A Newbie PfSense question

[Mad_Max 15]

Hello guys

I want to switch my "wireless router" that my ISP provided with a new one that can run VPN.

My question is: which is better?

1)Buying a gaming OR high-end router (which costs around 150$--200$)? Or setting my 7 years old laptop ( i7 4 cores 8gbs ram, only downside is, it has hdd not ssd) to run as a PfSense router?

2)Is the ssd necessary? what does it help with?

 

and one last question,3) If i decide to go with the Pfsense. Do i need to buy an expensive AP? or can a cheap one be fine? Is it just about the wireless range? or are there any other things that i need to consider when buying a new AP for the Pfsense setup?

 

Thanks<3

Best regards

[go558a83nk 362]

SSD isn't necessary.  What is necessary is two ethernet ports.  Yes, I'd certainly recommend pfsense on that laptop over a high end router.

 

As far as wifi AP you just need coverage and speed that you want.  You'll want something that can run in AP mode and not router mode, so that pfsense can handle your network.

[Mad_Max 15]

Thank you so much. i will set it up in the next few days

[wer 14]

It is not a bad idea to use older hardware but just keep in mind to not underestimate the power consumption. A firewall will be running 24/7/365 so it would be nice to know the average power consumption. This way you could calculate the cost per year and find out if it is cost-efficient or not. Usually a laptop shouldn't be that bad regarding power consumption so I guess it wouldn't make that big a difference between a dedicated firewall and a laptop. A desktop computer is another thing which usually consumes much more power than a mobile device.