Is there hardware and software (Linux) suitable for the server and Wi-Fi router?

Question

linux

I want to assemble a small server on Linux, so that it is 2 in 1. Server and Wi-Fi router. There are people who have experience of lifting such a bundle. Or is it still better to have a separate router and a separate server?

Answer 1

Micro ITX 2 gigabit ports + wifi is consumer.
There are more serious 5 ports and even 8.
In general, you need to look at the processor power. If the file is a garbage dump and a torrent rocking chair, then even a router with the appropriate firmware can handle it.
And so keep in mind that the router iron is sharpened specifically for network tasks and ordinary wifi is not very suitable.
In general, a separate router is better.
Although here is an example, it seems to work
https://habr.com/ru/post/203376/

Answer 2

Any computer and any distribution. But I would build based on RaspberryPi and the like, if high server performance is not needed, purely so as not to burn electricity in vain.
To distribute wi-fi in Linux, hostapd is used - google it or even be smart, there are plenty of articles about assembling and setting up a "home server".

Answer 3

Did it for fun. I found a motherboard powered by a laptop PSU and Wi-Fi on board, it turned out almost silently. So something can be done on anything, based on needs. Well, you need to understand that the security of a home-made server sticking out on the Internet and not covered by a router is entirely your responsibility.

Answer 4

MISCELLANEOUS equipment IMHO.
I keep the gateway on bubunt on the old atom 4 cores 4 gig 2 network. Wifi is engaged in the old linksys, but DHCP is turned off on it and the hose from the gateway is plugged into the LAN - only WiFi physics is needed from it. + gigabit managed dlink 8 ports. Overdofig cores, if not for tasks (unbound with a huge blocking list, etc.).
Well, the server, at a completely different task. There are virtual machines, nginx, iredmail, etc.
There are a ton of places, there are minidlna and so on.

Answer 5

I attached an access point separately. OEM wifi cards in Chinese stores cost as much as seeds, but in linux not very much with driver support. That is, in monitor mode, you can run almost any card, but in host mode, not any. With newfangled 802.11ax 802.11ac is even worse. Ready-made wifi access points also provide physical ports, which are always in short supply. And the radio path is more serious than that of the card, because the size and power allow it.

Answer 6

Any hardware and any Linux distribution

Answer 7

small server on linux

What are the tasks of the "server"? And then maybe the Dishman TP-Link will cope with them :)

Answer 8

I made a home router + server on the first Raspberry Pi.
The server was nignx + TomCat + Java application on Vaadin + MySql base.
Everything worked very reliably, stably, although not quickly. Allowed to debug everything before deploying to the production server.
In order not to wear out the SD card, I connected an external USB HDD.
The only problem was feeding it all. The key that controls the power of the USB ports did not pull the entire load, so I shorted it on the board.

Answer 9

Recently there was an article on Habré.

Answer 10

All Latvian Mikrotiks run on Linux ( Router OS ).
And by the way, their ratings and reviews are all 5 !!!
They are controlled both through the web-muzzle and through the small software utility Winbox.exe and it is more convenient than the web-muzzle. But she - Winbox starts up fine and works in Linux through wine .
And the server?
So a bunch of servers on Linux !
And they are the most popular in the world.
Same Ubuntu Server .

Answer 11

pfsense on freebsd. Both router and server.