How to turn anything into a router (nbailey.ca)

Article summary

The article discusses how to turn any computer into a router using Linux, highlighting the simplicity and reliability of this approach. The author shares their personal experience of using a Linux-powered mini-PC as a router and provides a step-by-step guide on how to set it up. The article also mentions that any computer with a single network interface can be used as a router, and that VLANs can be used to create separate networks for IoT or other devices. The author emphasizes that this is not a practical solution to the US policy banning import of new consumer router models, but rather a demonstration of the flexibility of Linux.

Main themes

• Linux routing
• Network configuration
• VLANs
• Router customization
• Network security
• Home networking

What commenters say

• Using a single port for both WAN and LAN traffic can create a bottleneck, especially for simultaneous upload and download traffic.
• VLANs can be used to separate WAN and LAN traffic on a single port, but require a VLAN-capable switch and additional configuration.
• Some argue that using a single port for both WAN and LAN traffic is not a concern for most home users, as their internet connections are typically asymmetric and biased towards download traffic.
• Others argue that having separate ports for WAN and LAN traffic is preferable for monitoring and configuring the physical link, and that adding a second port to most devices is relatively easy and inexpensive.
• Mesh networking is not a minority use case, and many people use it to cover their homes, especially in larger houses or areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage.
• The nftables syntax is difficult to read, but offers advantages such as atomic updates of all chains and a 1:1 relationship to its struct in the kernel.
• Some argue that the article's approach to building a router is not suitable for advanced use cases, such as mesh networking, and that additional configuration and hardware may be required.
• Others argue that building a custom router can be a valuable learning experience and can provide more control and flexibility than commercial routers.