I haven't been using routers supplied by our service provider for years but it's only recently I made the switch from an aftermarket router to one I made. Sure, I've messed around with some hardware and connected a few devices, but I only just upgraded the entire home with a custom router. If you've never considered building a custom router before, it's easier than you think. You can be up and running in no time and here's how I did it.
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The issue with ISP-supplied routers
Not all routers supplied by an internet service provider (ISP) are terrible. Some of them are decent enough for households with fewer devices and rooms to cover. It's not until you have multiple clients needing to move lots of data across the network and the single device has to do everything will you see just how limited they can be. ISPs often cut costs where possible and the router is one such router. They often provide the bare minimum with their router and you'll likely find some more advanced features missing from the web GUI altogether.
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Some ISP routers may not even support virtual private networks or allow for performance to be optimized through QoS and other features. The software running on these routers may not be updated, nor will some of the components. It's likely you won't find Wi-Fi 7 on ISP routers, and many of them will top out at 1Gbps ports. With weaker internals, you won't be able to install additional software or run heavier services and devices behind the network without some slowdowns. You're also relying on your ISP to ensure updates are released for your hardware.
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Even if you're happy with the router supplied by your ISP, building your device is a cool way to see how everything connects and what the router and firewall are tasked with handling. You can also tailor the router to your network. Grab a basic unit with two 1Gbps ports or go all-out with a premium device with 5Gbps networking, Wi-Fi 7, and powerful internals. Once you've chosen your router, it's time to load some software on it.
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OPNsense vs. Pfsense
The router is useless without some form of software running on the device. That's precisely what Pfsense and OPNsense are. They're designed for high-traffic applications where you can easily control and manage bandwidth allocation. Plugins can be installed, VPNs configured, and external access fine-tuned for enhanced security. Pfsense and OPNsense share the same foundations (OPNsense is a fork of Pfsense) but have slightly different interfaces and features. There's no wrong answer here and most will use what they feel comfortable with but OPNsense is largely considered the better option.
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This is due to it being fully developed as an open-source solution whereas Pfsense is developed alongside a commercial product and is viewed as an inferior product. OPNsense is incredibly powerful but it's possible to set it up and do nothing aside from configuring network ports. By default, it's secure and can easily handle your home LAN. When ready, you can spend hours tinkering with various parts of the system. Through OPNsense, you can handle dynamic DNS (DDNS), configure one VPN connection for the entire LAN, and enjoy gazing at pretty graphs on the dashboard.
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OPNsense could be viewed as overkill for a home LAN but it's worth investing in powerful networking solutions to secure all your devices (and valuable stored data).
How to set up OPNsense
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Before doing anything, you'll need to plan out your network. Grab a notepad and sketch out all your devices and various layers to the LAN. Add in any access points, switches, or even the modem. Work out what features you'll want to use, which services will need to be configured with external access, and if you want to access specific parts of the LAN from outside. Once ready, setting up OPNsense is almost identical to Pfsense and that's on purpose. This is a fork of Netgate's powerful router and firewall software, but it's also done to ensure the process of switching from Pfsense is painless.
Download the latest version of OPNsense. Write the downloaded image to a USB drive. Connect the USB drive to your chosen OPNsense device. Power up the system with a keyboard and monitor attached. Accept the user agreement.
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Choose Install (default). Press enter. Choose your keyboard layout (or "keymap"). Press enter. Choose Auto (ZFS), unless you know what you're doing.
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Press enter. Choose Install (default). Press enter. Choose Stripe (default), unless you prefer using RAID. Press enter. Choose the drive to install OPNsense on. Press enter. Confirm the reformatting of the chosen disk.
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And you're done! Now you can connect to your new OPNsense router using the browser and the default gateway 192.168.1.1. This can be configured with just about anything else using the web GUI. The best part about pfSense and OPNsense is the ability to set up and forget, taking advantage of built-in security without having to configure any settings. If you're ready to dive deeper, it's possible to install plugins, configure VPNs, certificates, reverse proxies, and much more.
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