If it’s a 1U they can sound like a jet engine. The Noctua 40MM fans can be swapped in and cut the noise a good bit.
You can also build a shroud to place over the case, the idea is to allow the air to flow but use something like deep pile carpet to line the inside and absorb the sound created.
It will never be silent but you can get the sound to the point where it won’t rot your brain.
Yes, I’ve been tinkering for a while. The network piece I have had the longest is actually my 10G switch. Previously I had a couple 8 port switches but when I started wiring the house up I didn’t want to be playing any games.
I buy a lot of used enterprise equipment. If you are planning to have multiple access points that can use POE (power over ethernet) you can buy a new 5 port switch and be ok but if you are thinking about cameras a used 24 or 48 port POE switch from ebay well save you a ton in the long run. The Dell PowerConnect 5548 (48 port 1Gbps switch) I am using provides two 10G connections so that I can use a pair of DAC (Direct Attached Copper) Cables for a total of 20Gbps from my 10Gbps backbone. It’s overkill but it means even with multiple cameras, ap’s and wired clients I don’t have to worry about oversaturating the connection. My camera server also connects via fiber as does my NAS/media server.
Mini pc’s are great right up to the point where you want to expand beyond what they are capable of. Without a PCI Express slot upgrading the network will require the use of a USB adapter but they can be more of a pain than it’s worth. You can find stuff with more ports but there is a point where it will probably be cheaper to just get something you can expand with.
For failover to 4G the Netgear LM1200 has the option to go between your current internet connection and your router and negotiate the connection and automatically switch. I just use it like an ONT (Optical Network Transceiver) or Cable Modem and let OpnSense control the switch over because then I get accurate measurement of the data used and length of downtime. But that also means I need a minimum of three ethernet connections two for WAN and one for LAN.
I purchased my router parts used on Ebay. A similar setup in a 1U format (which I wouldn’t recommend unless you have a place where you can keep it and not hear it in your day to day life, are deaf, or are wrong to swap it into a new case with a different cooler) can be picked up as of right now for 185.00 plus tax and about 35 shipping.
If you have questions though please feel free to ask.
OpnSense is amazing.
I’ve used it for over 10 years after using a ton of other stuff. I run a 10G fiber connection from my router to my 10G network backbone with multiple vLan’s. My ISP provides me a 1Gbps fiber connection to an ONT. I also use a Netgear LM1200 as a wired Cellular backup which OpnSense selects automatically when the fiber loses connectivity.
I am running mine using a Xeon E3-1226 v3 in a Supermicro X10SLL-F with 16GB of RAM and a 128GB Sata SSD. 10G is provided using a Mellanox ConnectX3 and an SFP+ module with OM3 Fiber.
I’m running a Quanta LB6M for my fiber backbone and a Dell PowerConnect 5548 for 1Gbps ethernet connections.
For WiFi I use a pair of TP-Link Omada EAP-650’s with the OC200 controller using POE. It hands over seamlessly as clients move around the house and I’m planning to add a 3rd AP upstairs when I have finished my solar install and competed the building of the master suite.
I haven’t seen that specific thread, but while Google making the driver open source is a noble gesture compared to the ‘black box’ approach of companies like Nvidia, open source isn’t a magic fix. We’ve seen countless projects die simply because no one has the time or the specialized knowledge to maintain them.
Right now, the community is handling minor patches, but we are one major Linux kernel architectural change away from needing a ground-up rewrite of the Gasket driver. If/or when that happens, and no one steps up to do the heavy lifting, thousands of these devices will become security risks or paperweights. It’s particularly frustrating because they are still being sold brand new to unsuspecting users who assume they’re buying a supported, plug-and-play product.
https://github.com/feranick/gasket-driver is the best option for now. But you also need the same gcc version installed as what was used to compile the kernel.
Glad you found out before the purchase. I made my purchase September 2024 and still rely on it for FrigateNVR.
I’m hoping that somehow a few people will get together to keep it going for a while. I sadly don’t understand most of the programming and such.
