Is there a combination wireless router, firewall/nas available?

jrebman · « **on:** 27 Oct 2009, 10:50 pm »

I'm helping a friend get setup with a new stereo system using a laptop, dac, small tube amp and efficient speakers. He needs a new wireless router and firewall, but would also like to have NAS capabilities in the same box. Does anybody make such a thing, what are the price ranges, and are they any good? Basically going to store tunes and photos of his kids.

Thanks,

Jim

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Oct 2009, 11:27 pm »

If you know enough about networking, I can suggest getting a cheapie asus router (I can link if needed) flashing that with DD-WRT. Said router has a usb port which you can attack an external harddrive to and run it like a NAS. Router is $50 or $30 on sale, and the external is whatever you need. You just gotta flash and set it up and you are good to go. Not very hard at all. I havent tried the NAS but a lot of people use what I have just described.

Jared

jrebman · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Oct 2009, 11:33 pm »

Hi Jared,

Sounds fine. Can you post the link?

Thanks,

Jim

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Oct 2009, 11:46 pm »

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320023 router.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_WL-520GU Firmware.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=14205147&postcount=205 I forgot but this is what you need to do the NAS, you gotta install Samba. There is a tutorial.

Without the firmware the router is worthless. I am running one as a bridge and it has never dropped in the 6 months I have owned it. Needed something wireless in the theater.

Also you're in luck the rebate is happening.

Jared

jrebman · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 Oct 2009, 01:59 am »

Jred,

Thanks much, this looks perfect for what my friend wants to do. I'll have him check it out and see what he thinks.

Appreciate the help,

Jim

mathgeek97 · « **Reply #5 on:** 28 Oct 2009, 02:47 pm »

I'll second Jerod's suggestion. I bought the Asus WL-500W about a year ago, which is currently $65 after rebate at Newegg, flashed it with DD-WRT and it's been the best, most reliable router I've ever used. This is in my not too small of a house, in a mixed network, and streaming ALAC to an Apple Airport Express 100ft away on a different floor without any dropouts.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320011
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_WL-500W

jrebman · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 Oct 2009, 03:28 pm »

Great. My guess is that he'll order one today. Thanks for the added vote of confidence.

-- Jim

JEaton · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Oct 2009, 06:45 am »

How do you backup the data on the one external drive?

Edit: I see that it has two USB ports, so I would assume multiple hard drives can be attached. Hopefully some kind of backup can easily be launched that would mirror one drive to the other.

Personally, I try to avoid devices that combine functions wherever possible. To the point that I have the following on my home network, in addition to PCs, laptops and network music players:

1) cable modem
2) firewall
3) network switch
4) wireless access point (not a router)
5) file server

The first four are all small boxes, plus wall warts, so even if you're space limited, there's not much difference between having four and one. The file server sits in the basement.

Last night we had a big snow storm and I lost power momentarily. When power came back up, the wireless access point must have gotten zapped (it, or its power supply). So I'm just missing wireless right now, but still have internet access, and access to the files on my network.