Reddit mentions: The best mini computers

So many questions.

> My home LAN right now is an Asus RT-AC66U, 2 desktops, printer, and my freenas Bound together by 2Gb 8 port switches. I also just built a little ESX server. I wanted to virtualize server OSs, and manage a small domain environment. I also wanted to keep it mostly separate from normal my LAN.

Presumably that link bonding is client side? What switch is it?

> I don't know how to go about doing this. I think this is a situation where a vlan and pfsense are used. I want to be able to control my vms from my primary desktop I also want my Vms to be able to reach the internet.

VLANs allow you to have different networks over the same physical. For example, you could have two VLANs running down the same cable back to your router and your router has two interfaces, each listening for their respective VLAN tags. You can then add firewall rules to each interface as if it were a physical NIC but it's all software.

What you're after is subnets on top of VLANs. Just have your VMs on a different subnet to your main network and traffic between them will have to be routed (by your router) so you get firewall rules etc.

Having the VMs able to reach the internet is as simple as giving them a route to do so.
> Will i need to add a 2nd NIC to my desktop to access two networks?

No. Unless you want direct access to your VM subnet by having an IP within their range, access from your desktop will be just as it is with any other IP. It'll get routed to the correct location by your router.
> pfsense needs dedicated hardware right? is this good enough http://amzn.com/B00OY8Q0QC[1]

Not necessarily. I've seen many on here running it virtualised but there are those who prefer to run something like that as a dedicated machine. As for hardware, unless you have 500Mbps+, you won't need anything that expensive. If you have an old machine, those can often work just fine for a home connection. For reference, I have a Pentium G3220 with 4GB DDR3 RAM which handles by 1Gbps FTTH connection with room to breathe.
> I will need to buy a smart switch right? Any tips on how to shop for one? I dont really know what to look for.

Why? Most dumb switches will handle VLAN tags just fine. However, if you want to do it like enterprise does, you'll want a managed/smart switch. They will allow you to do VLAN tagging at the switch side so no extra client configuration is needed.
> I'm using the trial version of Vmware stuff. So i have a about a 60 day window. Should i make the switch early Proxmox? Which is worth more professional development wise?

I'm fairly sure ESXi is free. The management program is paid but the free version of it should do everything you want.
> Bonus objective: I sold my HTPC to afford most of this hardware. Is there a way I can connect a virtual machine to my tv to playback media? I'm using chromecast/ freenasPLex which is working fine enough. But i am curious.

Maybe but I don't think it'd be easy. You'd be better off getting something like a RaspberryPi and using rasplex with a PLEX server. That's what I do.

Sorry for my delayed response too - this got lost in the pile so to speak. I loaded my Amazon cart up with $4,200 worth of goodies to save so I can link some options for you. Now, you're not going to get around having both the AGA cable and a TB3 cable going to your laptop. What you can do, however, is combine the electronics of the TB3 enclosure and the AGA into a small to mid size tower chassis if you don't want two separate boxes on your desk. There's pros and cons to that and it's a lot of work and takes a bit of skill but it's been done.

​

I'll break these down into two categories: enclosures that support a GPU and those that do not. The main difference is a) size and b) PSU capacity. If you went the route of hacking both the AGA and TB3 into the same enclosure you'd negate both of those and gain some extra flexibility.

​

GPU Capable:

1. HP Omen Accelerator. This is a fantastic device with unique styling. Not only does it support a larger than typical GPU but it has a slot for a 2.5" SATA drive, onboard gigabit NIC, 4x USB 3.1 Type A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 500W power supply. This is a personal favorite of mine but tends to be pricy - currently on sale for $230 from $300 HP Omen Accelerator
   
2. Asus ROG XG Station 2. This also has unique styling but has a smaller footprint than the HP Offering. 600W power supply, onboard gigabit NIC, 4x USB 3.0. Way overprice at current listing for $549 Amazon
   
3. Razer Core X. 650W PSU, No extra connectivity $299 on Amazon
   
4. Akitio Node Pro- Compact size designed for portability - it has a carry handle on top. 500W PSU, Display Port for adding an extra monitor, and extra TB3 port for daisy chaining. $321 on Amazon
   
   Not GPU Capable - these are all much smaller in size
   
   
5. Akitio Node Lite - Display Port for adding an extra monitor, and extra TB3 port for daisy chaining $210 on Amazon
   
6. Startech TB3 Expansion Chassis - Display Port for adding an extra monitor, and extra TB3 port for daisy chaining $237 Amazon
   
7. OWC Mercury Helios 3 - Display Port for adding an extra monitor, and extra TB3 port for daisy chaining $199 Amazon plus 15% off coupon
   
8. Sonnet Echo Express - extra TB3 for daisy chaining, $199 Amazon
   
9. Sonnet Echo Express-III-D - This is a beast! It has 3 PCIe 3.0 slots which offers some pretty interesting possibilities especially for someone that works with lots of large video files. This one might also support a GPU. Has extra TB3 for daisy chaining, $899 on Amazon
   
10. Magma ExpressBox 3T - This also has 3 PCIe slots $999 OneStopSystems or $1099 Amazon
    
    ​
    
    I don't have any of these but I sure wish I did. Hope this helps...took a while to put together this list! The expensive units with the 3 extra PCI slots would allow you to add in extra NVME drives - either Intel's PCIe slot based drives or standard M.2 PCIe drives on a riser card. EIther would do the trick. I don't know how much data you work with but this would also allow you to add in 10gig ethernet to high speed data transfer to network attached storage or to add in a SAS / SATA controller and have an external storage array. This would allow you to have dozens of terabytes of high speed and data redundant storage.

I really wouldn't use a Raspberry Pi for this. Don't get me wrong, it's a great little device and it would work in a pinch but it's not really the best fit for this.

If it were me, I would go with something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-Quad-Core-Graphics-Barebones-ZBOX-CI323NANO-U/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486571851&sr=8-1&keywords=Zotac+ZBOX+Dual+Ethernet

It's small, quiet and very low power. Has dual Gigabit ethernet and is x86_64 based so you can run anything on it.

You're not likely to find something like that with more than 2 gigabit ethernet ports unless you go with something custom built like a Mikrotik RouterBoard.

Instead of the 3rd ethernet port, why not get yourself a managed gigabit switch (one can be had for about $65USD) and put your LAN and your security system on different VLANs. If you need more info on how to do this I would be more than happy to help.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project! :)

I've been sitting here for a few minutes now considering this, and I genuinely don't know what the best way to do this is.

​

First thought: You'd need to build a full HTPC with a pretty good video card to drive 5 TVs. That seems pretty expensive. Probably min $600-800. So let's go to idea 2.

​

Second thought: Streaming sticks. In theory, with enough streaming services and and HDHomeRun, you could handle this really easily... except depending on your wifi you may start saturating things pretty quickly.

​

Third idea: Raspberry Pis. As long as you are only using HDHomeRun and PSVue, you could run Kodi on all those Pis, plug each one into a gigabit switch, and everything would work great. If you are depending on services not available in Kodi though, this wouldn't work.

​

Fourth idea: Cheap wintel boxes! https://www.amazon.com/ACEPC-T8-x5-Z8350-Graphics-Computer/dp/B07D9YX3W6?keywords=windows+stick+ethernet&qid=1540840765&sr=8-18&ref=sr_1_18 Each one of these is about $100 and already comes with Windows and can theoretically play 4k content. They also have ethernet. Plug them all into a gigabit switch. Install Synergy (a mouse and keyboard sharing program) on all the devices, so a single mouse can control them all. Profit.

​

You can also accomplish the same thing with Fire TV Cubes (current version with ethernet). Except there you'll need 5 different remotes. It's also slightly more expensive. https://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-Cube-hands-free-with-Alexa-and-4K-Ultra-HD-and-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote/dp/B0791T9CV7?keywords=fire+tv&qid=1540841484&sr=8-5&ref=sr_1_5

​

Each of these ways would probably be pretty fun and impressive for friends.

​

Edit: Just saw the goal of being able to also stream audio to a receiver. No problem. Grab the audio out from either the TV or device depending on what you are using. Pull it all into a 5 channel mixer. Send that to your receiver. For e.g. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M68UK38/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01M68UK38&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=f52e26da-1287-4616-824b-efc564ff75a4&pf_rd_r=YMRFG6VP060T8G9TPEZT&pd_rd_wg=o8OkC&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=VothI&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=f5532ae8-dbb2-11e8-9a6a-33a8eee8b3d9

​

At this point, you could probably start charging for beer and popcorn.

What services do you need security and privacy for? I'm a network engineer and personally I wouldn't run pfsense if I didn't do some oddball stuff(I use openvpn to create a tunnel interface to connect to private internet access and then have firewall rules to force traffic for specific hosts over that tunnel interface). If you're using IPv4 then nothing is exposed to the internet by default you have to NAT to your hosts internally. If you're not exposing anything particularly sensitive to the internet then you shouldn't be all that concerned to be honest. QoS in the home simply isn't worth it most of the time; traffic monitoring doesn't hurt.

With that being said pfsense is a good option if you insist on wanting security features. You can install pfsense on anything really but you'll want to ensure the nics/hardware are enough to utilize your 1g connection.

DDWRT and the like are okay but they are trying to get compatibility for their firmware to run over top of another manufacturer's hardware as opposed to a solution like pfsense so they can be a bit buggy/flaky. I've used dd-wrt on an AP because I needed vlan tagging in a specific place in my home network and it was a cheap/easy way to get it.

The box I purchased for my pfsense build(does 1g just fine with no issues):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KLEI1MI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As other's have alluded to you'll need an AP for wireless if you go this route.

I personally would just pickup a consumer grade router that could do 1g if I didn't need the additional technical features. Most consumer grade routers on the higher end also have higher ease of use with online gaming for services like upnp regardless of the security concern there, many come with dynamic dns built in, and they also come with openvpn accessibility built into the gui for remote access.

i picked up a XG35QV open-box for $530 to get a feel for what size UW might work for new office/desk.

I go through gaming phases but mostly use my machine (intel nuc NUC8i7HVK w/8th Gen Intel Core i7 8809G & Radeon RX Vega M GH 1Ghz 4GB mem graphics) for 3d modeling, video editing, and coding.

the obvious long-term solution will be a wall-mount (it arrives tomorrow), but until I get my keyboard + monitor height just right, and build my standing memory-foam-pad, I can't be sure of the exact height, so don't want to install a wall mount just yet

Does anyone have a suggestion for a monitor, preferably with less of a gamer-vibe (my office space shares with the guest room, so to please the SO), that has a lower-profile stand? this one is pushed back as far as it can go and the screen still starts about 12" from the wall.

also open to suggestions in general on the best 35" to buy/wait for. i prefer buying open-box on amazon for 30+% off but appreciate the importance of a quality monitor and will spend the $ for new, if it's the best option/value.

finally, is the xg35qv a good value for $540? what should I have purchased instead if not (stand irrelevant)?

Thank you Gerdes. I was out last night so didn’t see this until now. So, I think I understand what you mean. Basically, your saying build another pfSense box that will basically perform the duties a layer 3 switch would and then just connect that out to my layer two switches. So, for my setup it would be something like this:

ISP ---- Pf1 ---- Pf2 ---- Cisco 2960-S ---- Other Layer-2 managed switches and devices (servers, pcs, etc.)

