building my own router

[Hans-Linus]

hi guys, 

 

i want to build my own router. 

i have an 'old' dell optiplex 7010 as a basis: 

- core i5 3470

- 8 gb ram

 

i do this the first time, so i would be grateful for some tips: 

 

- what linux distros would u recommend

- what networkcards would u recommend

- i would like to attatch an accesspoint for wlan (any recommendations there) 

 

some things i want to achieve: 

i want full networking control for my home network

i want to be able to tunnel from 'outside' through vpn into my home lan/network

 

if u have some helpful tips they are all welcome. 

(even if u know of some similar forum threats or tutorials)

 

thanks a lot - and it is a fun project cause i am interested in homenetworking

[Mira Yurizaki]

This might give some pointers: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/04/the-ars-guide-to-building-a-linux-router-from-scratch/

[Acedia]

Any reason for not using pfsense?

[mtz_federico]

I recommend using pfsense with a gigabit pcie nic i recommend getting one with only one or two ports and using a switch instead to put less load on the router