Slashdot Mirror
FreeBSD Based Gaming Router
Zaphoid writes "Lan Game Reviews has posted an article on how to use an old computer and FreeBSD distro m0n0wall to create a gaming router. Gaming routers allow users to use their full bandwidth for downloads and other high bandwidth apps, and low latency applications at the same time. By keeping packet queues on the router side, rather than the modem side. Users are able to achive great pings in online games, while fully using their download bandwidth. This is a great alternitive to expensive gaming routers on the market today."
Gaming routers are under $100, so unless you already have an old PC, it's cheaper just to get the gaming router and not have to worry about building your own. Plus, what about wireless access? That seems to come with every gaming router today, so even the hardware cost kind of outweigh this approach. I'll stick with my D-Link DGL-4300 router, it's small, uses less power, no noise, has wireless access, and a ton of other features that I'll never use.
Guys (and the few but very welcome gals), before we all start flaming about how hard it is to set up OpenBSD/FreeBSD and a firewall for a newbie, please take a look at the m0n0wall site. m0n0wall is completely self contained and is very easy to set up. It is completely web interface driven and is managed in much the same way as a consumer broadband router is. m0n0wall is, in my humble opinion having used it for a number of years and loveing it, and excellent firewall product and is very capable. If you have not seen it, grab a copy and have a look. Cheers, Tim.
http://www.openwrt.org/
It's the most open of the alternativesd, last I looked. Not necessarily great for the lazy, though, since it will want some hand-configuring.