Now for that setup above would something like this suffice or would I need more power than that. Also, would it be better to get something like this and just the one box doing everything or is having two like you mentioned better in the end for performance. I initially was going to go with the supermicro for my pfsense box but I have a friend who uses pfsense and he recommended that zotac to me saying that it performed very well. So far, I agree with him. The Zotac has been working very nice.

Now I am just a little confused about how the two pfsense method works. So, my isp comes into my wan port on the zotac and then my LAN port goes to my WAN port on my pfsense 2? Is that correct? Now the other NICs on the pf2, do they get bonded together into my layer 2 cisco or are they each setup as separate physical interfaces? So, I guess what I am asking is, do the vlans get configured across the multiple nics (i.e. opt 1 has vlans 5, 10, and 20, opt2 has 30, etc.) or do the nics get bonded and then I just create all the vlans on that bonded interface? I have one last question. How would my packages in pfsense work? I don’t have a lot right now but for example, I am currently running Snort on my LAN interface in pfsense. How would this work with the method you outlined above? Any packages I do still get activated on my Zotac right? The Pf2 shouldn’t be doing anything other than the vlan routing. Am I correct in saying that?

Sorry for all the questions. I am a bit new to pfSense (only be running it for about a month now) so I want to make sure I do this right. I appreciate all your help thus far Gerdes.

Here was my shopping list,

-PCIe eGPU enclosure for the WiGig card

-Thunderbolt3 (active) cable

-Vive Wireless Adapter with Vive Pro addon

-Spare battery with 20000mAh Qualcomm QC 3.0


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YCR5LC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H5QF1GO

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0X3NL5

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GKHNBCT

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GY7JZP4



I read about 2 dozen posts around the internet covering the topic of using the wireless adapter with external configurations for laptops. Many people had mixed results and I was hesitant to try it myself but I needed to figure out if it was possible regardless since there wasn't any clear answers.


I ordered the items that made the most sense to me in terms of price and quality. The eGPU enclosure I got was the most attractive and had a carry handle which I liked considering my intended use for this setup was going to be mobile. I went with an active Thunderbolt 3 cable due to the fact that it "should" in theory provide a better signal from the eGPU to the laptop. Finally, I got a spare battery based on the reviews that said the included HTC battery didn't last long and took forever to recharge. The battery I got was recommended by others in the reviews who said they had a Vive Wireless kit.


Once I got all the items I did the setup and fired up the Vive. Right off the bat it worked perfectly. With that said, some of the mixed reviews I was seeing from others trying the eGPU setup had commented on FPS stuttering/lag when moving your head and I did experience this slightly although it was intermittent at times. I also had a brief random moment where everything pixelated pretty bad as if the graphics suddenly got toggled to 1990 Nintendo mode.


In the end I was able to determine the following,

1. It is possible to run the Vive Wireless Adapter on a laptop.
   
   
2. The hardware of the laptop is an important factor in having a smooth experience with this setup.
   
   
3. Some tweaking and configuration work will need to be done to get a smooth FPS. Still a WIP for me to get the level I'm happy with.
   
   
4. Some games may not be optimized enough to offer crisp visuals.
   
   
   My testing of this setup was with an Alienware M15 and M17 both with i9 CPU, 2080 RTX, 32GB RAM, and x2 NVME M.2 SSD. I have an older Alienware 17 R5 I plan to test with soon to compare results.
   
   
   Most importantly, what I noticed in my testing was that there's some graphical loads that will bog down the FPS and cause slight stuttering and it's not yet fully clear why. For example, while in SteamVR home room area there was a few key spots that when I looked directly at them it would cause stutter if I moved my head left and right slowly but if I opened the Steam menu which added a transparent overlay on top of what I was looking at the stutter would go away completely even though I could still see the same thing behind the overlay. I read a lot of people tweaking SteamVR settings to smooth out the FPS and I have yet to get the time to fully dive into that part but I suspect it will likely work out to resolve the issue.
   
   
   The alternative setup I was wanting to test was getting the Alienware AGA enclosure and testing to see if that provided a better out of the box solution without tweaking settings. I found some people saying it didn't work at all and others saying it did. Considering the cable connection is different it still has me curious, as I believe the cable connection over the AGA is using an identical pipeline/bandwidth as Dell docking stations.

I have the Hades Canyon NUC ( https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=GM07KLWPS826&keywords=hades+canyon+nuc&qid=1555074370&s=gateway&sprefix=hades+canyon%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3 ) but I don't game and stream at the same time off of it. I added 16gb ram and a WD Black M.2 500gb stick to it and I use it as a secondary dedicated streaming PC which wasn't the original reason for buying it. I'm actually working towards selling it and building a PC more meant for streaming when the new Ryzen line comes out because I want to push out as much quality as I can. I have a fiber connection so the PC is the bottleneck.

​

That aside.. As a dedicated streaming box with an HD60s hooked up feeding from my gaming PC, as well as a CamLink to my mirrorless camera, I've been able to have it going at 'fast' preset for 810p/60fps @ 6,000 bitrate and the CPU usage ranges between 40-70% in StreamElements OBS. I used to try pushing it to medium, 720p/60fps @ 6,000 bitrate and that would constantly be around 80-90%+ CPU and crash the whole system at times. Both scenarios is usually streaming more visually active games with a lot of screen movement.

​

Certainly you can be less aggressive with the quality output and I'm sure something like this can handle some lightweight gaming on it. I'd be shocked if it couldn't handle both streaming and something like Runescape at the same itme.

I recently bought one of these with this RAM and this hard drive to replace my virtualized pfSense install after I was away for two weeks and had ESXi issues that took my VPN offline. I know this sub isn't a fan of Realtek NICs, but what I was looking for was: a processor that supports AES-NI, fanless, compact, dual NICs, low power consumption, and decent price. This machine hit all of those, with the only drawback being non-Intel NICs. So far, I've had absolutely no issues with it. It's a little overkill if you just want basic routing, but I wanted to be able to run OpenVPN, Snort, pfBlockerNG, etc. and have a comfortable overhead for anything I wanted to try in the future.

For an access point, Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-LITE or UAP-AC-PRO are pretty popular "prosumer" products. I'm sure someone can recommend some good switches, but I'm currently running a Netgear GS724T and it provides me with the features I need (VLAN, LAG/LACP) and I'm happy with it.

If you're up for a challenge and you dig low power draw low cost, you could try espressobin (just google it). The toughest part is finding a case; I had to order one from a vendor that prints from designs on thingiverse. (I'd advise going with ABS plastic, not PLA, if you go this route.) By the time you buy espressobin, a 32G sdcard, a power supply, and a case, you're out about 135 or 140 bucks.

I actually just bought the espressobin + bits and pieces myself; everything's here but the case, which I'm still waiting for. Full disclosure: no HDMI out on espressobin, so if you're not okay with needing to go serial console, it's not going to be for you. And since I haven't built it yet, I don't know what the performance will be like (though I'd confidently put it up against even high-end consumer gear on spec, given that it's similar CPU to what's in a Netgear Nighthawk, and given how well plain Ubuntu did versus various devices in my tests at Ars Technica). Still... it's a gamble. Ya feelin' lucky? =)

Other than that, literally just look for Celeron builds from Qotom on Amazon. The one I purchased most recently is still available; I make no guarantees it's the absolute best model to buy right now, I literally just dug it out of my order list, but it still shows available at $170 after shipping. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B019Z8T9J0/ You'll spend around $300 total after adding RAM and an SSD to one of these, depending on what exactly you opt for there.

Qotom also has i3 and i5 versions of the same machine available, for about $100 to $150 more. If you want the extra muscle. You won't likely need the extra muscle if all it's going to be doing is acting as a router, of course, but sometimes more firepower is more firepower, right? =)

The bad news:

Wifi sucks for media distribution. While many routers will do 802.11 a/b/g/n speeds, they'll mostly only do one at a time. So if you have just one slow device in the house requiring a/b speeds, it's going to drag your real-world transfer speeds into the 150kbps range and even SD video will stutter.

Most "smart" TVs aren't. Many brand new smart panels/BD players have poor codec support and abysmal interfaces.

The good news:

All of this is fixable. As for moving files, you can find and disable the slow device that's dragging down your wireless network. In my case, it ended up being a wireless printer. Alternately, you can pull an ethernet cable from your server to the TV, or do ethernet over AC.

As for smartening up your TV, you have several options. The free one is to keep using the PC that's currently connected to it. It's not really putting any "strain" on the CPU, since unless it's an ancient machine, video playback is handled with no real effort by the GPU. If you want a standalone device, I've tried dozens of set-top players over the years and have found the WD TV units to be as close to perfect as anybody has gotten. Codec support is very good, the interface is acceptable, and they play nice with network shares.

However, if you're willing to spend a bit more, you can get a full-fledged windows PC that is even smaller and more capable. I currently use two gigabyte brix systems in my house. Toss in 4GB of RAM and a cheap SSD and you can have a complete system for about $200. Using a good media player like MPC-HC this will handle anything you throw at it.

The protectli works well.
Here's the Amazon link
I bought the storage and RAM as a bundle, but an mSATA drive is what you want as the unit runs pretty warm. Keep it away from anything that is heat sensitive.

FreeNAS is great! It's been around for years, and ZFS is rock solid. I'm using the SSD as an L2ARC, and I've segregated all storage traffic to a separate subnet across two NICs on all servers, which makes a huge difference!

I do recommend finding a case that will keep the spinning drive noise to a minimum and putting money into RAM over a faster CPU.

oVirt works well. I'm not running the "self-hosted" engine. I tried it, but there's some glitch that prevented me from moving that VM from one host to another. I find that I don't need that flexibility anyway.

FYI, windows computers are pretty cheap. I have 7 of these and I LOVE them https://www.amazon.com/Azulle-Quantum-Access-Windows-storage/dp/B00X4O6GRK


When I go to anime / comic conventions I set all my games to run on these sticks and leave them on for 3-4 days straight.

Here's me showing it playing "Pulsen" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fovypqLsW_o


But I've tried other micro PC's that were terrible, the Quantum Access is the only one I like. We build dance pads and I was extremely interested in making a plug n play dance pad, but that required getting a tiny PC that would auto-run the software. My kids have one in each of their rooms as well and they love them, we also use one for our employees time-clock. If you need a cheap PC for macro this is the best.

> Could you give me an example link?

Sure, try this. There are a lot of things like this on Amazon, it's basically just a tiny NUC PC with multiple network ports. There are a lot of them available, some are barebones (add your own RAM and SSD), some come ready to use out with RAM and SSD pre-installed. Some have two Ethernet ports, some have four, some have one.
In general they make pretty good pfSense firewalls. You hook them up to a monitor+keyboard, then download the normal pfSense community edition installer, put that on a USB stick, and boot the little thing from that USB stick. It then installs pfSense onto the internal SSD on the machine, and then you have a firewall :)

It's usually better to buy a real pfSense unit as that helps support the project and the developers, but when cost is the absolute primary concern, these little things are a decent option.

> But to have to spend $370 (+ship) ... for just a one person apartment seems like overkill - unless that Linkys WRT is so compromised (security wise) that it doesn't matter what firmware I run.

