Ask HN: What hardware do you use for your home network? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What hardware do you use for your home network?

1 pointmttjj1 comment

To make a long story short: In a few months I will be moving to a part of the city where I no longer have Google Fiber internet access. (AFAIK, with Google Fiber your only option is to use their network box - and it's always worked well for me.) I don't want to end up renting the hardware from the cable company so I will soon be in the market for a modem, router, modem/router combo, etc.

I'm just looking for speed, security, and good network signal throughout the house. I don't do anything too complicated with my network so hacking/rooting/whatever is not a selling point for me. I may at some point want to set up a PiHole on the network but I'm not convinced I'll ever be motivated enough to do that. My ecosystem is Apple hardware along with various other device such as a Nintendo Switch, Kindle, and LIFX smart bulbs. Historically, I would have gone with an Apple AirPort but, alas, Apple has put that product line out to pasture.

What hardware do you use and what hardware do you recommend?

I've got FIOS, with a dmarc box that provides a hot Ethernet jack. But I am spending the extra for a 'business class' FIOS link, which I suspect is how I have a hot Ethernet jack on the demarc.

So the only 'vendor' provided hardware is the FIOS dmarc box that connects to the fiber line. Verizon's awful router that they normally supply sits, unplugged, next to the dmarc box in my basement.

The dmarc then connects to a Linux PC that is my firewall/router box for the rest of the internal network. That box runs Slackware and my own custom firewall setup. It contains four Ethernet cards, the first is a point-to-point link to the FIOS demarc, the second connects to the internal Ethernet, the third connects to the wireless AP, and the fourth is point-to-point to the VPN box that $job deploys to allow telework (this is because I don't trust $job's VPN box to not attempt to spy on me, so it is also fully isolated via those custom firewall rules from any other network device on my network).

Every device on the inside that is not 'portable' is hardwired in (Ethernet). I.e., no 'wireless' for devices that stay put. And 'portable' items with ethernet jacks (laptops) also spend as much time hardwired as possible.

For wireless (phone, tablets), there is an AP connected to the Ethernet card for wireless.

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