[dundee] Any OpenWRT afficianados around?

[Colin Brough]

Folks

My ignorance of networking is not helping me wade through the
profusion of information online... Any help appreciated!

I'm wanting to get a router/wireless AP to be the hub of my home
network. It needs to run some variant of Linux, provide the normal
DHCP/nameserver/routing type functionality, and additionally do
content filtering for the whole network (dansguardian or squidguard or
similar). It should hand out predictable IP addresses to at least some
of the devices (desktop, server, printers), and perhaps all the
normally connected devices (by MAC address), as well as being able to
do cope with guest devices when friends come round... Looking for at
least 5x Gigabit LAN ports on the network side (plus 1x WAN side)

I could spend too much money and get a mini-PC from mini-itx.com. eg
Jetway JBC373 Quad LAN plus extra LAN daughterboard...

I could try and find some hardware that OpenWRT runs on (or dd-WRT?),
but there seems a dearth of supported 8 port kit... Would a 4 port
router and a 4 port switch hanging off one of the router ports do it
for me? How easy is OpenWRT or dd-WRT in practise (to install/setup
and to maintain)?

I could give up and wander off confused!

-- 

Cheers

Colin

Rev Colin Brough
Minister
Fintry Parish Church of Scotland, Dundee
Scottish Charity Number: SC020742

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Colin Brough                             Colin.Brough at blueyonder.co.uk