I don't think that's a realistic concern. While it is (theoretically) possible that there's some kind of hardware backdoor or bootloader virus in the WRT, this seems highly unlikely. If you're just a normal user who wants to stay private, the WRT with DD-WRT or Tomato is fine. If you are worried about being actively targeted by state actors, then $400 of hardware is (or should be) the least of your concerns.

So it sounds like your plan should be just buy the WRT and reflash it :)

Can definitely be worth it.

So NUCs use laptop/mobile CPUs. If you're doing office work and 2D gaming they're pretty neat. cpu.userbenchmark.com can help with comparisons.

Most NUCs use a 15w mobile chip. (Chips with a "U" at the end of the name) Mobile 6-th and 7th-gen CPUs are 2 core 4 threads, for the i5 and i7. These are like slower versions of the desktop pentiums in a way. These are slower than the i5-4460.

You can also find NUCs with i7-****HQ chips. These are 4 core 8 thread, 45w chips. These will perform... actually better in some cases than the i5 4460. The more expensive NUCs with the HQ CPUs also come with faster "iris pro" integrated graphics, which still isn't enough for modern 3D games except at 720p low/medium settings

Truthfully I'd recommend a cheaper model cause it's all you need, though this i7 model is on a pretty crazy sale right now.

If you do that, I would recommend you not go with my AK1, which I linked above, but go instead with a mini-PC that has a more powerful processor as the sound will be much better. Unlike VSTs that just sample, that is one side-effect of Pianoteq - everything must be calculated on the fly. Right now, the sound quality is a bit richer, especially for polyphonous works like Baroque music, when Pianoteq is running on my MacBook Pro, than on my AK1. However, because I rely on Pianoteq for sound, it's not convenient to bring over my MacBook and hook it up whenever I want to sit down at the piano. So I've been living with the AK1. Fortunately, I don't really play Bach much. LOL

I'm not super knowledgeable but I own one of those mini-pc's that run on Windows - would something like that be able to do the job? Or alternatively one of those "pc on a stick" doohickeys like this one.

If not, just ignore me and best of luck ♥

What about a Zotac mini PC with a 1060 and Core i5 for $1000. You still need to add the RAM and the storage but it's still pretty good value for a no brainer solution.

There's also the NUC Skull Canyon which will keep you under $1000 with RAM and storage. It comes with an Intel GPU but a pretty powerful one. It's also compatible with eGPU via Thunderbolt 3 USB-C so it can be expanded in the future with a real GPU.

MAYBE if you overclock it and give a fan for cooling, you might have better results but honestly, RPis, even 3B+, probably arent strong enough to transcode videos in acceptable qualities. If you want something in the form factor, you're better off looking into something like a NUC or something similar. You can even set up an old laptop or desktop computer. My first plex server was on a low powered Celeron and worked fine but an that arm processor just won't cut the mustard.

EDIT: As an side, that Pi is still useful for secondary services such as Sonarr, Radarr, Tautulli etc, just so the main PMS can focus on simply transcodes.

Do you have any extra hardware lying around?

For a small low powered desktop machine I'd keep my eyes on the Gigabyte Brix for black friday deals. It'll take any 2.5" drive you've got lying around (or buy used from CL, harvest from an old laptop, whatever) and then all you need is a stick of laptop DDR3. As of right now it comes out to $94 on amazon with the rebate, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see something like this on black friday/cyber monday sales for ~$80.

It's a decent machine that uses a Bay Trail celeron. If home theater units are your thing, it does hardware video decoding well and would make a great streaming box. I have mine currently set up as a Steam in-home streaming unit, and it takes just about anything I throw at it.

Otherwise, I have to say that I honestly wouldn't recommend a chromebook/box or Raspberry Pi as a first-time linux machine. The Pi is great, don't get me wrong, but it's a bummer to run into the limitations of the ARM processor when you have a certain package you really want to install but it doesn't work with ARM. Chromebox is more expensive and more locked down than the Brix or Intel NUC, what with not having full BIOS access.

vLANs themselves don't really have bandwidth benefits; they reduce broadcast domains, and they can simplify QoS I find it unlikely that you have a broadcast domain problem. QoS necessity is totally dependent on bandwidth and usage.
 
I'm not sure what the minimum hardware would be for the performance you need. Personally, my network is built on Lenovo TS140s (E3-1225v3) with used quad port Sun NICs and Chelsio T2 10GBe adapters. I can push a LOT of packets, but don't have a great idea of minimum performance. Also, I have no experience at the moment with pfSense, working with Sophos, Vyos, Sonicwall and HP products mostly.
[Something like this would be intereseting] (https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Micro-Appliance-PFSense-barebones/dp/B01GIVQI3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485580586&sr=8-1&keywords=network+appliance)
[pfSense hardware guide] (https://www.pfsense.org/hardware/)
 
Your existing hardware is a box I've toyed with using for a portable appliance a couple of times. The edge router, internal router setup is common; it separates duties and provides some sense of security. Level of security is arguable, but we'll leave that for now. The big Ubiquiti routers I mentioned are nice because they get you almost all the performance/features of high-end layer 3 switches in a fairly low cost. I'd pick the Edgerouter Pro; bump up the CPUfor about a 5-10% cost increase. A number of cheaper layer 3 switch options don't perform the same way. I know Mikrotik CRS devices have abysmal routing features while being extraordinarily good deals for basic layer 2 functions. On the other hand, I've verified that the Edgeswitch 48 can at least route 10Gbps. Unsure of the cheap dlinks, DGS-1500-20 looks interesting if it performs
 
If you are just a performance fiend, the sale price Xeon E3 servers, combined with network cards with offload capabilities, will just wreck anything else you'd likely want to afford. Barring that, I think the Edgeswitch/Edgerouter options are probably going to outperform anything else in the affordable range. The Dlink I linked above might actually be the cheapest option, but I haven't managed to verify it's routing performance.
 
Apologies if I've just muddied up the waters on the process; I'll review my post when I'm not falling asleep. In the meantime, do you have any definition of performance you're looking to improve? I'm sure we can point you in the right direction, but as I stated, VLANning alone won't see any significant performance enhancement.

The Linx Derp Lab 0.5

• Modem: Arris SB6141 with 35Mb down 5Mb up
  
• Firewall/Router: Untangle installed on Zotac 323Nano with USB 3.0 to NIC added for WAN - 8GB RAM and 120GB SSD system drive
  
• Core Switch: Cisco 3750G 24port switch
  
• ESXi host 1: HP Proliant DL380 G6 Dual Quad core with 40GB RAM and 8x73GB RAID 5
  
• ESXi host 2: HP Proliant DL380 G6 Dual Quad core with 40GB RAM and 8x73GB RAID 5
  
• CentOS07-1: Whitebox embedded AMD Quad core with 4GB RAM and 60GB SSD
  
• CentOS07-2: Whitebox socketed AMD Tri core with 4GB RAM and 60GB SSD
  
• FreeNAS: Whitebox socketed Intel Dual core (HT) with 10GB RAM and 12 x 1 TB RAID Z2 + 3x120GB SSD cache
  
• Pi2: Raspberry PI2 running raspbian
  
• UPS: APC Smart-UPS 2200
  
  Others
  
  
• Home office AP/Switch: TP-Link WR 1043ND flashed with DD-WRT
  
• Office VPN: Arubba RAP-3WNP
  
• VOIP: OBi202 with Google Voice
  
• Gaming Rig: AMD FX-8350 with 16GB RAM and 2 x 500GB Samsung Evos with a dinky XFX R7-260X
  
  Planned purchases
  
  
• Third ESXi host, similar hardware, and hope to get a VMUG membership
  
• 2nd Cisco switch so I can do A side B Side (or 2 switches of something with easy GUI setup since I lack Cisco IOS knowledge)
  
• A rack that is better than a cheap shelf (and maybe some PDUs)
  
• 10Gb cards for FreeNAS and ESXi hosts (maybe white box servers)
  
• Maybe a 10Gb switch so I don't have to mesh the servers
  
• Pretty network cables
  
• UniFi AC Pro AP , for sure one, but may add a 2nd if it doesn't cover the whole house (2 stories plus basement)
  
• A real router like an EdgeRouter
  
  Plans for lab
  
  
• Play with various flavors of linux and linux services (like understanding LAMP stack)
  
• Host a blog to record my derps of learning linux (Hence the name)
  
• Stand up a windows domain with AD (possible MS certs, but not my focus)
  
• Figure out how to integrate linux with Win AD
  
• Host a generic webserver with the blog, just for experience sake
  
• Learn ESXi beyond my basic understanding
  
• Maybe Cisco CCNA, but its not my priority
  
• Kali/Hacking/Security Lab (this is my priority since I want to get my CISSP)
  
• Learn mysql or just SQL in general (I have just enough understanding to be dangerous at work)
  
• Learn how to use the Pi2 to automate backups or reboots, or controlled shutdowns when the UPS gets low (30 min run time currently)
  
• Stand up pfSense somewhere on the lab network to learn (I tried sophos UTM and didnt like it). I have untangle paid for a year since its GUI makes setup a piece of cake. That should give me time to figure out pfSense and see if I like it better.
  

You want to get a processor that supports aes-ni. That will allow SSL acceleration (opnvpn) and is also being required as of pfSense 2.5 and up.

I would choose this machine and purchase an unmanaged switch for your devices.

Hope that helps!

2nd edit; I was am an idiot... OK, Here you go. Under budget and should do what you need....

You can use this Zotac Barebones PC w/ the Celeron N3150 processor that supports AES-NI. Add some RAM and a SSD. Finally a Managed 8 Port Switch.

1st edit; Did not realize that I linked a celeron ( thanks u/suziesamantha ) as I thought it was a j1900 processor and then realized that the bay trail's also don't have aes-ni support. Sorry for the wrong information. The router I built is based on the Atom Rangley chip. You can use this link to help find aes-ni support.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-BOXNUC7I5BNK-BABY-CANYON-NUC7I5BNK/dp/B01N4EP1N0
This one's 360 quid and will certainly run aoe2 but if you want to run other games it's worth to save up a bit more for something with like a 1050 Ti, value for money hardware gets drastically better at 500-1000 pounds.

Ok, here I go.

The PI works really well for small stuff. Stuff that doesn't put too much load on it. But for a library of 70000 songs, lossless at that, I would suggest building something bigger.

You won't have to build the biggest, baddest computer, but I would suggest getting a box.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD A4-6300 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor | $35.79 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | ECS A55F2-M4(1.0) Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard | $28.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Team Elite 2GB (1 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $20.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | FSP Group 300W 80+ Certified Micro ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Mwave
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $125.75
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 08:15 EDT-0400 |

This probably would do. (You can go over to the folks at /r/buildapc they can help you more, I just made the cheapest build possible which would work.

Or you can get one of these: Intel NUC first one on amazon that I found

They might have a better form factor considering that you have a PI at the moment. I can guarantee you though that the PI won't have enough power to satisfy your needs.

Intel celeron nuc: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVKLSVC/

Ram (4gb): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CQ35GYE/

Disk: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C9TECFO/

Sidecar: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELQZD10/

Cost of RAM + Disk: $83.99, leaving $216. If we use the Celeron NUC, we have $81 left, enough for a small SSD or Wifi. Bump the cost up to $350 and we have enough for an i3 + wifi when we use the i3 NUC ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HOJAVDG/ ).

