[GuB-42]

Not stupid, but you also have to understand the downsides.

I once did that, essentially just a linux PC with extra network cards. It doubled as a NAS too. One issue is simply that when you are playing with it (updates and all that), you won't have a router and you will lose internet access for all your connected devices. You also have to consider power outages (UPS highly recommended) and electricity costs. It gives you a lot of flexibility, but it also gives you a hobby. In the end I backed off and got an off-the-shelf router like everyone else, the server is still there, but it doesn't do routing anymore. Sure, I lose a bit of control, but it works, and solving problems is usually just "turn it off and on again", and I don't want to play hotline when my roommate loses internet access.

A compromise is take an off-the-shelf router and flash an alternative firmware like OpenWrt.

Also, why do you need upgrading routers every two years? Things don't move that fast, and widespread adoption of new standards even less so. If WiFi is the reason you change so much, you can buy access points and connect them to your router with wires.

[simoncion]

> One issue is simply that when you are playing with it (updates and all that), you won't have a router and you will lose internet access for all your connected devices.

For my system, the only update I need to reboot for is a kernel upgrade. For everything else I can restart individual services, which leaves routing and firewalling completely untouched. And when I _need_ to reboot the thing, it takes right around 30 seconds from the time it stops passing traffic until the time traffic starts flowing again.

> You also have to consider power outages (UPS highly recommended) and electricity costs.

Power outages aren't a concern, as the rest of my networking gear isn't on a UPS. But boy, howdy are you right about the power costs. I've gone from drawing 12W _max_ (read as "_never_") to more like 20W _idle_, and way, way more if I'm performing updates.

> If WiFi is the reason you change so much, you can buy access points and connect them to your router with wires.

Yeah, I strongly recommend this. Separating your APs from your router is a smart move.

[rendaw]

I've always been interested in this, but I was worried about the efficiency/performance loss. I don't really know how off the shelf routers work, but I'd assume most of the routing logic happens near the hardware... is this not the case? Or is linux able to move routing logic into the hardware so there's no significant performance difference?

My own reasons are

1. It's an extra piece of hardware, when I already have an underutilized server

2. The consumer router web ui is terrible, updates are painful, diagnostics are lacking, etc

3. More power with linux, and a consistent interface for it

[dtaht]

please try openwrt.

[olau]

> A compromise is take an off-the-shelf router and flash an alternative firmware like OpenWrt.

Linksys (and others) even make some where this is supported out of the box.