My Untangle router!

[Mari0-Br0s]

I built last summer a small mini-ITX system using the Antec ISK 110 case to replace my old D-Link 604 router.

Untangle doesn't require much power, I could have put in a Pentium or Celeron CPU in it, but I wasn't able to find the low power SKU's, so I opted for a i3-3220T (35W).

I opted for an mSATA HDD to have lessa cabling inside this tiny case. I also opted for a motherboard that had a DC 19V on the I/O panel for this same reason. I removed the integrated PSU board that ships with the ISK 110 to make more room, and also removed the 2.5" drive bays to lighten the case.

Pluging the front USB2.0 port of the ISK110 was a real pain, since the motherboard headers on the DQ77KB are on the hedge of the board near the CPU socket. I had to ask my chinese friend (small fingers) to plug them because it was too tight between the Kozuti and the outer case.

Here's the full spec.

CPU: Intel i3-3220T
CPU HSF: Scythe Kozuti
RAM: Kingston KVR16S11S8/4
MOBO: Intel DQ77KB
SSD: Intel 525 series 30GB
Case: Antec ISK 110 VESA
PSU: supplied with Antec ISK 110 VESA (90W)

If any of you would like to build an Untangle router, the most important thing to look for is NIC (network adapter) compatibility. Intel has since discontinued their motherboard division, but ASUS just released the Q87T, it might be what you're looking for (if network adapters are compatible)

Here are some pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/1178875705 ... directlink

[edh]

A very nice build but why do you need to build your own router? What is wrong with buying a standard off the shelf router and saving a lot of money and electricity?

[CA_Steve]

Nice build. What are you seeing for power use at idle and normal use?

edh: Generally, the tradeoff is more flexibility vs power use. A friend of mine had purchased a Cisco router for a small business. After a lot of frustration trying to get it to do what he wanted to do, he ended up repurposing an old PC and using it as the primary router.

[xan_user]

interesting. (goes to look at untangle...)

[Mari0-Br0s]

A very nice build but why do you need to build your own router? What is wrong with buying a standard off the shelf router and saving a lot of money and electricity?

Well as CA_Steve mentionned, it is a lot more flexible. Untangle has an built-in Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Phishing protection, Anti-Spam, Attack blocker, Firewall, QoS, packet filter, DHCP server, DNS server, Web filter, Ad-blocker, bypass rules, NAT and a protocol control software. It also comes with an OpenVPN module that can work has client or server mode. I use it as a server. It's a very good out of the box solution.

And since it is based on debian, I've got a Terminal, I can SSH nto the box and intall what ever I want that isn't included with Untangle. But since I am not that much experienced with unix systems, I am not there yet.

This doesn't mean that I shouldn't use any of those software on my computers, but they can help reduce the amount of Internet junk that could get into my devices.

It is also easy with the ISK 100 to mount the router to a wall, since I simply screw the VESA rack first, then I put the ISK 110 on it. I don't have to mess around to allign the mounting holes of my 30$ router to fit my screws into the wall.

@CA_Steve: During bootup, I would get a peak load of 27.2W. Once the system is started, it idles between 14,8 & 16 watts.

I used a Belkin Conserve Insight to get the power comsumption.

[CA_Steve]

nice.