The SSD can easily hold an OS if you're using it purely for the OS, but there's some Intel trickery you can use to make it into a cache, or just use it as a storage disk for "Things that are small". Like uh, Business Documents. Plus, it's upgradable to anyone with a screwdriver and a copy of the manual. Plus, the NUCs make the little intel Ding-Da-dun-da-ding sound whenever you open the packaging.

Oh, and 1080p up to 4k. A friend of mine uses a NUC to run his dual 4k coding setup. Oh, and play quake in glorious 4k 120fps.

Linus Tech Tips Video: Intel's Coolest CPU, thanks to AMD

Intel's NUC with AMD graphics is your solution. The 65 Watt version is $700, while the 100 Watt version is $800. The 100 Watt version should be chosen if it is supposed to be fast.

It can connect 6 displays and has seven USB ports without hubs. It has a card reader. It has Wifi/Bluetooth and 2 HDMI ports.

It is compact and easy to carry or mail around for support. It is basically a desktop-replacement laptop without a display, a keyboard, and a trackpad.

Intel Machine NUC8i7HVK Radeon Graphics

The above is a barebones system. It will need a pair of DDR4 SODIMM memory sticks, M.2 storage, and a Windows 10 license.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Memory | Kingston - HyperX Impact 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | $140.13 @ Amazon
Storage | *ADATA - XPG SX6000 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $79.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit | $114.39 @ OutletPC
| | Total (before mail-in rebates) | $359.51
| | Mail-in rebates | -$25.00
| Total | $334.51
| | *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |

.

I think the NUC will be much easier to support then any other solution. The total cost is about $1160 for the 100-Watt version built and ready.

First 5 Things to Do with a New PC Build

> The only thing is that they are a bit more expensive than building my own, but I can't beat the size.

Don't look past the nice troubleshooting feature of an external power brick that you can easily swap or cheaply replace to diagnose problems. Also since you don't need much space for this task, little 120+GB SSDs would be perfect. Lowering heat, giving them better performance, and reducing chance of a mechanical failure.

As to more expensive... Still comes in at $300 budget and that's with 8GB RAM and an SSD! Highly recommend you max them out at 8GB since they only have one memory slot.

• Dual Core NUC - $150 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/
  
• 8GB - $75 - http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12800-204-Pin-Notebook-CT102464BF160B/dp/B006YG8X9Y/
  
• 128GB SSD - $75 - http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX100-adapter-Internal-CT128MX100SSD1/dp/B00KFAGD88/
  
  
  
  
  

As u/prutseratwork stated, the pfSense store is where the official pfSense boxes are sold. I don't think that those would really meet your "ungodly amount" criteria. They are insanely expensive for what you're actually getting. Not to say that supporting the team isn't a good cause, because it is. It's a very good cause. But when you need a solution and money is tight, the official store may not be your best option.

pfSense is based on FreeBSD, which does support wifi. However, its use is generally discouraged, because it's trash. If you want to use pfSense, you should also have a separate access point. Note that you can (and likely should) use your existing router for this. You would simply disable the firewall on your current router, making it a switch with built-in wifi, and insert pfSense into your network directly after the modem. So, Modem > pfSense > old router.

Not having the technical ability to build a system is going to be a problem. Your cheapest option is to buy a system that is pre-built, but doesn't come with an SSD or memory. You'll have to purchase those separately and install them yourself. You need to ask yourself if that is going to be too much work - because if so, pfSense is not for you. It's going to be a lot of work and learning.

Pre-built systems (you install SDD, memory, and pfSense)

https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Gigabit-Barebone/dp/B01GIVQI3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498485157&sr=8-1&keywords=qotom

https://www.amazon.com/Barebones-Firewall-Intel-Ports-Celeron/dp/B01MEGSMRZ/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1498485291&sr=8-21&keywords=qotom

I bought a Qotom box a long time ago for about $150. It had 4 Realtek ports, though. Intel is definitely the preferred solution.


If none of these sound good to you, look into Ubiquiti Security Gateway.

• Intel j1900 x86 quad core 2-2.4GHz
  
• Memory 1 SO-DIMM DDR3L 1333 up to 8GB
  
• 1 SATA III
  
• 1 mini-PCI (Wifi optional)
  
• 1 mSata (mSata disk optional)
  
• 4 Intel WG 82583 NICs/lan/ethernet 10/100/1000
  
• Watchdog Timer 256 Level, Programmable
  
• 1 VGA
  
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
  
• Size: 134mm 126mm 36mm
  
• Fanless (the aluminium alloy case is the heatsink)
  
• 2 or 4 available holes for antennas/jacks/..., power button, 2 leds
  
• Chipset ? (waiting for answer)
  
• UEFI AMI BIOS MX25U6435FM2I-10G (appears to be supported by flashrom ctrl+f MX25U6435E/F )
  
• 10W
  
• DC 12v
  
• 1 CPU fan connector (PWM?)
  
• 1 SATA power connector (4 pins, needs adapter)
  
• Audio ALC662 (no, according to reseller)
  
• GPIO (no, according to reseller)
  
  The aluminium alloy case serves as the CPU heatsink, I've seen this design before and it works pretty well. See also https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-scooter-computer/ for a similar design.
  
  Found it on aliexpress, took the risk and ordered one. Should arrive soon.
  
  If there is any interest I'll update and post a review of it.
  
  If I really really like it and there is interest I may organize a group buying (to buy from the manufacturer and ship at lower cost).
  
  
  Bought it from http://www.aliexpress.com/item/WAP-Cheapest-mini-computer-wholesale-high-quality-min-pc-industrial-4-LAN/32591339399.html (cheapest I could find, without ram/wifi/disk)
  
  Available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/products-barebone-J1900-Industrial-computer/dp/B019Z8T9J0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457891371&sr=8-1&keywords=qotom
  
  Available on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-mini-pc-windows-7-QOTOM-mini-pc-with-4-NIC-port-J1900-mini-pc-2G-1T-8G-SSD-/262293070861?hash=item3d11e2a40d:g:~NMAAOSwCQNWgkUS

Honestly, I'd go with Cisco SG series switches. You can get them pretty much as big or as small as you want, they have both Web GUI and CLI, generally much more affordable compared to enterprise level switches, and they have POE capabilities as well.

If you are going to be using Proxmox or Untangle (my preference is Untangle) for a router/firewall, you really don't need the Edge Router, since they will fulfill your layer 3 needs. Instead, you can save that money and get a PoE enabled switch, probably with a lot more ports.

As far as hardware for Proxmox/Untangle, you can get something like this and have plenty of processing power for whatever ISP connection you have.

This build is rock solid but you can obviously go newer:

• Intel Core-i5 3470T (35W)
  
• Intel DQ77KB (thin mini ITX with dual GBE and AMT)
  
• Intel 7260 AC WiFi
  
• 16GB Patriot 1.35V
  
• 128GB Samsung 850 Evo mSATA
  
• 2TB Samsung Spinpoint M9T
  
• Akasa Galileo Case
  
  You can do just as well buying newer Zotac ZBOX or NUC. They are silent, take 2.5 HDDs, and will run just about anything you can throw at them. Check out https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0179S50UU/
  
  The only real downside to these mini PCs is heat. I built this 3 years ago and both the ZBOX and NUC ran way too hot. They still do run pretty hot, just a limit being in such a small enclosure
  
  Edit: For anyone interested in building a low profile thin-mini ITX build I highly recommended checking out more current parts like the ASUS Q170 1151 motherboard and a 35W T-Series Sky Lake or Kaby Lake processor like the 6300T/6400T/6500T/6600T/6700T. You're getting a lot of power in a small thermal envelope

Maybe get a cheap mini computer that runs windows or hell even chrome. You can get a simple Android device with built in HDMI and hook it to the TV. I know that's extra cost up front though but it may be worth it to you especially in the long run.

Here is a 100 dollar windows based mini PC on Amazon.

ACEPC T8 Fanless Mini PC,Intel x5-Z8350 HD Graphics Desktop Computer,Windows 10 64-bit,DDR3L 2GB/32GB eMMC/4K/Built-in WiFi/BT 4.0 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D9YX3W6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_j92zCbWQVFG64

This next one is Android based and with the contour app you can watch any channel you subscribe to as long as you are on your home Internet. Also all free on demand options you can access through the app as well.

NextD Android Mini PC with Top Specs [4K, Android 7.1, S912 Octa-Core, 3GB/32GB, 2.4/5G WiFi+BT] + Unique NextD Remote App Enabling Mouse/Keyboard, MultiTouch, Motion Inputs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLDGZ3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7.2zCbGWMSPKR


No idea if either of these are good, I just searched Amazon and shared the link here for the first 100 dollar ones I saw. So if you buy one of these two I posted and it's garbage don't blame me. I searched mini Windows computer and mini Android computer.

So, as I'm sure you're aware, a generic "router" you get is actually a router, firewall, switch, and AP built into one device.

pfSense is an open source router/firewall that's built on top of Linux/OpenBSD. It's pretty simple to setup as it has a nice GUI but it also supports a lot of advanced features. It basically can run on anything with a processor, memory, HDD, and a NIC. Now optimally you want something that has at least 2x GB Intel ports.

I have my pfSense currently running on a mini ITX computer with an i5-2500k as I had it laying around, but that consumes a little more power.

Some people use devices like this which are low power and fanless. Some people buy little boxes like this where you add your own RAM/HDD/SSD and it's also low power.

The only thing that sucks is that this stuff costs money. Even when you buy used gear, it's still not as cheap as buying generic stuff. You can go to Best Buy and get some crazy Nighthawk all in one device for $200-300.

With this route you're going to spend $200+ on a pfSense router/firewall, ~$30-100 on a managed switch, and $50-100 on an AP but you have much more control over your environment.

Or you could go with a Ubiquiti router/gateway/firewall for ~$100 and then add on a managed switch and AP.

Or some people buy a virtualization server and run their pfSense firewall on a VM. Decently equipped servers can be had for $200-500 when all said and done.

There's really a lot of options.

I work in an area of netsec and have my switch mirroring/SPANing all the traffic to Snort which sends all the alerts to a Splunk box. You can also run Snort directly on a pfSense box.

There is a market for this type of NUC, especially as an alternative to a console, it would turn your TV into a full blown gaming PC. I use mine as my office PC since I don't want a full blown PC case since i move things around a lot. It is upgradable as far as RAM and storage goes as well. Also, this looks more like introductory pricing, as you can see, its predecessor launched in the mid $700s and was significantly less powerful: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Intel-NUC-mini-NUC6i7KYK-Core/product/B01DJ9XS52 and now goes for around $500. Reading some of the customer reviews for its predecessor reveals some of the use cases, and people are pretty happy with the form factor: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-mini-NUC6i7KYK-Core/dp/B01DJ9XS52#customerReviews There are 193 reviews, so I am guessing Amazon sold a few thousand.

I do have the Plex Pass, so HW transcodes are doable. Unfortunately I use my server also as my main client, so I do need video output. I've considered splitting off the two and just using the new HTPC as the server, but one reason I want to replace the Mini is because the client is even loading slow sometimes (a 9-year old 5400 rpm drive and a 2ghz core2duo will do that...), posters slow to come in, menu scrolling is not as smooth as I'd like, etc.

