Recommended routers?
From the upcoming season (late August), I will likely have a fiber connection. I plan to host two Kiwis, and possibly other SDR servers as well. While the Quickstart and this forum are excellent info sources for both the admin and the user, with many recommendations, there hasn't been much discussion about routers. I'm looking for one with enough functions and easy to use interface for setting up servers. Wi-Fi capacity is not an issue (I'll likely turn it off if it has one). Which ones would you recommend/not recommend?
Bjarne Mjelde
arcticdx.blogspot.com
Bjarne Mjelde
arcticdx.blogspot.com
Comments
https://mikrotik.com/
To me the main things to look for are:
Bind hardware to IP address (MAC binding/Static leases) meaning we can leave the devices on DHCP but they always get the same address
Fully featured port forward (not just FTP, WWW, and some specific games).
Good firmware support with constant security updates.
Some sort of network graphing or traffic monitoring.
VPN's Can you get on to securely it from anywhere? OpenVPN etc.
Miktrotik is the one I use when I want every feaure I can think of, for an amazing price, but they do frighten me the amount of things that can be done by command line or in imaginative combinations and as a result introduce some security error. I you just use the basic setup wizard you should be fine but where's the fun in that?
Things to avoid (IMO)
Subscriptions "Cloud" services generally for security. I like my routers, like my door locks, to be mine, controlled by me.
Lightweight services, I have a Linksys "emergency spare" modem/router and it does both DHCP and port forward but both in a form that doesn't really work for me, can't remember why but I had forgotten many routers are locked to known games OS's and services (which may not work for the Kiwi).
Another option is to look for something that offers a fairly straightforward default user interface but can be flashed to another firmware (E.G. OpenWRT), lots of manufacturers realise now that being able to be flashed to something else may add years to the useful life of some kit.
You did remind me of another thing, the wide voltage range means Mikrotiks (other than the 5V models) will run on virtually any power supply (not that their supplied PSU's are bad).
On the metal case I see your thinking and shared it 100% but anecdotally, recently swapped out the plastic cased Miktorik Fibre-Gig switch I was using for a metal cased 10GTek SFP-Gig device, absolutely no difference, in fact if I used a shielded network cable from the Kiwi to the 10GTek device it was noisier (switchmode supply noise to Kiwi ground).
If I had to buy a decent Mikrotik tomorrow it would probably be one from the CRS range.
E.G. 109-8G-1S-2HnD-IN, Probably not use the 2.4G wifi much but good to have and one SFP port to use for copper isolation, eight gig ports.
Keep notes, you could even do the test setup (like port forward) via the command line and just paste it into the real device later.
I have five small Mikrotik devices here because I need to avoid copper runs, just could not afford to do that with another brand.
I would seriously consider getting something with at least one SFP port (https://mikrotik.com/product/CRS112-8G-4S-IN).
For radio, a copper free run allows so much more noise isolation options, I was never interested in fibre then tried it and became a complete convert (especially when there is an electrical storm).
Might have to review where I have a CRS in use at work...
I do also use the small 5-port switches https://mikrotik.com/product/RB260GS with Ubiquiti SFP modules (only becasue they were best value at the reseller).
www.fs.com has multimode SFP 1.25G modules for about $6
Good and helpful tech support.
On my home and country house I use different Mikrotik routers about 5 years without any problems.
P.S. For more security don't allow connection to Mikrotik device from any IP from Internet to service ports like SSH (22), Telnet (23) or WinBox (8291).