Sep 30, 2025, 11:17 AM@admin @homelab Thanks for the suggestions! I think an old office PC would use more power and take up more space than I'd like, but maybe a mini PC or NUC could do.
Though I'd like the router to also be my Wifi AP with good range for my home, and that I'm not sure I can do well enough DIY to outperform a dedicated router+AP from a manufacturer who knows what they're doing...
Sep 30, 2025, 12:03 PM@skylark13 @homelab Well, before I set up the PC I had been using one of these:
https://shop.netgate.com/products/2100-base-pfsense
Unfortunately after about three years the SSD died, and it's all soldered to one board so there's nothing you can really do but throw it all out. I did calculate the difference in power and what that would cost, and for me it would have taken about five years for the power savings of that box to make it cheaper than the PC overall. So depends on your local electricity prices, but for me trying to save power would have been a waste of money lol
But yes wifi is a potential issue. An old laptop wifi card in the PC worked fine in a two bedroom apartment, but when I needed to have it in the basement of a three bedroom house I did have to add a dedicated AP.