[dundee] Any OpenWRT afficianados around?

[Robert Ladyman]

I run plain (non-wireless) routers on the head-end with an IPCOP (or PFSense) 
box behind it: you can run either of the latter on any old twin-homed PC you 
might have lying around. On IPCOP I have dansguardian, squid, update 
accelerator, etc. From the router PC I then have one or more switches from 
which I can run wireless, or you can run an additional set of networks from 
the IPCOP box (a wireless one and a guest one, etc).

One advantage of this setup is that, if your router is compromised, you still 
have a firewall in place. Another is that if you change either the router, or 
the head-end provider (ISP) you don't have to change anything else 
internally.

RJL

> 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!


-- 
Robert Ladyman
File-Away Limited
3 Ralston Business Centre, Newtyle, Blairgowrie
Perthshire  PH12 8TL SCOTLAND
Tel: +44 (0) 1828 898 158
Mobile: +44 (0) 7732 771 649
http://www.file-away.co.uk

============================================
Registered Office: 30 Church Street, Newtyle, Blairgowrie
Perthshire, PH12 8TZ SCOTLAND
Registered in Scotland, Company Number SC222086