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    I need help - Custom Build - low consumption processor + motherboard with pci-e

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    • I
      Inxsible
      last edited by

      @Fisavelon:

      Hello :)
      (sorry for my english)

      I'm new in the pfsence community and i want to build my own firewall/router
      Is there any build that can answer all of this demands:
      -strong low power consumption processor (not the intel atom c2000 series)
      -mini-itx or smaller motherboard with pci-e v3 (x2 if possible)
      -2 built in lan ports
      -fanless
      -pfsence future proof support

      thank you for your help and time! :)

      Is there a particular reason that you need pci-e v3.0? and the built in LAN ports?

      Cause if not, I have 4 threads that you might be interested in – all leading to the same motherboard ;)

      low power but not Atom C2000 series -- check
      mini-itx or smaller -- check
      fanless -- check
      pfsense future proof -- check

      LAN -- yes but only one and not the one you'd want to use anyway, add-on pci-e card for Intel LAN
      pci-e v3 -- no

      https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135315.0

      https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135392.0

      https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135453.0

      https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135465.0

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • ChitiousC
        Chitious
        last edited by

        yes! will do :)

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • I
          Inxsible
          last edited by

          @Fisavelon:

          yes! will do :)

          Great. and now we have 5 threads leading to the same motherboard. ;)

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • ChitiousC
            Chitious
            last edited by

            @Inxsible:

            @Fisavelon:

            Hello :)
            (sorry for my english)

            I'm new in the pfsence community and i want to build my own firewall/router
            Is there any build that can answer all of this demands:
            -strong low power consumption processor (not the intel atom c2000 series)
            -mini-itx or smaller motherboard with pci-e v3 (x2 if possible)
            -2 built in lan ports
            -fanless
            -pfsence future proof support

            thank you for your help and time! :)

            Is there a particular reason that you need pci-e v3.0? and the built in LAN ports?

            Cause if not, I have 4 threads that you might be interested in – all leading to the same motherboard ;)

            low power but not Atom C2000 series -- check
            mini-itx or smaller -- check
            fanless -- check
            pfsense future proof -- check

            LAN -- yes but only one and not the one you'd want to use anyway, add-on pci-e card for Intel LAN
            pci-e v3 -- no

            https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135315.0

            https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135392.0

            https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135453.0

            https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=135465.0

            how do you guys deal with wireless? pfsence router => switch => access point?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • I
              Inxsible
              last edited by

              @Fisavelon:

              how do you guys deal with wireless? pfsence router => switch => access point?

              That's what I'd do.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • ChitiousC
                Chitious
                last edited by

                god bless you! thank you my friend :)

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • I
                  Inxsible
                  last edited by

                  @Fisavelon:

                  god bless you! thank you my friend :)

                  You are very welcome. Let us know how it all turns out for you.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ChitiousC
                    Chitious
                    last edited by

                    @Inxsible:

                    @Fisavelon:

                    god bless you! thank you my friend :)

                    You are very welcome. Let us know how it all turns out for you.

                    what do you think about the ASRock J3710-ITX Intel Quad-Core?
                    https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157716
                    it has a better cpu, better power consumption and it has an extra mini pci-e, i can put a laptop wireless adapter dual brand and it will do the work as an access point AND will save some power :)

                    will you recommend me this one?

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • I
                      Inxsible
                      last edited by

                      @Fisavelon:

                      @Inxsible:

                      @Fisavelon:

                      god bless you! thank you my friend :)

                      You are very welcome. Let us know how it all turns out for you.

                      what do you think about the ASRock J3710-ITX Intel Quad-Core?
                      https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157716
                      it has a better cpu, better power consumption and it has an extra mini pci-e, i can put a laptop wireless adapter dual brand and it will do the work as an access point AND will save some power :)

                      will you recommend me this one?

                      In short, maybe.

                      Here are the issues I see with this board:

                      • It only has a PCI-E x1 slot – which means it will be difficult to put in a x4 NIC card (most NIC cards I have seen are x4). You could probably do it with filing away the card or the slot end or a riser card. If riser card, then add in that cost.

                      • J3710 is clocked at 1.6GHz whereas J3355 is clocked at 2GHz. Higher clock frequency is better for OpenVPN – if you ever plan on doing that sorta thing.

                      On the other hand – J3710 does have 4 cores/4 thread, so it will be better than J3355 for multi-threaded applications -- provided the application code also makes use of all the threads available. There is also another processor J3455 which is similar and costs less ($70) than the J3710 board ($95).

                      And if money is no object for your build I can suggest 2 additional boards :

                      • SuperMicro MBD-X11SBA-F-O  – dual NICs

                      • SuperMicro MBD-X11SBA-LN4F-O – quad NICs

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • jahonixJ
                        jahonix
                        last edited by

                        @Fisavelon:

                        will you recommend me this one?

                        In short: no.

                        @Fisavelon:

                        …put a laptop wireless adapter dual brand and it will do the work as an access point ...

                        That's the culprit. FreeBSD is not good at wireless.
                        You are way better off with a dedicated AP placed where it makes sense (radiation wise). The router closet usually is not such a place.

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