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Do I need open unifi or is a simple router okay for my setup? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 months ago by ApplyingAutomation@lemmy.world to c/networking@sh.itjust.works

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I'm moving into a new apt and the ISP is trying to rent a router at $20/mo, so I'd like to get my own router.

I'm considering setting up opnsense for the router & TP link Omega for the AP & Switch.

But this feels a bit overkill for an apt. Should I just get a all in one router instead? What are the pros and cons?

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[–] tentacles9999@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet is that open wrt works on cheap devices (check compatibility first) including in all in one router / ap combos. For home use, the most likely used feature will be cake qos which will make a difference even without crazy speeds. Though anything that gives security updates is an upgrade from generic consumer routers

[–] ApplyingAutomation@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I think this solution makes the most sense for my situation right now. I know it's subjective, but do you have recommendations for 2 gigabit Internet?

[–] tentacles9999@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

For 2 gig internet you will likely need something more powerful, especially if you plan on doing much with your router (like using cake qos). The other challenge is finding a network card that works with 2.5 gb Ethernet. It is relatively easy to find a network card that works at 1G or 10G, but the 2.5G Ethernet cards tend to have issues (I have not personally had issues but forums are full of people having issues with the intel nic cards, even though intel networking cards tend to be recommended generally).

What I ended up getting ( don’t have 2.5G internet speeds, just wanted to mess around with it) was a n100 mini pc from Aliexpress. Serve the home has pretty good recommendations for hardware, and I followed their advice. They also had recommendations for switches that support 2.5G.

Here are the links:

https://www.servethehome.com/the-ultimate-cheap-2-5gbe-switch-mega-round-up-buyers-guide-qnap-netgear-hasivo-mokerlink-trendnet-zyxel-tp-link/

https://www.servethehome.com/fanless-intel-n100-firewall-and-virtualization-appliance-review/

As a note, upgrading openwrt on a x86 systems such as a n100 mini pc can be annoying (but doable) especially when upgrading between major versions.

Also I highly recommend posting questions on the openwrt forums as the users there are super helpful, including to users asking questions about what hardware setups are good. It may be a good idea just to get some more perspectives/opinions. Link: https://forum.openwrt.org/