This is a great DYI project for people with not a great deal of computer knowledge and someone who would like to play more with computer networks and routers.
Most routers you buy form the store (not including high end expensive commercial grade grade) do not come with a lot of features.
They are OK for basic use and routing, but for people who wish a little or lot more from their routers they serious lack compared to much more expensive alternatives.
..but what about DD-WRT
Historically I have been a great fan of the DDWRT flash routers which you can download form the DDWRT website and install onto your existing stock router which probably came from your internet service provider.
The great thing about DDWRT routers is they include a large array of features you’re modem does not come with. Although I really love my DDWRT router, the big problem is finding a DDWRT image to put on routers which are in Australia,
A lot of the time DDWRT just don’t support modems in Australia and a lot of the times I have found the ones which do work, don’t work completely. They either need to be restarted periodically or there is something else wrong such as the wireless interface doesn’t work.
So what is pfSense
PfSense is a Linux based Operating System you can put on an old computer to work like a router. Unlike your Windows desktop operating system, pfSense in made to work as a router rather than a daily desktop.
The great thing about pfSense is you can use it on a wide range of different computers, it is free and very powerful.
We all have old junk computers lying around the home, or throw them out when they no longer work right. Even if you were to buy an old computer you would get one very cheap and even old computers are much more powerful than general routers you would buy from the store these days, making pfSense a very good option for advanced networking.
How does pfSense work
You basically you use an old computer, with 2 network cards in it. If it doesn’t have two, you might have to buy one. E-bay is very cheap and you can buy one and have it delivered for under $15.
When you install pfSense (download the ISO here) it will ask you which network card will be your WAN (Internet) interface and which will be you LAN (Local Area Network).
Once that it done and connected to your network, all you have to do is go to another computer on your LAN and type 192.168.1.1 in your web browser and you will be able to configure your network using the web interface.
Pros and Cons
With pfSense you can get a very good, powerful and feature rich router for free, or pretty close to it.
Packed with features you can do everything from running your own VLANS, throttling connection speeds to certain users, running your own VPN or Masking your DNS to access certain features blocked in your country or by internet services providers.
Although pfSense has millions of websites and helpers dedicated to the project and helping people, you can exactly just pick up the phone and ask someone over there for help.
It does help if you understand a little about networking and Linux and you definitely need a curious attitude.
If you would like help with any of your router needs please call a Townsville computer man today on 0402 807 890.
