Is your router down? Turn an old PC into one

The router that takes care of managing the Internet connection of all the devices in your home may seem like a simple and simple box, however, it is in itself a complete computer, since it contains all the elements of a Von Neumann architecture . That is, a CPU, RAM, device management, and even storage from which to run an operating system. However, they generally rely on low-power hardware, usually from the world of mobile phones, to carry out their task. This means that when they have to handle many data packets and requests to the network, they become saturated.

Why do I want to turn my old PC into a router?

Well, because no one gives anything away for free and if there’s one problem with internet connections today that exists in many homes and small businesses, it’s the use of a router with limited capabilities, which at a minimum there are several devices connected at the same time becomes saturated. It worsens network connectivity of networks and if you depend on it daily, whether for leisure, work or both, you don’t deserve a poor quality connection.

Setting up high-end network equipment can cost you a lot of money, however, if you have an old tower or can get a second-hand one you can save a lot of money and not just have an internet connection of quality. Much safer and with more options than your standard provider gives you.

How to turn a PC into a router

It is important that the PC we have acquired is a tower with at least three free PCI Express slots on your motherboard, which do not need to be next-gen, you can with a connection PCI Express 3.0.

Connect the PC to the optical fiber

Since today we connect to the Internet via fiber optics, we are going to need a card that gives us this capacity. That’s why one of the PCI Express x 4 ports will connect one of these cards. We have chosen a model that supports connectivity up to 10 Gbps and with a single port that costs less than 100 dollars. Which is enough for the connections that most small offices and homes have.

Added network ports

However, we need Ethernet ports to connect devices and this is where things get a bit tricky as many network cards do not support Gigabit Ethernet speeds. In that case, just throw them away, because they’re going to be a bottleneck for you when it comes to internet access. On the other hand, keep in mind that such a card with many ports will divide the bandwidth between them equally.

Keep in mind that we need a port for each device that connects to the router to access the Internet, it can be a console, a SmartTV, a PC. This is important because each of them needs one. We must add the Wi-Fi access point to them, which we will discuss later.

We leave you as an example a network card with 4 ports, do not be scared by the price, since you can opt for simpler solutions. In addition, the advantage of this type of network card is to relieve the processor of the work of managing network packets between the various devices on the local network.

What PC configuration do I need to set it up as a router?

Well, it will depend on the network card you choose, if it has enough capacity and you paid more for it, you will be able to work without problems with an Intel i3 and even a lower range. In case the choice is quite modest, then you should opt for an i5. Keep in mind that the idea is for the PC to run 24/7, don’t go for something that has a high TDP while your electricity bill is skyrocketing.

• Either way, with a dual-core processor, even one from five or more years ago, you’ll have enough. Try to have integrated graphics.
• 4 GB of RAM in a single module will do the job without a problem, a larger configuration is always better.
• A small capacity SATA SSD to store the operating system.

The ideal is a configuration that you can use without fans, if necessary we recommend lowering the CPU speed from the BIOS. Don’t worry, these PC processors have more capability than routers include.

And what about Wi-Fi?

Obviously we are interested in being able to connect any device wirelessly, not only laptops, but also video game consoles, cell phones. Also, what will be needed if we use a wireless printer. This is where we will spend more money for the whole installation, since the best option is a Wi-Fi access point connected to the PC as a router. If the subject of Linux drivers takes a step back from Windows, if we are talking about a derivative of FreeBSD, then things get complicated.

You will therefore need to connect your Wi-Fi access point to one of your PC’s LAN or Ethernet ports as a router to have wireless connectivity. It’s an extra expense, but you’ll get much better wireless connectivity than most devices ISPs offer, and therefore a higher quality connection.

What operating system to use?

As you may have guessed, we are not going to use Windows, since our goal is not to interact directly with our PC as a router, but indirectly. To do this, we will install an operating system called OPNsense, based on FreeBSD. When downloading the operating system image, you should choose VGA, which will allow you to manage the system. As for the installation on the target system, it can be done in a simple way, however, you will need some things.

• You’ll have to a USB key formatted in FAT32 To install OPNsense on your PC as a router, make sure you have one available and if needed, you can use apps like Rufus to mount the image.
• Make sure the boot sequence in BIOS is set to read USB port first and not SATA SSD on PC as router
• During the installation process, you will need a screen, so make sure you have a free one connected to the PC as a router during the whole process.
• Connect a cable and a single cable to each of the ports on the PC’s network card to ensure that each is numbered and backed up. You will know this by the fact that the screen will indicate which ports are active at any given time.

facility

When we start it will tell us that we are running the operating system in live mode, we want to install it on the SATA SSD.

1. To do this, log in as username type installer and as a password open sense.
2. This will start the installation process where you need to choose the supported keyboard type and the drive you want to install OPNsense on.
3. In the middle of the installation we will be asked for a password for the Root user, the one with the most privileges, make sure that it is secure and at the same time that you will remember.
4. When done, remove the USB stick and restart your PC as a router. If you don’t, it will restart the installation process.

Configuring the PC as a Router

Now we have to check that everything is correct, disconnect the screen from the PC as a router and leave it on. The next thing will be to verify that we can connect, either remotely or, failing that, via a network cable.

1. From any PC connected to the network, type in the address bar 192.168.1.1. A screen like the one you see below these lines will appear.
2. It will ask for credentials to enter. As username type root and like Password the key you gave in the installation.
3. From here you can configure all the options you want and need.

This is why we recommend that you print or write down the configuration of your router elsewhere, do not hesitate to ask your Internet service provider for the identifiers and the configuration of your service. Once you’ve put everything together, you can enjoy a higher quality connection with fewer crashes and better performance. Believe us, it’s worth it.