I’m guessing it’s because more powerful hardware is coming out all the time. But for a lot of homelabs more power isn’t really needed to watch a few cameras for basic detection.
And yes the hardware hasn’t been made in a while but new old stock is still being sold. Hence the reason for the post.
Oddly enough right before I saw this post some alternatives were in my news feed.
https://itsfoss.com/news/minio-moves-away-from-open-source/
Highlights are:
SeaweedFS
Garage
RustFS
Set the LAN ipv6 to track interface and it should work. You will likely also need to set a static ipv6 address on your LAN that is within the address given. SLAAC should take care of the rest.
Agreed. But anything that is released as open source will still exist even if they move to closed source. So another group can take that code and continue to develop it as a new project.
They would likely have to rewrite the linux kernel right? I’ve never heard of a single project being granted taking the kernel private. If they were going to do that they would find it easier to rebase back on FreeBSD. They just switched to linux and invested a ton into the switch. The switch already cost them a bunch of users and dissent, the current narrative is causing more.
There will be forks of all the current code either way.
I would be more worried about the cheap Chinese hardware people are using that utilizes the linux kernel and other code that doesn’t contribute back to the project or release their code.
I think what you are referring to is this post https://forums.truenas.com/t/clearing-the-air-on-build-scripts/64357
There are people (likely in Asia) who are using the TrueNAS Build Tools to build versions that are no different other than removing license files and references, changing the name, changing some graphics and then selling the created ISO for profit.
The TrueNAS code is still GPLv3 and because it was that when they started using Linux base and not FreeBSD. The FreeBSD code is released under the BSD license which does allow closing of the source at any time. But here is what the internet had to say:
The BSD license is a permissive license that allows for minimal restrictions on how software can be used, modified, and distributed, including the ability to incorporate it into proprietary software. In contrast, GPLv3 is a copyleft license that requires any derivative works to also be distributed under the same GPLv3 terms, ensuring that the freedoms granted by the license are preserved.
That is what I did. Put four industrial rollers on it a bottom, top, sides, back door and front door on it. Cut a hole in the bottom and a really good hvac filter plus a set of fans and some sound deadening panels. The air at the floor is always naturally cooler. Cut an exhaust at the back with fans and a baffle with sound deadening panels. Two 120v inputs feed in and all the network cables feed in. Need to move it. Power down, unlock the wheels, and move it.
Leave enough slack in the cables you can put it in a small closet and hook up ducting to help control the hot air. The air is warm and dry and if a room or area stays cooler use it like a space heater. Vent it into the crawl space is another option though i would be careful drawing air in unless it’s a sealed crawlspace. Vent it outside, more useful when cool and dry not hot or humid again gottabe careful about the air. Or hook it up to your home ducting or a portable ac unit.
Many open source operating systems exist that can turn a computer with multiple NIC’s into a router or can be used in place of a hardware router OS. https://distrowatch.com/search.php?ostype=All&category=Firewall&origin=All&basedon=All¬basedon=None&desktop=No+desktop&architecture=All&package=All&rolling=All&isosize=All&netinstall=All&language=All&defaultinit=All&status=Active#simpleresults is a search on distrowatch.com that gives you a petty good list to get started.
I personally use OpnSense with a Supermicro motherboard a Xeon E3-1226 v3, and 16GB of RAM. It was all used server equipment bought on Ebay. I run Caddy, an ACME client, Intrusion Detection, Chrony, UnboundDNS, Wireguard as a VPN endpoint, and Wireguard as a client for IPv6 connectivity through Route64 because my ISP only has an IPv4 stack. For WiFi access I’m running a couple TP-Link Omada EAP-650’s with the OC200 controller using POE so I can place them in ideal locations.
Will a firewall prevent issues if the Asus devices have some sort of Spyware on them. It can but not by default. Generally firewalls are configured to stop anything coming in and let anything out. Since the RT-AX3000’s are on your internal network by default they can send data out. Something like Intrusion Detection can watch for bad things running on your network and help but you would have to set static IP’s on each one and null route them. You could also flash them to an open source firmware if you are worried but is a personal decision.
