New homelab router for 2026 recomendations

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hi so I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good router that works well with OpenWRT? I currently have a Flint 2 (GL-MT6000) which works pretty well but only has one 2.5gb wan port and no way of adding internal storage space without having a USB thumb drive sticking out the side of it. My goal is to find something similar to the Banana Pi BPI-R4 Pro which has quad core ARM processor and 8GB DDR4 memory with two 10gb SFP ports and four 2.5gb ethernet ports and M.2 for NVME SSD internal storage.

My goal is to have an updated router that looks clean compact and can function as the main router for my homelab and also function as a NAS with WiFi and has the 2.5gb ethernet ports. Can anyone recommend a better router? Thanks.

Also something that can run the NetAlertX docker container and is fast when its running? Thanks?

1-shopify_mt6000_main_75x75_crop_center ←– Current router

2

x86 with a $10 dual SFP+ NIC and a $35 multi gig switch.

3

Well yea but does it look compact and clean? Would like I be able to set all that up in a mini PC of some kind? I want to try skipping as many switches and extra things plugged in as posible less cables and stuff

4

well, you can fit two NICs into a PC, but it'd obviously have to be larger than something that only fits one card.

life would be a lot easier if you'd skip the 2.5GbE must have.
then there's the Dell Edge E42W 620/640/680 and Lanner NCA-1515.

5

Ok thanks ill have to consider doing some research on those. Thanks

6

Sweet yea that Lanner NCA-1515 looks a hellof a lot better specs than the Banana Pi pro

7

if you google "NCA-1515_User Manual_v2.2.pdf" you'll find the user manual.

8

Yea im on it, dang doesn’t have the 2.5gb ethernet’s

9

indeed, that's why I said if you skip the 2.5GbE must have.

10

Ok well thanks man

11

Maybe go with like you recommended before and have a separate switch then a single sfp module going to it

12

lol, I was just going to write it's most likely the wisest choice, financially.

13

Cool, and it would probably look pretty nice to if can find a switch that matches in size form factor. Mostly was looking for the least amount of wires and cables but this will do

14

Not a 100% match :slight_smile:

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(it's a 8x 10GbE switch, not really what you were looking for)

15

No 10gb is just fine lol. And yea that doesn’t look bad at all. Could probably manufacture a little mini rack for it too that would look nice

16

I think you might have me sold on one of those Lanner NCA’s and pick up one of those switches too

17

https://mini-rack.jeffgeerling.com/#10-mini-racks you'll probably have to make custom rack ears.

haven't verified the 1515 will fit, check the sizes!

18

Yea! That’d look awesome

19

here's your wet dream, only 3x-4x the price of the DiY combo - https://www.servethehome.com/new-4x-2-5gbe-and-2x-10gbe-intel-core-firewall-and-virtualization-appliance/

20

Just no. Virtualizing various functions on one box sounds great until you need to do maintenance on it. Keep the router separate.