Would this 8i7 fit the bill perhaps? https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC8i7BEH1-Canyon-Components-Other/dp/B07GX69JQP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540926247&sr=8-2&keywords=8th+generation+intel+nuc

For the Plex db alongside installs and software installs, would 128GB be enough for an ssd? Or 256 a better option? The Mini has the original 120GB HDD and I'm nowhere near full, So I'd think 128 is good. I've used Samsung evos in the past, could put a m.2 nvme drive in that NUC I linked.

You can get a PC-on-a-stick these days for $100. Twice the cost of what you propose, sure, but given the flexibility and easier management potential (especially if something goes wrong), it just seems like a better option IMHO.

I was planning to replace my ISP-provided gateway box with a cheap dual-NIC PC like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0728F8JS5 when I discovered that the latest Raspberry Pis can do ~300Mbps ethernet (I would add an additional USB Gbit adapter for the LAN side). I have 150Mbps symmetrical fiber so that is sufficient throughput. Any latency concerns with running everything over USB?

I would imagine the RPi CPU is more powerful than whatever is in the ISP box, but I'm curious if anyone has experience running a simple Linux + iptables NAT setup and if there are gotchas. I don't mind spending $200 on my original solution, but $50 is better if performance is identical.

The zotac nano boxes can achieve this and have an awesome fan-less form factor. I have an older model (2 years ago) and it has served the house really well. I have one with realtek (shoot me) NICs that required some additional config. I'm still really satisfied for a bit over $230 with an m.2 SSD. I need to set up some additional services on the router (UniFi controller for starters) as I am definitely under utilizing it.

Edit: they support AES-NI too

Edit 2: I have the older version of this model and tossed in a 120gb (IIRC) m.2 SSD and 2x4GB RAM.

ZOTAC ZBOX C Series CI327 Nano Fan-less Mini PC Intel N3450 Quad-Core ZBOX-CI327NANO-U https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0728F8JS5/

Zotac makes one I like http://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-Quad-Core-Graphics-Barebones-ZBOX-CI323NANO-U/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1456979168&sr=8-1&keywords=zotac+ci323&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011 but it looks like they're 3-6 weeks out at the moment. Fanless and works great with CentOS 7, haven't tested them with anything else

Edit: looks like it's available on ebay now for ~$150

Buy an Intel NUC, some RAM, some kind of hard drive, that $30 Logitech keyboard + trackpad, and install OpenELEC. It takes all of five seconds to install and setup and it's awesome.

It'll run you about $200 or so total but should play anything you through at it.

Here's a guy using that exact setup to play some Hi10P anime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzSscRgyf8

Here's a link to the unit he's using, I believe:

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC

EDIT: Looks like my keyboard is more like $25

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Built-In-Multi-Touch/dp/B005DKZTMG

Both of those are horrible deals. They're not bad boxes, but you can get MUCH better hardware for $150 USD.

Get an Intel NUC and add some RAM and a USB boot drive: http://amzn.com/B00HVKLSVC

That will be the best bang for your buck.

For cheaper, I would recommend ODROID-U3 or an OUYA.

I actually own my own home as well. I don't have a large PC in my living room.

You may want to do some research before you get upset at PC gamers suggesting to use PCs for your living room.

My PC is in my office. I have an intel NUC mounted behind my TV. I use an xbox wireless adapter so I can sit on my couch comfortably.
I use steam in home streaming to stream games from my PC into my living room.
I wired my home with ethernet.

My living room is probably even more clean than yours now. Only thing you can see is my wii U and TV. No clutter or boxes anywhere.

If that is too much work for you then look at mini ITX builds simular to the steam console.

With PC you get the freedom to set up your entertainment center however you like.

If you are honestly thinking of getting that Netgear firewall thing (waste of money) look into either building a cheap PC with dual intel NIC or getting one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Jetway-Intel-Celeron-N2930-Fanless/dp/B00OY8Q0QC/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1466599806&sr=1-1&keywords=jetway

You can then use your 1900AC as your WiFi AP and setup pfSense on that machine to do your routing, firewalling, and run Snort for intrusion prevention on your DMZ'd device. (Basic packages like emerging threats, known compromised)

Really though, once you forward a port an IPS may block some IPs, but they will still find a way to connect to your services to get in. If you don't have protection in the app, or on the server like a fail2ban you are leaving yourself somewhat vulnerable. At least if the machine is DMZ'd it makes it harder for them to compromise the rest of your network.

You could also virtualize the OS on your machine, run something like proxmox or ESXi and run a virtualized version of pfSense on that machine and have all your VMs route through that. Would take quite a bit of work and would definitely be a learning experience for you lol

For me pfsense is everything I wanted edgerouter to be. The thing I like best about it is the vpn functionality. I was never able to get edgerouter working quite right. I bought this box from amazon and it works great. https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Gigabit-Intel/dp/B01KLEI1MI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1497621924&sr=8-13&keywords=pfsense

If you care about having a small clever form factor the Intel Hades Canyon nuc is what I'd recommend. Can customize its ram and SSD, these have vastly superior onboard video.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V

It really depends on your Internet speed.

The D525 is ancient tech. Serviceable as pfSense? Sure, but not for a lot of bandwidth and/or plugins. I mean, the J1900 or N3250 Qotom mini PCs will be twice as capable at almost half the cost. Skip the Supermicro.

The R210ii are really the sweet spot. More computing power than you really need, but only idling in the 20-30w range. The list is pretty long of cheap and capable R210iis.

I would probably get the R210ii, get an ODD drive bay and drop a tiny SSD in it. I still run my pfSense off a USB stick, but I don't have much logging happening.

This is a great box. Jetway Intel Celeron N2930 Quad Core Dual Intel LAN Fanless - HBJC311U93W-2930-B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OY8Q0QC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_Uxrxwb82WSRFD

Just add ram and a small msata card. Price is around $250 after components and the system is blazing fast with true intel NICs. But dont plan to use the wifi in it. Its not capable of being an access point. You can get a different wifi for $20 if desired. None the less remove the included wifi to save heat and power.

Why not just build a small form factor with a GPU inside? The TB3 case is slower and much more expensive, and you’re really not going to build a pc that can do what you want that will be so small that it would be a major difference from one with a GPU.

If you’re looking for a micro, then I think your best bet is to just buy one of those and outfit it.

Alternatively you could look into a laptop if you need portability, and extend that later.

Edit: this is about the best I could find:
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-mini-NUC7i7BNH-Core/dp/B01N0RL8Q4

Intel all the way. I didn't believe the hype but was seeing 250mbps caps on my realtec onboard nic. Bought Intel nics for all my boxes and never looked back.

I'd be interested to see what hardware you go with for your PfSense box. I went with this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OY8Q0QC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and a 8GB stick of ram. I love it.

Consider this one:
ZOTAC ZBOX C Series Passive Cooling Mini PC, Intel N3150 Quad-Core CPU, Intel HD Graphics Barebones System (ZBOX-CI323NANO-U) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UfdvybRQJY4Y8

Two LAN port, wifi, fanless(no noise)
Buy cheap 32go ssd with cheap 8go ram and you're good to go !

Oh and perfectly compatible with pfsense ;)

To monitor all devices (tablet, laptop, etc) you will need an actual firewall or proxy server, not just a typical ISP-provided consumer modem/router/access point combo device. You would also need to move your wireless access point behind the firewall, so that wireless activity is tracked.

Your topology would look something like this:

Internet -> Modem -> Firewall -> Devices (access point, etc.)

In the new topology you could use your existing FiOS-G1100 as either the modem or the access point, but not both. To act as a modem only it would have to be put in "bridge" mode (disabling firewall functions and wireless AP). To act as an access point only, it would have to be put in "AP only" mode.

The firewall will basically be a mini PC (ex. Qotom Q190G4, Q355G4), running firewall software such as pfSense or Sophos XG. Yes, for a networking novice, there is a tremendous learning curve involved in setting up a true firewall. It wouldn't hurt to find a local professional who could assist you.

For a somewhat lesser learning curve, there are router appliances such as the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite which offer better-than-combo-device firewall capabilities in a less daunting user interface.

Good point. I came across that same page at literally the same exact time you posted this response.

Looks like I'll be going in more of this direction: https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Appliance-Gigabit-AES-NI-Barebone/dp/B072ZTCNLK/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520879651&sr=1-5&keywords=aes-ni+firewall

With a mSATA 16GB card, and 4GB DDR3.

Thoughts please? Many thanks.

Sophos will do URL filtering, antivirus scanning and some other cool stuff that pfsense won't do, so I'd still recommend it over pfsense if you're interested in any of those features.

I've been thinking about unvirtualizing my sophos install just to keep things separate. I'm looking at this right now: https://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-Quad-Core-Graphics-Barebones-ZBOX-CI323NANO-U/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491668846&sr=1-1&keywords=ZBOX-CI323NANO-U

Toss in some ram and a small SSD and you're golden.

Synology does a lot of good things, but I'd trust a firewall/antivirus vendor over a NAS vendor when it comes to implementing a firewall service.

I needed one in a hurry about a month ago and the Qotom model was showing a long delivery time so I bought this similar system instead. I am fairly certain it is the same system just sold under a different name. I threw in 8GB RAM and a Transcend 64GB mSATA which brough my total cost to around $265.

They work extremely well, rock solid with great throughput. My only complaint is they seem to run a little hotter than I would like.

This is blatantly false. You are misinformed or biased, I presume.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412621181&sr=1-5&keywords=Intel+NUC

Its smaller than most any systems of any OS (except some android sticks/Pi)

Is cheaper (even with purchasing memory/HDD) than most Android phones and the size of your hand. A Galaxy 5 costs 600 dollars unlocked. Sure, a raspberry Pi is cheaper and small. But, A NUC will run circles around a Pi and play 98% of all MAME games unlike the Pi. And has better compatibility and ease of use.

COuld by an HP Stream 14" as well. Its 200 bucks and comes with everything and a screen built in.

That is enough for playing videos. It might even play games depending on settings. It supports Dual Channel memory though, so it's better to get 2 sticks of ram. If that's 2x2GB that's fine.

The processor is rated at 100W. That seems like a lot to me.

I have http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC . It's less than 20W total, is quiet, runs OpenElec from a flash drive, plays blu-rays over the network. I've never tried to play games.

Yes you can use a Home license on the box, but I think you have to do some tinkering to get it to work, click here. After reading the 100/110/120 pdf it looks like the speed is a license limitation. Now if the Home license gets you full throughput, I have no idea.

If I were you, I would just get a mini PC, like this, or this. Throw in some RAM and a HDD and you have an awesome UTM that runs better/faster for same price/cheaper.

are there any remotely modern nano-itx boards? i've modeled a whole portable computer case with a lid/monitor assembly, but mini itx is just too big, and a proper small form factor motherboard would help a lot

a nuc would do it but it would make it kinda lame, less of a diy proj and more just taping one thing to another

probably still what i'll end up doing, and dude its 200 off now and i want to grab it but im gonna stay strong

e: finished a rough mockup with my custom compact battlecruiser keyboard, nuc, this panel, and some small speakers. total internal dimensions about 3" thick, 12" long, and 16" wide. that's actually like, chunky laptop size. totally feasible...and not even that expensive

Zotac CI323 NANO-U is much cheaper. It has an Intel N3150 and it supports AES-NI. Uses less watts. It's shipped and sold by Amazon and comes from a well known company that I'm sure has a warranty and support. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0179S50UU/?th=1&psc=1

Intel NUC perhaps?

http://amzn.com/B00HVKLSVC

Along with the apparently frequently bought together RAM and this SSD, should make for a nice system. It runs TF2 on medium at 30fps though, so it may not be 100% what you're looking for., but it's highly compact.

