I think it's going to happen! (Silent Router Box)

Viperoni · Post by **Viperoni** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:32 pm

I'm planning on building an as close to silent as possible router box.
So far, it's got a Gigabyte BX440 based slot1 MB with a p2-400mhz underclocked to 266mhz. 2x128mb of Samsung -GH PC100 ram. The PS is a Fortron 300w (originally a 20pin unit) with an 80mm Panaflo L @ 5v.

The CPU has a wimpy stock like HS running fanless. After loading into Knoppix (bootable Linux on CD) and playing Chromium for ~5 minutes, the CPU HS got warm, but nowhere near worrysome, but the video card will need a HS on the core.

The PS probably could be run fanless, but after ~ 15mins one of the sinks got warmer than I'd like to keep it. That, and for the nearly-nonexistant amount of noise a 5v Panaflo L adds, I'll keep the rig running cooler.
That and the machine will benefit from some amount of airflow.

I would like to say that so far I've only tried all this stuff out with the parts just sitting on my table, but I think it's got a pretty good chance of working out.

The only thing I need to do is get a smallish laptop HD, figure out which OS I'm going to use to make the router work, and put it all together.
I'd like to use something like Coyote Linux, but it doesn't natively support my NIC, however Knoppix did...

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress

Unfortunately it will still take me a few weeks to finish it off

silencery · Post by **silencery** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:18 pm

Sounds like an interesting project. Have you looked into the diskless router projects? This way, you can save the money you might spend on obtaining an HD and of course, you won't have to deal w/ the noise.

Here are some recommendations:
http://people.freebsd.org/~picobsd/picobsd.html
http://www.linuxrouter.org/ (LRP was quite good in its time, but unfortunately, development has ceased).

These both run off memory, so you can avoid having an HD.

Of course, if you eventually wanna put other services in, then you'd need an HD.

If so, IPCOP (http://www.ipcop.org/) is also a really robust firewall/router. We put it into production on our 60+ user site and it worked like a charm.

Becks · Post by **Becks** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:59 pm

you can search for monowall, can put it on a compact flash card (with converter to plug into the ide slots on a mobo) or boot it off a cdrom.. it'll run on anything and pretty complete router.. has lots of neat features

http://m0n0.ch/wall/

i want to buy one of the embedded computers it runs on.. no noise at all... too bad i'm broke

burmashave · Post by **burmashave** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 8:47 am

I recently built a silent router and WAP using a Soekris net 4801 box (http://www.soekris.com/) and the EL-2511MP kit from Netgate (http://www.netgate.com/soekris-miniPCI.html). The Soekris box is small, silent and relatively inexpensive. It uses a passively cooled Geode CPU and a CF card for hard storage.

I'm using OpenBSD for the router, and followed an excellent OnLamp how-to to build it (http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/bsd/2004/03 ... tml?page=1).

The only mistake I made in building it is that I got a 512Mb CF card, which turned out to be much more than I will ever need. The OpenBSD Flashdist (http://www.nmedia.net/~chris/soekris/) used only 18Mb when first installed, and now that I have everything running on it, I'm still only using 85Mb of the 512Mb on the card. I could have easily used a cheaper 128Mb card.

ecto · Post by **ecto** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:22 am

Why underclock the CPU? It doesn't do you any good. As I understand, if your goal is to save power/heat, underclocking won't do you any good. Undervolting will though.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:23 am

ecto wrote:Why underclock the CPU? It doesn't do you any good. As I understand, if your goal is to save power/heat, underclocking won't do you any good. Undervolting will though.

Undeclocking does have an effect though it's not nearly as significant as undervolting. Plus, when you underclock, you can oftten undervolt further.

ecto · Post by **ecto** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 10:18 am

Ok, thanks for the correction.

Still can't see that underclocking a P2-400 will do anyone any good though

Viperoni · Post by **Viperoni** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:11 pm

Well the machine has been running for the past month or so, but with Win2k, and not as a router, just as a rig that runs all the time.

The P2-400 @ 400 runs fine with the big fanless Alpha P60120SBE heatsink:
http://www.alphanovatech.com/c_p60120sbe.html

I'm using a Toshiba 6021GAS in a small closed box with foam lining the bottom, access noise is barely detectable, idle noise not present.

The 80mm Panaflo L fan's noise is just barely noticeable as well.
Overall the rig is extremely extremely quiet, not silent, but dang near silent.

Pretty happy with it, but it could use more RAM for the stuff I do with it, 512mb would be great.

If I ever upgrade it, I've got a Celeron 633 + alpha pep66 sitting around, and I'd like to use something like an Intel I815 or possible a VIA chispet + DDR ram and use 512mb.

I'll post some pics sometime

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:55 pm

"Mappit A4F (VIA EPIA M10000, 256mb RAM, 40 Fujitsu notebook HDD) - (R) - like new - $650 ($1058 new) - quietest system ever - Mike"

That's a pretty good deal with about as much power. Needs more RAM though.

Becks · Post by **Becks** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 10:40 pm

I'd get a soltek board and run m0n0wall. $200 total, no noise, no heat issues, will run forever.

grandpa_boris · Post by **grandpa_boris** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 12:35 am

rather than use an HD, you might want to consider a CF card attached to a CF-IDE adapter. this will give you a bootable and silent device. there are a number of linux and BSD-based firewall systems that will run from a 32-64MB CF. that will eliminate the major source of noise a quieted system will have.

CF boot is what i have been contemplating for my own multi-WAN router/firewall project, which is currently shut down because its 2.5" HD is afflicted with a piercing squeal. the prices of slower, older technology CF cards have been plummeting, making them very attractive for applications like this.

but my project is currently on hold because at this point i have only one active WAN and a few weeks ago i had picked up a tiny and totally silent router for $10. it's nothing exciting and lacks the flexibility of a linux firewall, but if all you need is a browser-managed NAT, DNS, DHCP, DMZ and other standard run-of-the-mill firewall router features, it's hard to beat the price or the noise level of a totally passive design.

croddie · Post by **croddie** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:46 am

I don't understand. Dedicated routers are generally silent.

grandpa_boris · Post by **grandpa_boris** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 2:52 am

croddie wrote:I don't understand. Dedicated routers are generally silent.

totally silent as opposed to as close to silent as possible that Viperoni is willing to settle for. $10 and near-zero time investment vs. time and money silencing an old fan-cooled PC, and you get not just close to silent, but completely silent.

2 additional comments:

- $10 was some sort of sale, regular price is ~$35; and

- only low port count, low-end, limited bandwidth SOHO-targetted dedicated routers are silent. the big, enterprize-level multiport routers are fan-cooled. they also cost a lot more than $10