Normal router vs. Windows Server router, which one is better?

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The_Man12

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Mar 22, 2014
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Hello,

I just recently upgraded to a 50 megabit up and down internet while running an old Netgear FVS318G. As expected, it won't give me all the bandwidth I'm paying for (already tested by connecting computer directly to modem). I have a computer running Windows Server 2012 R2 that acts as a Plex Server and as a NAS that is on 24/7 and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to buy a couple of NICs and set it up as a router too. I thought of that because well I would have to pay around $150 USD or more for a router that'll allow me to take advantage of all that speed while I would only have to pay less than or around $80 USD for some NICs.

Thanks!
 
Solution
kanewolf
If you dedicated hardware to the router/firewall duties and harden it appropriately to protect the rest of your network then it can be just as secure as an appliance router. BUT, your initial question was about using your existing host. Those are totally different scenarios.

I would also not worry about an appliance router with 8 gigabit ports. Use a switch with a single uplink to the router. Paying for a router with 8 ports is way more expensive than a 2 or 3 port router and a gigabit switch. 50Mbit WAN service isn't that much any more most any router will handle that bandwidth.

A ubiquity edge router lite would be a good choice for a non-WIFI router.
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jsmithepa

jsmithepa

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Jun 14, 2014
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U people love with swiss-army-knife. Me, the right tool for the right job, and going the extreme as Steve Jobs once said, one-task, one-processor.

^Agree with Kanewolf, if you going with a PC box based firewall, because it's more configurable, more features, fine, but keep it dedicated for that job.
 
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atomicWAR

atomicWAR

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Yeah i run a Server myself so everything is back-up in duplicate and I don't use any local storage for my regular PCs leaving more room for a games, apps and encode/decode space. Point being I run a router for most of my internet security/wireless coverage then just use 2 different switches for all my wired needs. It's best to have a dedicated router so you free up processes on your server and it is less exposed to online threats...though you can only do so much on that front regardless. All the more reason to get the router and add one more layer of security.
 
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The_Man12

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Mar 22, 2014
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Ok so basically it is safer to use a router, doesn't matter if i'm using Windows Server or pfSense. In that case then, which router would you recommend? I'm looking for one with 8 gigabit ports preferrably and Wi-Fi is not necessary. I would like for the router to be not reasonable in price, although please show me all the options available. If I can't afford one at the moment then I guess I'll wait a couple weeks or just try it out with the server.
 
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kanewolf

kanewolf

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If you dedicated hardware to the router/firewall duties and harden it appropriately to protect the rest of your network then it can be just as secure as an appliance router. BUT, your initial question was about using your existing host. Those are totally different scenarios.

I would also not worry about an appliance router with 8 gigabit ports. Use a switch with a single uplink to the router. Paying for a router with 8 ports is way more expensive than a 2 or 3 port router and a gigabit switch. 50Mbit WAN service isn't that much any more most any router will handle that bandwidth.

A ubiquity edge router lite would be a good choice for a non-WIFI router.
 
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The_Man12

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Mar 22, 2014
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I've seen some Ubiquiti gear out there and I've heard they're really good. I think I'll go with something from them. I saw these two;

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Edgerouter-ERLITE-3-Desktop-Router/dp/B00HXT8EKE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 (the one you had mentioned)
and this one
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-ER-X-SFP-US-Advanced-Gigabit/dp/B012X45WH6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482123358&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+edgerouter

What's the difference between these two? I kinda like the one that has more ports I don't know why, but if the other one is better then I'll get it along with a switch. Also question, I'm assuming these two routers will handle 50Mb just fine, however, what about VPN throughput? You're gonna hate me but I also use that server of mine as a VPN server (I shouldn't huh), and the FVS318G only gives me about 5Mbit, what about these two little buddies?
 
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