computer. You might be able to find it at one of them second hand tech stores or a computer repair shop.

 

I believe that you can install it onto a USB drive, but you loose some of the use of the packages which PFsense gives you.

 

http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=57064.0

[paulsterio]

Yeh, just an old computer. You might be able to find it at one of them second hand tech stores or a computer repair shop.

 

I believe that you can install it onto a USB drive, but you loose some of the use of the packages which PFsense gives you.

 

http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=57064.0

 

Yep, only problem with that is if you're building a router, you want it to be reliable because your whole network infrastructure depends on it, especially if you have a business or a home office, so I wouldn't want to use some old hard drive in it, maybe that's something to take into consideration as well. 

[the pokemon kid]

Yep, only problem with that is if you're building a router, you want it to be reliable because your whole network infrastructure depends on it, especially if you have a business or a home office, so I wouldn't want to use some old hard drive in it, maybe that's something to take into consideration as well. 

That is a fair point. I wouldnt go for the build that the OP has gone in a business enviroment anyway. I would need to have a few more ethernet ports to at least run a switch from.

[hiyayhi]

Sweet router.

[upliftsleet1974]

Wow nice...Now I want one! Looks like I need to start saving my money.

[paulsterio]

That is a fair point. I wouldnt go for the build that the OP has gone in a business enviroment anyway. I would need to have a few more ethernet ports to at least run a switch from.

 

Yeah, you need one of those Intel Server NICs, but they cost an arm and a leg, I guess the OP's solution is more than enough for home use though, two Gigabit ports teamed still provides very good bandwidth. 

[TicTac]

dead set