I replaced my Raspberry Pi router with an x86 SBC, and it was the network upgrade my home lab needed
Ditching my Raspberry Pi for an x86 SBC fixed my home router, and it only took one afternoon
The author replaced their Raspberry Pi router with an x86 Single Board Computer (SBC) and found it to be a significant upgrade for their home lab network. Initially, they tried using OpenWRT on their Raspberry Pi 5 but found it to be bottlenecked due to its limited capabilities. When looking for a replacement, the ZimaBoard 2 emerged as a strong contender after they installed OPNsense on it.
Compared to Raspberry Pi, x86 SBCs offer more operating system options and better performance. OPNsense, however, does not support ARM-based Raspberry Pi, making the switch necessary. The ZimaBoard 2's dual Ethernet ports and Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V chips provide improved speeds and reliability, making it an attractive choice for building a custom router.
Despite the price increase, the author still recommends the ZimaBoard 2 for its features, but suggests considering older x86 mini PCs or recycled thin clients as a more affordable alternative.
Written by urgent.news from XDA Developers's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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