Hardware: i5-4570

[valyno]

Hello Guys,
I am new to opnsense and I would like to test it to replace an Asus router.
I can mobilize a PC for long term use. But before making the jump with this machine (currently a home PC for the family), I would ike to know if it can be any good to run my network.

The PC:
- Mobo Gigabyte UDH Z87-HD3

 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)
 (The PCIEX16 slot conforms to PCI Express 3.0 standard.)
 * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.

1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)
* The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with all PCI Express x1 slots. All PCI Express x1 slots will become unavailable when a PCIe x4 expansion card is installed.
* When installing a x8 or above card in the PCIEX4 slot, make sure to set PCIE Slot Configuration in BIOS Setup to x4.

2 x PCI Express x1 slots
(The PCIEX4 and PCI Express x1 slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)

2 x PCI slots

- Intel i5-4570 (4 x 3,2 GHz, turbo to 3,6 GHz)
- 16 Gb DDR 3 1600 MHz
- SSD 1 To SATA

The network:
ISP fiber 5GB up/down
Switch Mikrotik CRS 326 RM with 2 SFP+ ports and 24 GB ports
2 PC to be upgraded to 10GB network
Switch Mikrotik CRS 305 with 4 SFP+ ports
55 devices connected to the netork (iOT, 1 NAS, webcams...).

I would like to to get the 3 PCs to be able to benefit from the 5GB fiber connection, as well as connecting to the NAS with a 10GB  speed.

Do you think that the i5-4570 will be able to handle the routing traffic especially with the 3 PCs at 10GB?
I have a few port forwarding rules for a domotic box, 1 VLAN for ISP IPTV (and planning maybe to use one or two more VLANS for iOT) and run a VPN client on the router for connecting a PC or an Apple TV to exit in a given country. VPN client being with NordVPN (protocole IKEv2/IPsec or WireGuard).
I would also like to run a VPN server to access to my network remotely as well from the phone of from my laptop.

I thank you in advance for your comments on my project!
Valyno

[meyergru]

The machine could be used to do that, however, being a 11 year old CPU, it draws ~10 times the power than a N100 with the same performance. For a device that runs 24/7, this can amount to a massive cost factor over the years that outweighs the savings of repurposing an old machine, depending on your local energy cost.

You would have to find an N100 with SFP+, like an RS86, though. There is a nice deal for a 12600H-based Minisforum MS-01.

[valyno]

@Meyergru Hi and thank you for your answer!

I agree,  my current PC iq quite power hungry compared to the current machines...
The Minisforum seems to be a really great machine!!
Thank you very much for the link!

[meyergru]

The MS-01 takes a little more power and with a high CPU load, it can also use 80 Watts. However, that one is way faster than an N100 or your current CPU. It could power a whole homeserver with, say, Proxmox. I got the 12900H variant before the current deal was out.

[valyno]

hi Meyergru,
It is impressive on how the N100 offers the same CPU power than the i5-4570 for a fraction of the electric power consumption...

I will probably try opnsense on the i5-4570 for testing and if it works smoothly then I will migrate to a machine much more power efficient for long term usage...

[Greg_E]

Try it and see if you like the interface on the old hardware, then buy something "better" if you decide to stay with OPNsense.

Another alternative might be an HP T740 with the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1756B which has similar performance and sometimes can be found for similar money on ebay. The used no drive - no ram ones are often a lot cheaper and might be worth a look. You'll need an Intel i350 card too, so expect to spend around $300usd if you find a good deal on the parts. Less if you buy a used no drive version.

[valyno]

Hi Greg_E,

Thks for the reference!

If I have to buy "new" hardware, I would like something that can fit in my rack to keep my set-up clean
I have seen some used 1U Dell servers equiped with SFP+ cards that could be an option as well..

For now I am just staring to look into Opnsense. The GIU is ok I have a Mikrotik swith with Router OS and the GUI is comparable..
I need to read plenty of documentation to familiarize myself with the functionalities and see how to achieve the current set-up I have with my Asus-Merlin router and the ISP modem...