Otherwise there is the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190, though I can't really find any benchmarks on it's Celeron 1017U.

Or you can use this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor | $54.98 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-H81N Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard | $74.30 @ Mwave
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $35.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $69.93 @ Amazon
Case | Antec ISK 110 VESA Mini ITX Desktop Case w/90W Power Supply | $68.31 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $303.51
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-12 04:56 EST-0500 |

Don't worry about the power draw being 93w, it should work just fine.

The Intel NUCs that have Iris graphics are supposed to be pretty decent. There'd only be one fan/moving part too.

Edit: because I'm a bit of a NUC fanboy, here are the two top of the line options. Note: these are barebones PCs, so bring your own OS, RAM, and M.2 SSD.

The gaming focused option, with a Discrete graphics card, an option of which was news to me.

The general option, with integrated graphics, which is the normal general focused form factor.

Intel N3150

https://smile.amazon.com/ZOTAC-Quad-Core-Graphics-Barebones-ZBOX-CI323NANO-U/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&sa-no-redirect=1&th=1

need to manually update the Realtek NIC driver (https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=103841.75) if you want throughput above 200 Mb/s without watchdog timeouts and ignore the bitching about the SD card reader on boot but it supports AES-NI and is cheap and works great.

That one should be fine. AES-NI should help a ton with any cryptograpgy.

I'm using one of these, running XG for my parents and it works like a champ.

I'm running the server off of my imac but want a dedicated machine just for Plex. What do you recommend? I'm considering the Nighthawk X10 from Netgear or an Intel NUC.

At the moment, it is basically old Atom laptops or a second-hand Intel NUC or NUC-like PC (like the Gigabyte Brix).

In the UK, the Celeron 2807 Brix is pretty good for the money. Otherwise, it'd be better either going for USB drives or getting a factory-made NAS. Or, as you mention, the Orange Pi.

At best case scenario you will have one NVMe drive, one SSD, and some potential external USB drives. Are you interested in adding a JBOD?

Your options for RAID are going to be limited to mirroring and rather low capacity as well unless you add external storage.

If you are adding a JBOD and only using it as a NAS I would go with a NUC8i5BEH. You can save $100-$200 vs buying the NUC8i7BEH. The 8i5 are plenty capable for this machine and will even leave headroom to spin up VMs or containers.


All of this is assuming you are dead set on using the NUC platform. There are many other options that would make a more robust NAS.

intel nuc sounds perfect for you

I think this one is the best atm https://smile.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V?sa-no-redirect=1

Based on your later posts -

I currently use a mid-2012 Mac Mini does perfectly fine. I do not really push it though, and most of my streaming is local.

I also use a NUC (one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GX69JQP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) and use it to stream remotely. Works very well. I just streamed a 1080p movie remotely over the weekend to a Firestick and it looked like we were at home. I don ;t think the machine broke a sweat.

Honestly, the $100-$150 price point is going to be very difficult to beat -- I'm not aware of any machines at that price point myself. We generally consider it a good deal to beat $400 to the lowest end boxes we use (we require gig throughput), which is a bit more than what you are able to get away with.

We did find these great machines for $190 apiece recently -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014113N70 -- We're not using them as firewalls, but in terms of the specs they'd do just fine for gigabit throughput.

Looks like this is a close cousin for a different arrangement of ports that might be more suited to pfSense for $170: http://www.amazon.com/products-barebone-J1900-Industrial-computer/dp/B019Z8T9J0

I wish I did that before I purchased this. It still randomly disconnects, so I'm going to return it. I highly recommend this site and I ended up settling on this eGPU enclosure which is $40 cheaper than the Lenovo Graphics Dock and will accommodate my 980TI nicely.

at work we use 3 pairs of Poweredges, which is definitely overkill for a home environment, but at home I use a zbox (just with opnsense instead of pfsense). It's fanless and low power, but you'll need an external switch since it only has 2 ports. as an alternative, there are some QOTOM boxe3s out there that are pretty good with 4 ports

There are some really nice Micro ATX cases out there, The Silverstone Raven RZ01 jumps to mind. Corsair has their new Bulldog as well. You can get a full sized graphics card in these, water cooled etc.. But honestly those are still pretty large machines.

I mean if you are driving around and you can keep it in your trunk or something then they might work. But if you're flying then I would go with a laptop or something similar.

I actually got so tired of having to take my work laptop and my gaming laptop out while I was traveling that I just travel with my work laptop now.

You might be able to get away with something like an INTEL NUC:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC6i7KYK-Mini/dp/B01DJ9XS52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473862036&sr=8-1&keywords=Intel+Skull+Canyon+NUC6i7KYK

I would set the graphics down to low for the 25 main raids, because I know my R9 390 gets crushed sometimes if there are ton's of people on the screen.

But even then, if you're raiding seriously you should probably get a decent gaming laptop.

This is what I'm using for pfSense.

It's actually a really awesome little machine, I'll be ordering more for sure.

You can still use your OpenWRT box as a wifi access point behind the firewall.

You'll want a decent switch to hook it all together.

Is this the i7 version of it? Is the i7 version worth it? I don't mind spending an extra 100$ or around 500$-700$ total as long as it can be used as a normal desktop. For comparison, I have a 750ti and an i5-4670. As long as it is better than the current setup, I don't mind spending a bit more. Does it also support dual monitor?

Edit: woops, I replied before seeing your edit. So is the i7 not worth it for the price? Or do you mean that it is not a necessary upgraded if not needed?

Oh yeah headless can work out fine, assuming you have a bit of experience and won't fuck it up completely ¯\(ツ)/¯

As far as I'm aware, ESXi is completely headless with no control from the host at all. If I were to irreparably fuck up the settings, to the point I cannot connect (Say I tried setting up another DHCP server or disabled the internal one) I'd need to re-wire the host, and whatever client I'm using to connect.

As far as I can tell it's all genuine, here is a similar (stripped) version of the same device, but on American amazon. Lots of good reviews. And while it will probably last me the rest of my life, as Saskatchewan's fastest possible speed on fiber is 260Mb/s and I don't see it ever hitting >1Gb/s, it's still $260 with shipping. But yeah I'll probably grab it if another user doesn't find a cheaper router.

Depends on your tolerance for lower settings.

The newest Intel NUCs available have an i5-7260U and i7-7567U, with Iris Pro 640 and 650 integrated graphics (respectively).

Your limiting factor here is going to be that iGPU. It'll handle Steam IHS fine, and Dolphin on some reasonable settings. Local gaming is going to suffer though. Even on the Iris Pro 650, Rocket League barely gets to 60 FPS on medium settings.

---
Intel NUCs aren't super cost effective at higher tiers, either. Covfefe Lake NUCs (including some with AMD Vega graphics) still aren't out, so your only option is Kaby Lake ones.

The i7-7567U option (discussed above), is currently $450 from Amazon US. Tack on to that the cost of RAM, SSD, and possibly a Windows license if you're weird like that.

If you're cool with a bigger system, a Ryzen 5 2400G build will run you more like $320 before RAM, SSD, and possibly OS. Not to mention performing signifigantly better due to a way stronger CPU and GPU.

if you have a pc you could sell and use some profit for something more up your alley then i'd say go for it. a plex server can be run on as little as a raspberry pi, albeit very slowly.

​

intel NUC mini PCs may do you well, coupled with a shield tv. something like this

https://www.amazon.ca/Intel-Mini-NUC7i5BNK-Core-Version/dp/B01N4EP1N0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540069470&sr=8-6&keywords=intel+nuc&dpID=41HRAeMuj-L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

​

I've been using these lately: http://www.amazon.com/Jetway-Intel-Celeron-N2930-Fanless/dp/B00OY8Q0QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452191765&sr=8-1&keywords=jetway

Amazon says they only support 4GB of RAM but per the JW website and, I can attest, you can put 8GB in.

> So I would buy a PC, buy one of those, install it into a PC, and plug the cameras directly into that. Then I'd film everything on vMix, and don't even need to use the Roland?

Yeah.

> Is there a specific kind of computer you would recommend that could handle this kind of production? Should I look for any kind of specs?

I use an I5 NUC for single-camera HD streaming with vMix and it works quite well.

I've been using this Zotac Barebones for my pfSense firewall. It came in at around $200 after 4GB of RAM and a small SSD. It works great for my 100/100 connection and supports AES-NI.

Another option would be to go with one of their official appliances. The SG-1000 costs $149 and comes with pfSense installed.

Agree. To play Gamecube games I use Dolphin emulator

Unfortunately RPi isn’t powerful enough but Intel NUC seems to be a good option. It’s possible to make Gamecube-like enclosure for it too

I'm not so sure about the server side being the issue. If you're choosing to transcode, then yes this utilizes the CPU on the server/NAS to do the conversion, however there other choices.

Direct Play essentially plays the file as-is off the network, as long as its 100% compatible with your media player.

Direct Stream is similar, but allows playback of files which might not be in the necessary file container for your media player. It's not nearly as CPU intensive as transcoding.


I think I'm going to give the Celeron N2820 (Bay Trail-M) powered NUC a try, since it's only $134 on Amazon, minus an SODIMM and HDD. Although still not as capable as my current i3, it seems much more powerful than most Atoms. And has a TDP of only 7.5W so cooling should be simple.

As an IT professional, I highly disagree. This machine, at 13 years old, shouldn't be in use and should be trashed. This looks like a work computer. A business should swap to new computers every 4-5 years.

>it's still faster than a lot of the Black Friday Specials with Atoms or Celerons and passive cooling.

No one uses Atom processors in PCs anymore. I looked into your statement.

Here's one of the cheapest Celeron PCs on Amazon; https://www.amazon.com/AK1-Windows-Processor-Computer-Ethernet/dp/B07D77W8CZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1541530153&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=intel+celeron+desktop&psc=1

​

This modern Celeron processor processor is 187% faster than a Pentium D. Do you honestly think a Pentium D processor, from 13 years ago, would be better than any modern processor?

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-D-266GHz-vs-Intel-Celeron-J3455/m4781vsm200485

​

Edit, the Pentium D I reference is from 2014. Imagine a processor from 2005.

Those NUCs can be pretty powerful. I wouldn't doubt if they have thousands.

I got this a few months ago:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GIVQI3M/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That+msata ssd+ram and it's amazing.

Fanless, feels rock solid, nice and fast and responsive. No regrets.

I picked up an atom based micro PC that runs Linux decently well for $80 the other day.

it's as small as my android-tv box's and a lot easier to get Linux on.

apparently it can come in an Android version as well.

Fanless Mini PC,Intel x5-Z8350 HD...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D9YX3W6


it took a few tweaks to get WiFi working.

for the total costs, it was cheaper than a Pi4 setup.

I would look at a newer/better version however.