I avoid two things in networking, router modem combo devices and really cheap routers or access points. Honestly you should ask, “Why is this so cheap?” Then look at the reviews for those super cheap Chinese android tablets and computers and you should begin to understand my reasoning why.
Also used commercial grade hardware on Ebay is a great place to get a steal if you are building a homelab. Most of the time this stuff is pulled because it no longer is fast enough for a server farm and functionally obsolete. The firmware will generally be very stable and well tested. I’m running a 10Gbps fiber backbone for my network that connects my router, server, 48port ethernet switch (using 2 DAC cables), and desktop computer together.
I have a 1Gbps fiber connection and speedtest at 950Mbps while everything is up and running. The Ethernet connection at 1000Mbps is the limiting factor. A speedtest from my cell phone (S26) over WiFi I test at 680Mbps. My testing internally from my desktop to my server using openspeedtest runs around 8000Mbps.
Here is the issue with modularity like you are planning. If a cable is loose because something bumped into it you now have a problem to chase. Even worse you now have the potential for a power cable to become completely unplugged while the host is still up and running. Having two power supplies also creates a potential for a ground loop through the data cables if things are not made correctly.
Some people have been able to use USB drives connected to a computer to create a NAS but they are also the ones hitting forums because they have issues. What you are trying to do isn’t much different. If you want to keep your hardware you would be much better off getting a case that can hold all your drives. A used server chassis would be ideal if you use a SAS card. But if you are going to upgrade anyway maybe it’s a time to make plans to make the switch sooner than later.
Do some commercial solutions for this exist that are safe, yes they also live in racks and are effectively ground connected with the cabling protected/much less likely to be bumped into.
Option C
Linux
Yep
That or you can double NAT if an ISP doesn’t allow passthrough. It makes self hosting tougher but if you can port forward on the provided device and just forward everything it’s basically passthrough mode.
Most ISP’s in the US are always looking for a government handout. When the government decides to tie that handout with a backdoor attached you will never know about it. If they control the router you don’t get a choice.
Not to mention they buy the cheapest POS they can get to do the job. Then when the wifi sucks they will rent you some mesh nodes. And you can only hope they update them if there is a flaw.
I run OpnSense and have for about 10 years now. I’ve considered using a gPON sfp module so I can get rid of the ONT.
I have one question. Are you using an of the shelf router or something like OpnSense?
If the answer is no then you have found a good place to get started. As you begin to self host you will need to look at securing your new toys.
You will gain a ton over a consumer router. They are often just powerful enough to get the job done today. They rarely get updated and if the product is end of life you can only hope a project has picked it up or replace it with similar risks. Building your own you can shoot the specs to a point where you have room to run other features and last a long time. You can run something like CrowdSec, multiple vLan’s, time server, DNS servers with multiple upstream servers and ad blocking similar to piHole, Caddy, ACME client, captive portal for guest networks, Intrusion Detection, and a lot more.
Then you will not only have some understanding of the function and use while you expand your self hosting journey to all those fun services you will also have the flexibility to secure your network when you begin to integrate those things into your home and life.
I’m running my own router using OpnSense, server running TrueNAS, smart home with HomeAssistant and fairly complex network of devices. I have a 10Gbps fiber backbone and a 48 port switch for my 1Gbps ethernet. It can be addictive especially when you are rebuilding a house.
After that figure out what you need, want, and desire. But keep your router as a separate device from everything else. And remember that what you think you need will only work for today, software is only going to get more complex and need more horsepower to keep it going.
For hardware there are two schools of thought, newer lower power devices and older stuff. The choice is spend now or over time. My used X10SLL-F with a xeon E3-1226 v3 router, my X10DRH-C with a pair of E5-2683 v3’s and my desktop Ryzen 5800X which is currently also my Frigate NVR host along with other miscellaneous hardware draws along with the other devices in the house (fridge, deep freezer, smarthome stuff, and the like) draw about 1100 watts. So my baseload is about the same as any other us household.