When I had set up my Watchguard Firebox x550e, I replaced the two 40mm fans with silent models. I also swapped the PSU with a 90W pico PSU to make a nearly silent system. One of the replacement fans gave out and starting grinding a few weeks ago, so last week I replaced it with an […]
[UPDATE – 2014/11/26: Made a few updates on the hardware.] [UPDATE – 2015/12/23: I ended up taking the Wireless N / Bluetooth combo card from the T610 and putting it in the T620] I’ve been fascinated with repurposing PC thin clients. I like them because they are virtually silent and very energy efficient1. I’ve used […]
One of the most powerful features of pfSense is it’s ability to direct your data requests through different end-points using NAT rules. In my case, I like to be able to access the content in Netflix US. In comparison, Netflix Canada’s content is somewhat anemic, although we do get such gems as Community and the Good Wife here. There are many ways to access Netflix US content (and BBC iPlayer content) outside of the geo-fence territories. I prefer to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). pfSense is amazing as an OpenVPN client because I can selectively route any device on my network through the VPN service (i.e., my tablets and TV go through US servers, while my smartphone, VoIP, computers go my local ISP).
[UPDATED – 2014-11-24]: I noticed that I had gotten the model wrong in the title of the article. Fixed that. One of the odd things as I have moved up the food chain into (product) management is that I don’t have the opportunity to work directly on the products that teams build. Keeping a software […]
Working pretty well so far. Uses about 25 Watts (with USB enabled). It handles unencrypted traffic flawlessly. OpenVPN connections (using the AMD GEODE LX encryption block) via my StrongVPN account tops out at about 30 Mbits per second down. It is not as fast as my Pentium-M based laptop that was my original router (it […]
Update [20140123]: I’ve made a few modifications to the boot flags. I admit it. I’m a big fan of technology and I have been always fascinated with the FOSS movement. When we renovated the house, I made sure to put Cat6e drops in every room. They terminate in my electrical closet in a Cisco […]
