# Router hardware recommendation



## Simon-Brummer (Dec 16, 2015)

Hello everyone,

I would like to run FreeBSD on a router in my home network. 
The router should have multiple gigabit ethernet interfaces and the possibility to maintain two wifi-Networks. 

Are there any consumer hardware recommendations and howtos on installing FreeBSD on such a router ?


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## ondra_knezour (Dec 16, 2015)

It depends if you are looking for some embedded solution or going with computer in the role of router. In the second case, you would probably get best results with Intel network adapters and Atheros PCI(e) wireless cards. Always check driver support for given hardware before buying something. And we are not yet in the realm of the 802.11ac standard.

If you want to have something less noisy and power hungry, see https://github.com/freebsd/crochet

Another couple of links, which you may find useful
http://www.freebsd.cz/doc/en/articles/nanobsd/
https://www.pfsense.org/
https://opnsense.org/
http://bsdrp.net/
http://zrouter.org/


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## Simon-Brummer (Dec 16, 2015)

Actually I am looking for an embedded solution. I would like to buy a normal consumer router and run FreeBSD on it.


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## Oko (Dec 16, 2015)

Did you mean something like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...gclid=CIaDipu-4MkCFU0XHwodZHQJug&gclsrc=aw.ds

FreeBSD doesn't run on such hardware but it runs on something like 

http://www.amazon.com/Jetway-Intel-...ie=UTF8&qid=1450272789&sr=1-1&keywords=Jetway

Even something Mips64 based

http://www.amazon.com/Edgemax-Ether...1450273037&sr=1-3&keywords=ubiquiti+edge+lite


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## Simon-Brummer (Dec 16, 2015)

Thanks. I am looking for something like the D-Link Router mentioned above.


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## ondra_knezour (Dec 16, 2015)

I knew I forgot something  https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-wifi-build/wiki/Supported-Boards


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## Simon-Brummer (Dec 16, 2015)

Thanks. I think i will find something there


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## wblock@ (Dec 16, 2015)

There was a group buy and install on some TP-Link WDR3600 units at BSDCan.


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## wblock@ (Dec 16, 2015)

Oko said:


> Did you mean something like this
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...gclid=CIaDipu-4MkCFU0XHwodZHQJug&gclsrc=aw.ds
> 
> FreeBSD doesn't run on such hardware



FreeBSD can be run on similar routers, but that one has only 32M of RAM and 4M of flash.  The DIR-655 has 128M of RAM and 16M of flash and is in the supported list.


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## usdmatt (Dec 16, 2015)

I know it's contrary to what you're actually asking for, but if you don't actually have a specific need for something that can only be done in FreeBSD, have you considered something like the following - http://routerboard.com/RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN

1 SFP, 5 gigabit ports, 5 fast-ethernet, all of which can be switched or configured independently, and wireless that can easily be set up with multiple SSIDs.

Probably not the most popular view on here but I find getting FreeBSD running on an embedded system, managing it, and then configuring more advanced routing/ipsec/etc stuff on it way more hassle than it's worth when you can just drop an off the shelf router in.


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## diizzy (Dec 20, 2015)

Your best bet right now to get a functional router is going for an UBNT EdgeRouter Lite however there are issues that you should be aware of. A lot of ports doesn't compile on the MIPS64 platform, there's no QoS/traffic shaping which probably something you want in a router (unfortunately this seems to be the case for pretty much all MIPS/MIPS64 platforms on FreeBSD)...
I've used the EdgeRouter Lite successfully as a router but in the end lack of QoS doesn't cut it in 2015 so I'm running OpenWRT on the few boxes I have left. 

There's ongoing work to get the WiTi board working so that might be a better option in the end....
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/WiTi...b201644_4_79_78_77_82_80_62,searchweb201560_5
//Danne


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## Deleted member 9563 (Dec 21, 2015)

usdmatt said:


> I know it's contrary to what you're actually asking for, but if you don't actually have a specific need for something that can only be done in FreeBSD, have you considered something like the following - http://routerboard.com/RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN



I've been looking at one of those. You're right in that you get lot of convenience there as well as save yourself the price of a switch in many cases - and you can configure the hardware choices too. However, I'm always suspicious of closed source and that may be a very good reason to specify FreeBSD.


