Hello, I am looking for router/switch/wifi recommendations. Right now my home is served by Google Fiber currently on the 500mb plan but I could go to 1gb, 2gb or 5gb. Home is about 1600 square feet 2x4 and drywall construction. The provided Google wifi router is on one end of the house and serves a signal just fine anywhere in the home.
I am about to make some upgrades to my setup; mainly a Synology NAS. I do a lot of video editing and currently use Dropbox for storage but am running out and am unable to get more space. The Google router has always bothered me as it’s managed via my Google account and has very few options, doesn’t update the devices section quickly and I am unable to see all of the devices in a table like view so it’s a lot of clicking and trying to remember settings.
With the addition of the NAS I figure now is a good time to upgrade the router and also run a hardline to my main machine and the NAS. The 500mb G Fiber plan has served me well bringing video over from Dropbox and if I end up wiring everything at even just 1gb it should be faster than what I am currently using so, while moving to the 1 or 2gb plan is an option it’s not really necessary.
Right now I have about 20-25 devices connected…~5 computers, about 10 random IoT devices and a bunch of Pis for controlling 3d printers and a CNC machine. It’s only me so there’s not a ton of simultaneous traffic.
I see a couple of options but my networking skills are from the early 2000s as I haven’t really messed with this stuff in a while
Option 1: New wifi router/switch all in one solution
Option 2: Build a pfsense router using something like a cheap thin client that I can get off of ebay, buy a switch and also use a WAP for wifi.
Option 3: Put pfsense on a netgate or protectli appliance (hopefully one with enough ports to not have to buy a switch) and get a WAP for wifi
Option 1 seems the easiest and most straightforward. I’ve just heard that those start to have issues with more devices you add. Am I close to that limit? Would like 2.5gbE but if there are enough ports I could just run two 1gb to the NAS and my machine and call it good.
Option 2 seems like maybe the least expensive but maybe the most cumbersome.
Option 3 seems like the most expensive and still cumbersome but the best performance.
Regarding pfsense, how advanced is that to get up and running? I’ve built a ton of servers over the years and am very familiar with Linux but my networking knowledge is limited. If I install it and plug a bunch of stuff in and start running am I leaving gaping security holes? Is it something that’s more locked down out of the box and then it’s up to you to open things up?
Whatever option you recommend I’d like some hardware recommendations as well please. I’d like to stay around $300 all in if possible. Feel free to tell me if that’s not realistic.
Thank you.
Regarding pfsense…
Pfsense comes with sensible defaults out of the box. Lawrence Systems has several videos about pfsense on YouTube. I highly recommend his videos of you want to learn the basics.
If you do go the route of a separate switch and AP, it’s possible to mix and match vendors, but it can be very cumbersome, especially for new people.
I have had great success with a pfsense box + unifi PoE switch + 2 unifi WiFi 6 APs. Definitely not a cheap option, but it’s been well worth it for me.
Serve The Home on YouTube has some good videos on some mini PCs that would make great pfsense boxes. A couple even had 2 10gig ports and 3+ 2.5gig Ethernet ports.
Look at Firewalla. Even their cheap Purple is an excellent router. As long as you will not be messing around with VLANs or VPNs, it will serve you well.
As for the Wi-Fi, go with a TP-Link Deco mesh. As long as you don’t have an need for Wi-Fi6, mainstream acceptance for that or Wi-Fi7 are years out, I would recommend a Deco XE75Pro Mesh.
This is the config that I have and it is amazing! I have well over 75 networked devices. Here is my network; https://imgur.com/a/wysF2WS
