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titleHardware selection


Info
titleHardware specification
  • 6x Intel 211AT Gigabit Ethernet, support wake up on LAN
  • Support 1x mSATA SSD, 1x DDR3L 1.35V memory 1333/1600Mhz, max to 8GB;
  • 1x VGA max resolution 1920x1080P
  • 1x COM RJ45 console
  • Support add WiFi module ( Mini PCI-E half height size )
  • Support automatically power on after power restore.
  • Ultra compact measured at 180x175x34mm;
  • Low power requirements save money and be more eco-friendly.
  • Fanless, passive cooling, noise-less


Info
titleCPU specification
  • CPU identifier: J1900
  • of cores: 4

  • # of Threads: 4

  • Processor Base Frequency: 2.00 GHz

  • Burst Frequency: 2.42 GHz

  • Cache: 2 MB L2 Cache

  • TDP: 10 W

freeRouter is heavily multithreaded so for 4 cores is appreciated, as a budget SOHO router, VPN hardware NIC assistance is not required. If VPN concentrator is needed we can deploy in a SOHO environment a dedicated box that has a CPU with AES-NI support. freeRouter won't run as a VM so VT-x nor VT-d and VT-c is not required.  


Warning
titleSOHO usage
  • home office work
  • regular 720p/1080p/4K (and more) on-line VC via RENATER RENDEZ-VOUS
  • (intensive ground up kids) online gaming (2-3 persons can play an online game at the same time)
  • these kids+wife can multitask and watch 480p/780p Youtube video at the same times (This is the digital natives ...)
  • streaming video from MyCanal (French Netflix competitor)
  • Operating system/school educational material  parallel downloads
  • Intensive social network usage via native mobile client having integrated video in the apps ...


Warning
titleBandwidth check

So all the above usage require a high amount of connectivity as all of the action above can occur in parallel. This is Speedtest test result during crowded working hours:

So my ISP was not totally lying after all, though I could not reach the theoretical 1GE that the ISP advertisement boasts. (wink)



Warning
titleSOHO comments

Please note that this hardware has no optical/SFP port. There are indeed similar configuration with 1 one as upstream in case you are also the service provider in your local context. This hardware is specific to FTTH environment currently deployed in France.



Expand
titleOperating system selection


Info
titleOperating system specification
  • Debian 10 (aka Buster) is used
  • netinstall is used
  • minimal vanilla installation


Warning
titleRequirements
  • requirement #0: LTS operating system 
  • requirement #1: Benefit from LTS security patches
  • requirement #2: Must be able to run dpdk
  • requirement #3: (personal requirement) Must be familiar to me
  • requirement #4: Able to run java software as freeRouter is run on Java
  • requirement #5: small operating foot print
  • requirement #6: Support for IPv4/IPv6


Info
titleAdditional nice to have features (but not not used here as we are not using VM nor require high VPN traffic load)
  • Virtualisation support: Check CPU support for VT-x (intel) AMD-V (AMD) 
  • I/O MMU virtualisation (Kernel bypass mechanism): Check CPU support for VT-d AMD-Vi (AMD) needed by dpdk with VFIO driver in order to ensure hardware NIC packet forwarding
  • Network virtualisation: Check CPU support for VT-c  (SR-IOV)
  • Hardware Encryption: Check CPU support for AES-NI (Tunnel mechanism using AES such as OpenVPN, however this is useless for other tunnel type such as Wireguard


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