For something even more lightweight, you could use bootp if you wanted to, too.OPNsense is an open-source, easy-to-use, FreeBSD-based firewall and routing software. It also can't boot from USB, so the installation media needs to be booted over PXE with a tftp server. For example, the Alix doesn't have any video out at all: OS installation needs to be done headlessly via serial connection. I've only used the really old Alix board though, I think their newer designs are significantly different. I've used PCengines machines before, love 'em. Just need time to do the project, but I have so many other things on my plate right now.
I already have a dual SFP+ Mellanox card that I can use for it. This would be a good machine for a router, since the fan is super silent, and it has an 8x PCIe slot that would be great for a 10Gbps card. Suppose I could replace it with a slimmer third party one. About half volume of the whole machine, and probably more than half the weight. The main drawback to this machine is that the OEM AC adapter is honking huge, though it doesn't need to be. Might soon, since I'm not sure I'm happy where pfSense is headed, so I might jump ship to opnSense. SFP+ would be nice though: I have an HP T620 Plus that bought years ago, wit the to turn it into a pfSense box. These are good boxes because they are fanless and silent. I don't really care about anything more than 2 Ethernet ports, because my switch takes care of the rest. Kinda defeats the purpose of a fan-less PC, but at least I don't have to open it up to clear out any dust that it may have sucked in. Without the fan, the thing was getting hot to the touch. The fan gets 5V instead of 12V, but it spins along just fine and is totally silent, and this little bit of air drops CPU temps at least 15 degrees. Incidentally, I'm finding that my ProtectLI 6-port runs a bit hot when it's running suricata so I wired a small 40mm fan I had laying around to a USB cable and connected it to one of the PC's USB ports and screwed it straight to the radiator fins on top. For routers, you generally want at least 2, but 4 or more is preferable so that you can dedicate one for a management port, etc. The generic BRIX/NUCs etc tend not to have the right number of NICs. If you need a small, flat form-factor then just get the proper case and use a PCIe riser or ribbon cable to put the expansion card anywhere at any angle.
I got the ProtectLI 6-port version mainly because of the extra 2.5in sata drive bay that I could use with old cast-away SSD drives, but you can take any mITX or mATX board, stick it in a small case and add any well-supported multi-port NIC into it. Honestly, any small PC that can take PCI cards can work well.
0 kommentar(er)