PFsense
.

https://www.amazon.com/Qotom-Q190G4-Celeron-Processor-Barebone/dp/B019Z8T9J0/ref=pd_sbs_147_5/143-2671636-0541201?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B019Z8T9J0&pd_rd_r=XMGVWW8ANATWM8Q7BSVP&pd_rd_w=Zt2iy&pd_rd_wg=gy1xM&psc=1&refRID=XMGVWW8ANATWM8Q7BSVP

or...

Load PF sense on a Dell R210 with a quad core cpu, 8GB ram and a four port nic (6-1gb nic's total)
As small or as big as you need. I LOVE PFsense

As others have suggested, the official hardware is great and also gives back to the project.

That being said, I have been doing some testing with a Qotom j1900, 4x intel gigabit nic machine and have had good results. It pulls very little power, is inexpensive, and there are no moving parts. Note that you will have to provide your own ram/ssd if you use the link above.

Ah, didn't realize they were that old.

I would keep the gateways bare metal I guess then and maybe get something like [this](Firewall Micro Appliance with 4X Intel Gigabit Ports, Intel Atom E3845, AES-NI, Barebone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072ZTCNLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_c0R7CbJ4S2TWV) to meet your low wattage requirements. Easy enough to install something like VyOS or keep using CentOS with iptables and it would give you more than enough power.

it should be fine as a PHT client box.

I use these Intel NUC mini boxes and they work amazingly well. The NUC has a little faster processor, but at the nice part about the full PHT app is you don't do any transcoding so both client and server are basically pass through devices.

If you don't want to build a PC an Intel NUC might suit you very nicely.

Just get a cheap SSD and some RAM and install windows 10 and you're golden.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-mini-NUC7i5BNH-Core-version/dp/B01N2UMKZ5/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1519574259&sr=1-3&keywords=intel%2Bnuc%2Bi5&th=1

Edit: Clarity

> $800 for an i3-8100.

Oh, ok. Let's go for an i7 kit from Intel.

Here's mine. NUC7i7BNH.
Here's a kit built out with that model, plus 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. It's $769.

Great! It's got an i7!

Except the base i3 CPU in the Mini ($30 more!) is like 20% faster.

And the RAM in the Mini is 2666MHz instead of 2133MHz.

And the SSD is PCIe in the Mini instead of M2 SATA III.

And the Mini can be upgraded to 64GB of RAM instead of 32GB max in the NUC.

And the Mini has 4 x Thunderbolt3 ports and 2 x USB3 ports instead of 1 x Thunderbolt3 port and 4 x USB3 ports.

And the Mini has faster Wifi and newer Bluetooth.

And the Mini has an internal power supply instead of needing an external brick.

And the fan in the NUC is a noisy pile of garbage.

So.... tell me more about how shameful it is?

The unit works well. Just be sure and get the serial console cable. It does much better than the APU1c unit did for me. That being said, I would seriously look at this unit instead. Looks to be roughly the same cost with an extra nic and some additional speed.

> I did really have my heart set on something small though. Hmmm.


http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422301382&sr=8-1&keywords=celeron+nuc

Anyone ever use or know if this would be a good alternative?
Firewall Micro Appliance

I'd like the SG-2440 but price wise :\

Thoughts?

I picked up a Zotac Zbox a little over six months ago for my pfsense machine, and it's been running beautifully. Absolutely zero complaints so far. The price is just right, and the form factor is perfect for my needs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179S50UU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_z5UMybQ3S3084

Softmodded xbox I agree is a good option.

While more expensive than Raspberry Pi, I ended up turning this thing into an emulator for my TV:

http://www.amazon.com/Azulle-Quantum-Access-Windows-storage/dp/B00X4O6GRK?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

As others have mentioned, it's pretty tough to do. Any hardware you buy that you fit into it will be at a very high premium. This Gigabyte brix looks really promising with a GTX 950, but it's not available yet. It also will probably be at a very high premium (Between $700-$1000) and that is just a bare bones rig.

Then there is this NUC which is only $600 and has Iris Pro 580 graphics which should be roughly equivalent to a GTX 945M. So it will be underpowered compared to the Gigabyte brix. But you can get it now, and you're getting top of the line integrated graphics performance. Those are the only real options I see you having with this build.

Inventory:

pfSense:
Snort, pfBlockerNG, OpenVPN, Squid, ClamAV, Default deny ingress/egress FW, etc.

ZOTAC ZBOX NUC

Kingston 120GB SSD

Crucial 8GB DDR3L RAM

ESXi Hypervisor:

Skull Canyon NUC

32GB DDR4 RAM

Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 SSD

Virtual Machines I'm currently running.

Splunk - Receives my FW, DNS, Snort, and OSSEC logs. I have dashboards to filter this data.

Snorby - Also receives my Snort logs. I like this a little better than Splunk as I can view packet contents.

OSSEC - I used this for file integrity and endpoint monitoring on my servers and desktop. Functions as a host based IDS.

Nessus - I use this every once in a while to see if there are any open holes. Otherwise, I just use nmap and iptables to close everything off.

Unifi Controller - for managing my AP.


Wireless:

Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC Lite


Switch:

TP-LINK 8-Port Gigabit L2 Switch

RetroPi + Monitor:

RPi3

10.1 Inch IPS HDMI Monitor


My VMs, configs, and files are backed up to a HDD I keep offline. I'm thinking about adding a NAS into the mix for somewhere around 200-400 dollars. Low energy consumption preferably if anyone had any recommendations. :)

If it's the size that's attractive, this will run windows 10 very well:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-mini-NUC7i7BNH-Core/dp/B01N0RL8Q4

It is probably fine, but better yet buy the previous generation NUC for half the price:

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-mini-NUC6i7KYK-Core/dp/B01DJ9XS52/

Best bet for around 100.

https://www.amazon.com/ACEPC-T8-x5-Z8350-Graphics-Computer/dp/B07D9YX3W6

Couple reviews mention putting ubuntu on it.

This is what I use for my home UTM. Runs great for my 40/5 internet connection. NOTE: this computer doesn't come with a memory or storage once I added in 4GB of memory and a 60GB MSATA SSD it was about $270 total. Edit: fixed the link and added the Note.

DN2820FYKH runs XBMC (I've been using XBMCBuntu on this one) just fine. This is the celeron NUC. I put 8gb of ram in it and a standard sata hard drive. No built in Bluetooth on this one though, so I use a little USB Bluetooth dongle and a replacement Amazon FireTV remote. Works awesome.

I'm running mine on a little Zotac zbox, just needed to add in a bit of RAM and a hard drive. Works like a charm :-) Currently running squid, snort, and surricata with no issues.

Unless the Atom C line has been sorted out, I'd suggest a Celeron J3455 build as a decent perf/watt point. They're cheap and fairly powerful - I believe ASRock has one for ~$60. Tag a pcie dual nic card on, whatever for storage (unless you want squid), 2-4gb ram and you're good to go.

A lot of these low end SoC's and Pentiums are more than sufficient for pfSense. Compare them against a middle of the road core2duo as a benchmark for a basic pfSense box. Need VPN, Snort, Squid, whatever? hike it up accordingly.

E: here's a barebones box: https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Gigabit-Barebone/dp/B01GIVQI3M

For that kind of use, almost any kind of low-powered home server would be suitable - just shop around based on price and power consumption. Even a fanless, Atom-based, NUC-sized unit would suffice.
e.g. This one: http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GB-BXBT-2807-Barebones-Celeron-Included/dp/B00KR0QHXW

Same goes for disk performance - any modern HDD will provide more than enough throughput for your needs. Put a small SSD in the machine for the OS to boot from and use for swap and temporary processing, 120gig would be more than enough and that size SSDs are dirt cheap now.
e.g. This one: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Digital-SSDNow-SV300S37A-120G/dp/B00A1ZTZOG

A simple external 3.5" USB connected drive would be fine for your actual files. You said 6TB would do so this would seem to be a decent choice: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-External-Storage-STDT6000100/dp/B00R1P2WDK

You don't need a RAID array either, just get a second external drive of the same size as the first and sync to it on a regular basis to keep your main media archive backed up.

Just make sure to put a decent amount of RAM in there (4GB min, preferably 8GB) - http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-1600MHz-PC3-12800-KVR16LS11/dp/B00CQ35HBQ - and you're set.

That's about $350 (based on Amazon prices) to get started with another $175 to get a backup solution (second 6TB drive) in place, which you could do at a later date.

Amazing listing: https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC8i7BEH1-Canyon-Components-Other/dp/B07GX69JQP/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540160019&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=nuc8i7beh&dpPl=1&dpID=31B3TRtWvbL&ref=plSrch

Bought mine from Newegg about a month ago.

Occasionally, the Akitio Node Pro pops back in stock on Amazon. It might be a good enclosure to drop your 1070 in.

As for a laptop, you'll want to pick one out with Thunderbolt 3 as a necessity. What other uses do you want to use your laptop for besides gaming? Have you checked out or asked on /r/SuggestALaptop/?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VBNSO8U

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YG8X9Y

This should do the trick. You have to buy the RAM and HDD, but it should still be below 200, and can go as far as running Gamecube games poorly, so N64 shouldn't give you any problems. If you're going to do PSX, you'll probably wanna stick with like Mednafen so the games run smoothly. I don't use Retroarch, but I imagine there are tutorials for booting directly to that if you wanted to use this as a plug-n-play kind of device, and I know Kodi supports Launchbox and there are definitely ways to boot to Kodi.

If that one runs out of stock and you're impatient, you could also get this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KR0QHXW

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YG8X9Y

Same story as the other one.

Actually I have this NUC for a HTPC and it works perfectly. No reason to get an i5 for a streaming only device.

If you really want a gaming build then the cost will be much more than a NUC.

Well I have the cinema experience addon, and would need something that could handle all that as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412438368&sr=8-1&keywords=intel+nuc+celeron

That's the one?

buying all that stuff is pretty expensive, why not just get a cheap zotac zbox with dual nics, some ram, and be done with it?

Hmm apparently that one has a similar case but different guts than mine because mine definitely has Intel NICs. I just looked up the one I have, it's a bit more expensive though: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KLEI1MI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

foxreymann -

I don't think the "light bulb" has gone on for you yet. Cisco is gonna cost $$$. You don't like Ubiquity which is fine. Mitrotik will have a learning curve.

Your best bet here is PFSENSE!

Just spend $250 and get the fanless Intel Quadcore w/ 4x1Gbps interfaces:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GIVQI3M?psc=1

You'll be able to setup load balancing or failover of your internet connections (I'm guessing you have 250mbps on one connection but the other is probably a much slower backup?).

If you can put up with crap interface of SonicWalls you will have no issues with a premade pfSense appliance. There are any number of them on Amazon (we've had great results using this one in smaller offices for instance: https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Gigabit-Intel/dp/B01JHJGG5M/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492710644&sr=1-2&keywords=protectli+pfsense) and of course pfSense sells their own as well.

Maybe something like this? It's powered by the J1900 platform everyone's been talking about.

Gigabyte Mini Barebone System

It includes a case, motherboard, and CPU. You'll need to provide your own RAM and a boot drive. You could then run an external USB drive to get your 1TB of storage.

