Benefits of a Linux Router

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One of the great many uses of linux is that of a dedicated router. A linux router can be much more versatile than a traditional router in almost every way. Additionally you can get feature sets only available on business class routers for nothing but the cost of the hardware itself. One of the largest linux router distributions out there goes by the name of pfSense. pfSense itself is actually based off an older router operating system called Monowall. pfSense has a Free BSD core which you can also find parts of in Apple’s OSX Operating System for Macs.

pfSense being one of the largest router operating systems also means it has one of the largest online communities. Not only are there people who can generally help, but you can also find excellent tutorials and active developers generally willing to add specialty features you may require for a fee. It is important to note that although pfSense is great for home use, it scales well for use in business environments and is actively used by hundreds of businesses right now. One of the biggest reasons for its wide spread use is because of its low cost, it’s free!

The list of hardware that pfSense will run on is quite long, everything from embedded hardware, to PPC based hardware and most commonly x86 hardware in small form factors or rack mount cases. pfSense is very easy even for a novice to install. Because the only thing you need to save is the configuration file, you can actually run the operating system from a Live CD and save the configuration to something as small as a floppy disk, as flash drive or even a hard drive. Once the operating system is up and running as your router you have many options for additional packages that you can install.

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Building a Linux Router

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So you have decided to use linux as a router. There are a variety of reasons to use linux as a router and there are several varieties of linux to choose from. For the purpose of this guide we will use pfSense because its not only one of the most widely used distributions, but is also one of the easiest to install for a novice. The first decision you will need to make is what kind of hardware you intend to install it on. While it does run on PPC hardware and some embedded hardware, most people choose to simply run it on x86 hardware.

Being that the operating system is not very hardware intensive, you can use hardware as old as a Pentium II or AMD K6-2. The documentation specifies that you will need at least 128 MB of ram though. If you plan on keeping it in a room you may occupy consider using a passive heat sink to keep noise down. Other components you will need include the basics, like some kind of optical drive to boot the Live CD from. If you are building this PC from new or old parts consider the form factor for your case carefully. A smaller form factor case means it will take up less space and become easier to mount or tuck out of the way.

Of the next important parts in building your router is selecting a couple of NICs (Network Interface Cards). Check to see if you have an on board NIC, if you do you will only need one additional one. Its ideal to get a decent quality card, that will last a long time and will have a high compatibility with your linux distribution. You will need a monitor and keyboard hooked up for initial setup but after that the system will be fully managed via the web interface.

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Replacing Your Routers Firmware with Linux

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Although most consumer-based routers are already based on Linux as an operating system, installing an open source firmware can provide many additional options that may have been restricted for use before. Some of the improvements over stock firmware include features such as an improved user interface, access to usage graphs, web server capabilities, and wifi power adjustments. With so many benefits associated with this switch, you should hopefully see why so many people decide to make the jump to use Linux as a replacement for the stock firmware on a router.

The process of switching your router to an aftermarket firmware does not have to be a particularly a difficult one, but it is important that you pay close attention and follow all directions to the letter. Failing to follow all directions closely and completely can unfortunately result in what is known as a "brick."  Essentially this means that your router is reduced to junk and you will unable to use it anymore, requiring a replacement.

Find the Linux distribution that you want to use. The most common is a program called DD-WRT, it is definitely the most famous when it comes to firmware replacements. There are other programs that you can use as well, including one that is simply known as Tomato. When you choose the one that you plan to use, the next thing to do is to read and to comprehend the instructions. You must have a complete and thorough understanding of what you need to do in order to replace your router’s firmware with this Linux distribution, otherwise you are likely to run into a whole myriad of different errors and problems along the way.

When it doubt, ask for help. There is nothing wrong with getting a little technical help if it means preventing your router from becoming a paperweight.

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