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## antranigv (Oct 1, 2016)

almost after a year now! anyone runs FreeBSD in home as a router with Wifi and a good VPN? 
my last choice would be getting an old laptop, desktop, or embedded device, but I'd rather get a normal buffalo/{tp,d}-link/etc and run FreeBSD on it.
OR any other ideas? )


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## mickey (Oct 1, 2016)

antranigv said:


> almost after a year now! anyone runs FreeBSD in home as a router with Wifi and a good VPN?
> my last choice would be getting an old laptop, desktop, or embedded device, but I'd rather get a normal buffalo/{tp,d}-link/etc and run FreeBSD on it.
> OR any other ideas? )


Yup, for many years now I am using a FreeBSD router at home which is basically built from leftover parts. Current machine is an old P4 2.4 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 2 x Intel LAN, 1 x cheap TP-Link 802.11 b/g card, all mounted in a 4U 19" chassis. Don't need any VPN, but I guess that's only a software thing. Personally I wouldn't want it any other way


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## antranigv (Oct 3, 2016)

mickey said:


> Yup, for many years now I am using a FreeBSD router at home which is basically built from leftover parts. Current machine is an old P4 2.4 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 2 x Intel LAN, 1 x cheap TP-Link 802.11 b/g card, all mounted in a 4U 19" chassis. Don't need any VPN, but I guess that's only a software thing. Personally I wouldn't want it any other way



hah! cool! but is the P4 CPU powered device big? I assume I'll also be able to find small desk size, just get some NICs and a wlan card  btw, which TP-Link card is it? may you paste your dmesg?

thanks!


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## Remington (Oct 3, 2016)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019Z8T9J0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this as home router with pfSense (FreeBSD based) installed.  It uses Intel NICs.  Its been running for 6 months without a reboot due to pfSense upgrade.  You're better off getting a wireless access-point or use your existing WiFi router in bridged mode.  Many WiFi cards with AC bands don't work very well with FreeBSD.


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## mickey (Oct 3, 2016)

antranigv said:


> hah! cool! but is the P4 CPU powered device big? I assume I'll also be able to find small desk size, just get some NICs and a wlan card  btw, which TP-Link card is it? may you paste your dmesg?


