Home Router
Equipment
M.2 Storage: WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 2 TB Internal SSD (Gaming Memory, PCIe Gen4 Technology, Read 7,300 MB/s, Write 6,600 MB/s) Black
Screws for placing ethernet port: Akuoly PC Screws Assorted Set M2 M3 M2.5 Computer Screws HDD M.2 SSD Screws for Universal Laptop PC Computer Repair 355 Pieces
Ethernet port: KALEA-INFORMATIQUE M2 M.2 NGFF E A Key Card 2.5 Gigabit RJ45 LAN ethernet 10 100 1000 1G 2.5G With Realtek RTL8125 Chipset
Lenovo ThinkCenter: Lenovo ThinkCentre Intel i5 6500T Quad-Core 3.1 GHz Business Office Multimedia Computer 16 GB 512 GB SSD USB 3.0 WLAN Windows 11 Prof. 64-Bit #7987
Screwdriver: JOREST 40 Pieces Precision Mechanic Screwdriver Set, Mini Tool Set with Torx T5 T6 T8 T9 T10 T20, etc., Repair Kit for iPhone, iPad, Switch, PS4, Xbox, Laptop, Macbook, Computer, Glasses, Watches, etc
Rufus USB Drive: SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 flash drive 256 GB (SecureAccess software, password protection, transfer speed of up to 130 MB/s).
2 Ethernet cables: Ercielook Lan Cable 2 m, High Speed Cat8 Network Cable for Outdoor and Indoor Use, 40 Gbps with Gold-Plated RJ45 Connector for Router/Gaming/Modem
Anti-electric Tape: Amazon Basics Insulation Tape, 1.9 cm x 18.3 m, Black, Pack of 6, Ideal for DIY, Repairs, Work on Electrics or Cars and Equipment (Formerly AmazonCommercial Brand)
8 portSwitch: NETGEAR GS308-300PES 8-port Gigabit Switch (fanless design, easy plug & play installation, Layer2, rugged metal chassis, energy saving, metal RJ45 connectors)
Ethernet port with 15 cm length: youyeetoo M.2 to Gigabit Wired NIC, Intel i226 2.5G Ethernet Server NIC, Compatible with M.2 B+M Key, M.2 A+E Key, for youyeetoo X1 (i225 Updated Version) (M.2 A+E Key, 10 cm)
Project Overview: A Purpose-Built Home Router
In this project I am going to convert a mini pc into a router. The reason for it is twofold, on one hand the fritzbox doesn’t offer much on hardware and software to support a very fast and reliable router, especially when it comes to dealing with firewalls it seems to be very limited in what one can configure on it. The second reason it is impossible for instance to change the ethernet ports later on for 10Gib speed or upgrading other components of the router itself. That is why I decided to use a mini pc for that purpose, it is cheap, doesn’t take much electricity and more than that unlike it’s other counterparts it’ not very noisy.
Setting up Lenovo ThinkCenter
The ThinkCentre only offers one Ethernet port, to be able to route packages from. However, there is an unused opening that could be used to install a second port. So the first thing is to bend the metal piece of the opening upwards to later on install the new ethernet port.
When opening the casket of the mini pc, we can see the sata ssd. This one will have to be removed so we can connect the cabeling to the right pcie port on the back of the pc.
After removing the Sata SSD with the metal that holds it in place, there is now enough space to put the cabbeling through without any obstruction.
Before we can proceed with plugging the ethernet port on the right place, we have to put insulating tape so we don’t get electric passthroughs between the usb underneath and the ethernet port.
After applying the tape, it should be straightforward to position the Ethernet port over the opening and secure it with screws so it remains in place.
The Ethernet card that connects to the PCIe slot must be secured with screws to prevent it from tilting upward.
Since the SATA SSD was removed, the PC was left without storage. To replace it, a new M.2 drive was installed in the only available slot, providing faster and more energy-efficient storage.
Then we need to create a Proxmox installation USB using Rufus. Then, we’ll use that USB to install Proxmox on the ThinkCentre. If you receive a warning about the ISO, simply click OK—it’s not an issue. Then click Start.
Sources
Installing promox on mini pc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dya5sow-cdc
