Hi there. I have read the So you have 500Mbps-1Gbps fiber and need a router READ THIS FIRST thread and was hoping to get my answers there. Unfortunately, I was looking for something more high-end and not so much for the cheapest solution. I need a new (WiFi) router, since I will be getting 1Gbps fiber and my old Linksys router is falling apart anyway. At the same time, I am re-doing my network setup, including getting CAT8.1 cables and a small 12 or 15 units 19" server rack.
I was reading through the table of hardware but realized that even with 2.5 Gbps ports, the benchmark on a router said it could only reach around 800 Mbps. After some further reading through the forum, I realized I need some help figuring out what I should do.
So, what I need is a new router that can handle at least 2.5 Gbps synchronous traffic (so that if my ISP offers an upgrade, I won't have to get a new router again). I also need it to run WireGuard, handle VLAN and have stable and fast WiFi. Judging from what I read, this might not be possible in a traditional router box. So, I was thinking, is there a 19" server solution that properly runs OpenWRT (including WireGuard and VLAN) and additionally, I could add those WiFi APs that were mentioned in the thread mentioned above.
Is that possible? Are there any known to work / supported mainboards with 2+ 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports that fit into a 19" 2 units rack server case?
I want to make this setup last for quite some years, so any ideas and comments are much appreciated.
A rack is a very hostile environment for WLAN signal propagation, that's why there are only very, very few 19" WiFi routers to begin with - and why you should split router and AP functionality.
SFF like systems would be more accommodating to (multiple) WLAN cards, but even there pricing availability, full-featured AP capabilities, antenna design, host side power delivery(!) and heat dissipation(!) are not at all forthcoming. You can get decent plastic routers to be used with OpenWrt as APs for less money than half decent AP capable wireless cards - and those will still run circles around x86_64+WLAN_cards, unless you dive really deep into your budget and are willing to experiment a lot to find good cards, quality pigtails, decent antennas, a case that isn't in the way for the radios and come up with a usable antenna setup to allow Mu-MIMO, beamforming, spatial distribution at little interference. It's possible, but expensive and the results far from a done deal.
To second that, I would consider combining cheap APs (I would pick OpenWrt, but I also hear folks that are happy campers with eero or ubiquity gear) with a beefy probably x86 based main router.
Maybe it's a bit of a misunderstanding, but what I meant is exactly what you are proposing. I was rather thinking of using x86_64 hardware without wifi and extending that with some external APs, not internal ones. My questions goes more in the direction witch x86_64 hardware is supported (Ethernet chip driver) and if there are any other requirements that need to be considered when thinking about 2.5 Gbps.
Maybe this is a silly question because all Linux-ready hardware is supported?
In that case I would go for an intel based card, probably X550-T2 to get the two ports needed, or maybe something with 2 SFP+ cages so you are open to change to fibre, if need be... (this might even allow to use an SFP-based ONT for PON or a SFP-based optic for AON)
Note on intel E-cores (N100, and friends) these are not terrible, but they are also not great, so if you plan to do fancy stuff with packets in the 2.5 Gbps+ range, maybe aim for intel P-cores of recent enough vintage.
19" usually means business use cases, and 2.5gbit ports aren't used by them.
when 2.5gbit was "invented" for the prosumer, Co's had been running 10 and 25gbit (perhaps even faster) in their DCs for years.
that's why 19" 2.5gbit combos might be hard to find, unless you go DIY.
I personally went with OPNSense on an x86 as main router. I have a Topton N5150 with 4x 2.5Gbps ports with a Cudy WR3000H behind in a dumb AP mode. Clients can link at 2.4Gbps but so far actual transfer rates are around 138MB/s (1100+ Mbps) which I think is fine over 5GHz w/ 160MHz channels sitting downstairs from the AP.
So far I am just paying for 500 Mbps fiber, and it's plenty of bandwidth (dare I say too much, but that probably won't be the case in another 5-8 years knowing how things keep going).
Thanks for the discussion. Apologies for not being completely clear in my initial post. I was trying to convey what I need and then I guessed that I won't find what I am looking for in a single box.
In terms of the home network, I am planning on getting a 10G smart switch with PoE and I am still looking, since they are really rare apparently. I found the D-Link DXS-1210-10MP, but they are hard to find still. I don't need 10G for the router, since the fiber connection is currently 1000 Mbps and even if the ISP doubles that at some point, we are still good.
So thanks for the ideas and suggestions so far, but what I fail to understand is why the rack mounted device seems to spook some people. Isn't that just another PC case? I though I could just get one of these put in any 2.5 Gbps micro ATX or mini ITX mainboard, a CPU that can handle 2.5 Gbps and VPN, and enough RAM as well. Am I missing something here?
So my current setup would be a rack mounted x86_64 router with 2x 2.5 Gbps ports running OpenWRT, a 10G smart switch with PoE that can power 1-2 external "dumb" APs for WiFi. I just need to make sure that the Ethernet chip of the mainboard running OpenWRT is indeed supported by OpenWRT.
Got it, thanks! Sorry again for the confusion. I think I am actually going forward with this since it allows me to fit everything into the server rack instead of having boxes laying around everywhere.
i can recomend Mikrotik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS , mounted couple of units, so far works liie a charm and customers are happy. i don't know about openwrt on them but i don't feel need for openwrt on them so far.
I just did a quick research and calculation...just the case, psu, board, cpu and ram will cost you (depends on the cpu and amount of ram, when bought new) approx. 700€.
A Banana Pi R4 with a 19" case, psu and 2 2.5GBASE-T SFP modules might cost approx. 350€.
Not to mention the 10G switch and the necessary AP's.
Phew...networking can become really expensive...