Stanislav needed a Gigabit Ethernet router to run OpenVPN, and after some research he settled on Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X router with 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, PoE in and pass-through, with a decent 256 MB RAM and 256MB flash, and a $49 MSRP, although I’ve only seen it for $60 and up.
The router is not a new product, as it has been out for a few years (since 2015), and it’s also officially supported by OpenWrt, which makes it even more interesting.
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X (ER-X model) specifications:
- Processor – Mediatek MT7621AT dual core MIPS1004Kc processor @ 880 MHz
- System Memory – 256MB RAM
- Storage – 256 MB NAND flash for firmware
- 5x Gigabit RJ45 ports
- Ports configurable for line-rate, Layer-2 switching
- 260 kpps for 64-byte packets
- 1 Gbps for 1518-byte packets
- Passive PoE passthrough option
- Power – 24V via passive PoE or power adapter
There’s also a ER-X-SFP model with Gigabit SFP port for backhaul applications.
The stock firmware is based on Debian Wheezy with a nice GUI and OpenVPN 2.3, but many packaged dated from 2013/2014, so if you want to run more recent firmware and programs – such as OpenVPN 2.4 – OpenWrt is a good option.
Stanislav has done just that, and with OpenWRT installed, the router is able to perform IP routing at more than 400Mbps, while OpenVPN 2.4 performs at up to 20Mbps with 256-bit AES encryption, and at about 55Mbps with encryption and authentication disabled. You may also be interested in his OpenVPN configuration scripts and instructions.
The router is also fairly popular on Amazon ($68.47) with rather positive reviews from users (with stock firmware). If you are based in the US, it’s a bit cheaper on Newegg ($59.90) & eBay, where you’ll find second hand models too. A few more details may be found on the product page.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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