It's a full size ATX mainboard mounted in a 4U 19" rackmount chassis, so I guess that's not exactly small. But if you like it small, I believe there are also a number of smaller mainboards available like ITX. This machine is essentially what used to be my desktop machine years ago, and I prefer the effortless interchangeability of components over a small size  The TP-Link card is a TL-WN651G with atheros 5212 (I think) chipset.

```
Copyright (c) 1992-2016 The FreeBSD Project.
Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
        The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
FreeBSD is a registered trademark of The FreeBSD Foundation.
FreeBSD 10.3-RELEASE-p8 #0 r306267: Fri Sep 23 22:27:33 CEST 2016
    root@transrapid.rakanishu.de:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/TRANSRAPID i386
FreeBSD clang version 3.4.1 (tags/RELEASE_34/dot1-final 208032) 20140512
VT(vga): resolution 640x480
CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz (2400.13-MHz 686-class CPU)
  Origin="GenuineIntel"  Id=0xf27  Family=0xf  Model=0x2  Stepping=7
 Features=0xbfebfbff<FPU,VME,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CLFLUSH,DTS,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM,PBE>
  Features2=0x4400<CNXT-ID,xTPR>
real memory  = 1073741824 (1024 MB)
avail memory = 1038893056 (990 MB)
Event timer "LAPIC" quality 400
ACPI APIC Table: <AMIINT SiS645XX>
random: <Software, Yarrow> initialized
MADT: Forcing active-low polarity and level trigger for SCI
ioapic0 <Version 1.1> irqs 0-23 on motherboard
wlan: mac acl policy registered
acpi0: <AMIINT SiS645XX> on motherboard
acpi0: Power Button (fixed)
cpu0: <ACPI CPU> on acpi0
attimer0: <AT timer> port 0x40-0x43 irq 0 on acpi0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
atrtc0: <AT realtime clock> port 0x70-0x71 irq 8 on acpi0
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
acpi_timer0: <24-bit timer at 3.579545MHz> port 0x808-0x80b on acpi0
acpi_button0: <Power Button> on acpi0
pcib0: <ACPI Host-PCI bridge> port 0xcf8-0xcff on acpi0
pcib0: Length mismatch for 3 range: bfe00000 vs bec00000
pci0: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib0
pcib1: <PCI-PCI bridge> at device 1.0 on pci0
pci1: <PCI bus> on pcib1
isab0: <PCI-ISA bridge> at device 2.0 on pci0
isa0: <ISA bus> on isab0
atapci0: <SiS 962/963 WDMA2 controller> port 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6,0x170-0x177,0x376,0xff00-0xff0f at device 2.5 on pci0
ata0: <ATA channel> at channel 0 on atapci0
ata1: <ATA channel> at channel 1 on atapci0
pcm0: <SiS 7012> port 0xdc00-0xdcff,0xd800-0xd87f irq 18 at device 2.7 on pci0
pcm0: <Avance Logic ALC650 AC97 Codec>
ohci0: <SiS 5571 USB controller> mem 0xdfff8000-0xdfff8fff irq 20 at device 3.0 on pci0
usbus0 on ohci0
ohci1: <SiS 5571 USB controller> mem 0xdfff9000-0xdfff9fff irq 21 at device 3.1 on pci0
usbus1 on ohci1
ohci2: <SiS 5571 USB controller> mem 0xdfffa000-0xdfffafff irq 22 at device 3.2 on pci0
usbus2 on ohci2
ehci0: <EHCI (generic) USB 2.0 controller> mem 0xdfffb000-0xdfffbfff irq 23 at device 3.3 on pci0
usbus3: EHCI version 1.0
usbus3 on ehci0
ath0: <Atheros 5212> mem 0xdffd0000-0xdffdffff irq 18 at device 7.0 on pci0
ath0: AR2413 mac 7.9 RF2413 phy 4.5
ath0: 2GHz radio: 0x0000; 5GHz radio: 0x0056
fxp0: <Intel 82559 Pro/100 Ethernet> port 0xd400-0xd43f mem 0xdfff6000-0xdfff6fff,0xdfe00000-0xdfefffff irq 19 at device 8.0 on pci0
miibus0: <MII bus> on fxp0
inphy0: <i82555 10/100 media interface> PHY 1 on miibus0
inphy0:  10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto, auto-flow
fxp0: Ethernet address: 00:02:b3:41:1f:2a
fxp1: <Intel 82559 Pro/100 Ethernet> port 0xd000-0xd03f mem 0xdfff5000-0xdfff5fff,0xdfc00000-0xdfcfffff irq 16 at device 9.0 on pci0
miibus1: <MII bus> on fxp1
inphy1: <i82555 10/100 media interface> PHY 1 on miibus1
inphy1:  10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto, auto-flow
fxp1: Ethernet address: 00:d0:b7:17:44:f8
vgapci0: <VGA-compatible display> mem 0xdfffc000-0xdfffffff,0xdd800000-0xddffffff,0xdf000000-0xdf7fffff irq 17 at device 10.0 on pci0
vgapci0: Boot video device
acpi_tz0: <Thermal Zone> on acpi0
acpi_tz1: <Thermal Zone> on acpi0
atkbdc0: <Keyboard controller (i8042)> port 0x60,0x64 irq 1 on acpi0
atkbd0: <AT Keyboard> irq 1 on atkbdc0
kbd0 at atkbd0
atkbd0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
uart0: <16550 or compatible> port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 flags 0x10 on acpi0
uart1: <16550 or compatible> port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3 on acpi0
ppc0: <Parallel port> port 0x378-0x37f,0x778-0x77b irq 7 drq 3 on acpi0
ppc0: SMC-like chipset (ECP/EPP/PS2/NIBBLE) in COMPATIBLE mode
ppc0: FIFO with 16/16/9 bytes threshold
ppbus0: <Parallel port bus> on ppc0
ppi0: <Parallel I/O> on ppbus0
pmtimer0 on isa0
orm0: <ISA Option ROMs> at iomem 0xc0000-0xc7fff,0xc8000-0xc8fff pnpid ORM0000 on isa0
p4tcc0: <CPU Frequency Thermal Control> on cpu0
```


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## balanga (Jan 29, 2018)

ondra_knezour said:


> I knew I forgot something  https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-wifi-build/wiki/Supported-Boards



I know it's an old thread, but is anyone using FreeBSD on any of those routers?


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