If you think you might want to build your own router at some point, consider getting one with a few extra NICs so that you can run PFsense on it instead down the road:

ProtectCLI Firewall Micro Appliance

Is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V

Is $699 a good deal?

This one looks decent too and pretty cheap. Add a small SSD and some Ram.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179S50UU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_9&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

> the smallest thing possible

The smallest thing possible is an Intel NUC. They are a bit pricey tho. You just need to add an SSD and RAM and you have a computer that fits into your hand. More than enough for photo editing.

i3 https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC7I3BNH-NUC-Kit-Components/dp/B01N4EOJNG

i5 https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC7I5BNK-NUC-Kit-Components/dp/B01N2UMKZ5

i7 https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC7I7BNH-NUC-Kit-Components/dp/B01N0RL8Q4

I'm talking about something like these two when you search minipcs on Amazon.

PEPPER JOBS GLK-UC2X Unlocked Intel N4100 Mini PC with Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) [Upgradeable/4GB/64GB/Dual-Band Wi-Fi/Gigabit Ethernet/Triple 4K 60Hz outputs/Dual USB-C]. Sold Directly by Pepper Jobs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MZS2QNN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mvzsDbNBSY9FJ

ACEPC AK1 Mini PC, Windows 10 (64-bit) Intel Celeron Apollo Lake J3455 Processor(up to 2.3GHz) Desktop Computer,4GB DDR3/64GB eMMC,2.4G+5G Dual WiFi,Gigabit Ethernet,BT 4.2,4K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D77W8CZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2DzsDb7ZDGZT6

Something with an Apollo Lake Celeron has an IGP and are pretty cheap.

ACEPC AK1 Mini PC, Windows 10 (64-bit) Intel Celeron Apollo Lake J3455 Processor(up to 2.3GHz) Desktop Computer,4GB DDR3/64GB eMMC,2.4G+5G Dual WiFi,Gigabit Ethernet,BT 4.2,4K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D77W8CZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CZzCCb3QMYHWC

I would suggest installing a software firewall on a small server/micro appliance [this is what I use!] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JHJGG5M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
There you can configure your LAN, VPN, and many other services to keep your network safe. Your LAN would host your applications, accessible from outside over VPN.

Super late reply but its the intel hades canyon nuc!

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-Performance-G-Kit-NUC8i7HVK/dp/B07BR5GK1V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1PNLNQ42LKMA2&keywords=intel+hades+canyon+nuc&qid=1572925736&sprefix=intel+haders%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-3

I use the cheapest, lowest end NUC for our living room and it handles streaming full Blu-Ray images over the Ethernet with XBMC and Total Media Theater. Works like a champ. Only issue is that it can really only do one thing at a time, which isn't usually an issue with a HTPC. But if say Windows Update starts hogging resources, you'll know it.

Amazon Link

I think all the current generation have the ability to use a 2.5 inch drive. Here is one for only $140.00 on Amazon

Better to buy it barebones. I spent less than that and have a 256G SSD and 8G RAM in mine.

This is a good deal: 20% off Intel NUC6i7KYK Skull Canyon https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC6i7KYK-Mini/dp/B01DJ9XS52

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm thinking about this Zotac box which seems to have about the same board? I can grab it with memory and an SSD for about $235 all in.

Have you considered maybe getting a NUC? It's a small computer that would be easy to move around. This is a high end example of one.

Intel NUC 8 Performance-G Kit (NUC8i7HVK) - Core i7 100W, Add't Components Needed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BR5GK1V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IDjUCbGDDA1DJ

It does have dedicated graphics so it can do a little bit of games but there are cheaper ones without it. ( Since you said you didn't want to game on it )

For my commercial customers, it's either a Quantum compute stick or its slightly cheaper Lenovo brother.

Quantum compute stick, $89

Nice thing about those, you can use IE and the ActiveX playback tool.

I just bought the following. I put PFsense on it. Nice little box. I bought 8 gigs of RAM and a 120 gig SSD with it.




Firewall Micro Appliance With 4x Gbe Intel Lan Ports for PFSense barebones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GIVQI3M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0fIHxb55225FK

I think you want something like this with dual NICs: https://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-ZBOX-CI327NANO-U-Celeron-1-1GHz-Barebone/dp/B0728F8JS5/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1523570809&sr=1-1&keywords=zotac&dpID=41g8yu-oYcL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

I got one of these Intel Atom E3845, 4X Intel Gigabit NIC machines and would highly recommend them.

This Mini PC runs it perfectly but I'm sure there are lower spec ones that will also work.

Hm, I'm interested. So as far as I can tell, compared to this, your builds actually have an SSD and RAM already ready to go. That's cool. I think I'd look for a different case, maybe something that lays down flat instead of standing up. I am considering it so your builds help a lot. I'd probably lean to the first, because I don't need to game, but might do the second for a bit more future-proofing. I'm currently stuck between the concept of doing this or just finding a used computer and putting an SSD in it.

The models that end in "H" all support 2.5" drives:

i5 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXD54250WYKH1-Core-i5-4250U-Graphics/dp/B00HZDLNWO/

i3 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DisplayPort-i3-4010U-Consumer-BOXD34010WYKH1/dp/B00HOJAVDG/

Celeron - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-DN2820FYKH-Celeron-N2820-support/dp/B00HVKLSVC/

Yes, that one specifically can't do AES-NI.
I actually went with this one with 3215U:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019Z8T9J0/

Yes, amazon link

Just wondering, what sort of processing power or connectivity do you need?

The reason I ask is that there are some 'compute sticks' that hover around the $100 range. e.g. This Intel is $127, and this Azulle is $98.

Neither is terribly powerful, but if you just need something to run a single simple program, it might squeak by for that.

One thing worth noting: I believe that both are running 32-bit Windows, if that matters.

Something like this?

It's a chinese mini PC (x86) running pfSense.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019Z8T9J0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

OpenVPN is kinda computation intensive so I would not expect too much from small ARM devices like yours.

Something like this would fit the use case: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019Z8T9J0/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1500226539&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=fanless+mini+pc

Check out pfsense with something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GIVQI3M/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1505001255&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=pfsense&dpPl=1&dpID=41OvNDM8FPL&ref=plSrch

One of these is the kind of thing I was thinking of - Intel NUC Mini PC kit NUC7i5BNK
The only catch is you need to add on a M.2 drive and RAM which pushes the price up.
The thing I like the most about the NUC's is that they are small and quiet and don't use much power. The TDP on that i5 cpu is 15w with a passmark of 5698
Then just add on one of these little drives for storage.

I recommend the Protectli machines too. Haven't had any issues.

I actually bought one of those through Ali Express recently. Other than it being a giant pain in the arse to get a credit card to go through... it was a fine transaction.

You can get that unit on Amazon though.

I worked through this guide to set up the OS (not pfSense although pfSense is totally fine to use!)

If you want to do Server and router just get a 4 port NIC

if you want a self-built router with low power get something like this, install pfsense.

There's a subreddit dedicated to HTPC. We got an under $100 Mini Stick on Amazon. It does everything on your list but the audio out to receiver I think.

https://www.amazon.com/Azulle-Quantum-Access-Windows-storage/dp/B00X4O6GRK

Edit: I was down voted?

Intel NUC with a 4th gen Celeron N2820. Includes a wifi adapter if I am not mistaken; otherwise you can find one for pretty cheap. Throw in a 2.5" drive of your choice and 1.35V laptop RAM and you are GTG.

There are plenty of other options with i3s and Gen 3 (Ivy Bridge) hardware for fairly cheap.

Size comparison. The Gigabyte Brix and Asus VivoPC are the only two options that get close in size, but don't come near some of the lower-end NUCs in price.

If you don't need AMD/Nvidia graphics, you might consider a NUC. It's really hard to find a smaller form-factor PC than that. You still would need to pack a monitor (although you could mount it to the back), mouse, and keyboard, but the PC itself would be super-small. You could get (e.g.) a 7i5 for less than $350, then add 8 GB of RAM ($80), and an M.2 NVME SSD for (Samsung 960 EVO M.2) for $115. Obviously you could choose to spend more on RAM, or the SSD, or add a 2 TB HDD (for the tall version).

I have this model as the family PC and it handles the likes of Guacamelee and Grow Home without issue. I haven't tried anything more demanding on it.

You're in Bulgaria, 24 years old.

You're obviously into gaming, from the games not listed on Steam you also play Empire Earth, Battlefield, Civilzation V.

You like DND.

You own this.

I looked at those options, scored an EdgeRouter (ER-8) cheap on eBay to play around with, and decided to replace my TomatoUSB router with The Ars Router instead. I run Sophos XG on it but pfSense is fine option -- 2.3 was still beta when I was deciding.

My logic was:

1. I wanted dedicated hardware. Stuff in my lab may have become "Production", but taking down Plex and taking down the whole Internet are vastly different things. Plus I work from home most days so keeping my Internet connection up and reliable is critical.
   
2. EdgeOS isn't as friendly as Tomato, a number of things that I hadn't thought of as being particularly difficult seemed difficult on EdgeOS. Translating my QoS rules looked especially challenging.
   
3. I wanted to add A/V scanning and other UTM features that are a stretch on something as low-spec as the EdgeRouter.
   
   I built my Celeron 1037U system for about twice the price of an EdgeRouter Lite. It's silent. Very low power. Can route Gigabit and a couple hundred Mbps of VPN. I run Sophos but it could also run pfSense or Untangle or pretty much anything else I'd want.
   
   Zotac CI323 NANO would be another fine choice that you don't have to order from China.

I'd probably recommend getting an Intel NUC8i7HNK or if you can afford the extra, the Intel NUC8i7HVK if you truly want something in the same size range as a Mac Mini.

Intel NUC8i7HNK @ $998.17 or Intel NUC8i7HVK @ $1153.35

Crucial 16GB DDR4-2666 SODIMM @ $173.00

Crucial 500GB MX500 M.2 SATA SSD @ $108.99

Total : $1280.16 for the NUC8i7HNK, $1435.34 for the NUC8i7HVK.

The Mac Mini has a volume of 1.38L, the Intel NUCs have a volume of 1.22L (technically smaller than a Mac Mini). If you take the other suggestions here, the In-Win Chopin has a volume of 4.45L^1, the Silverstone SG13 has a volume of 11.45L, the Raijintek Metis Plus has a volume of 13.37L, and the Raijintek Ophion EVO has a volume of 18.92L. It should also be noted that the In-Win Chopin cannot take a GPU, as it has no space for any PCIe cards.

1. In-Win inexplicably advertises this chassis as 3.3L, but the dimensions are 244x84x217mm, which is 4.45L.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4EP1N0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Qgs0AbA79TMH

Take a look at this guy they're rather capable for what their size is. You'd be hard pressed to build one for this price and you're right there with big box store prices.

Something like this might fit your requirements. It's a bit older/slower CPU than others have suggested, but is still a quad-core celeron, has 4x intel NICs, and only draws about 11 watts:

with ram/msata ssd - $359

without ram/ssd - $200

i5 nuc is 9 of them. I have 3 i7 of that same type as well. Mac mini is mostly 6,1 and 6,2 models.

I would say you priced it well. https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V

In case anyone else finds this post. This is the best option I've seen so far and it puts the Alpha to shame.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Machine-NUC8i7HVK-Radeon-Graphics/dp/B07BR5GK1V