A home internet server built from spare PC parts
A home internet backbone was built from old, donated, and very cheap used parts instead of a new server. The machine uses an MSI H510M-A Pro , an old i5-10400F CPU, 8GB of , an old 1TB external hard drive, and a low-cost 500W . Two Intel X540-T2 network cards were bought; one went into this machine and the other into the main PC to create a 10G connection between them.
Instead of a normal case, cheap plastic basket and shelf parts are used for strong airflow. A noisy fan was replaced with a quieter used fan, though it is very bright. A cheap Nvidia is included only for emergency screen access when SSH is not available, and an Asus Android tablet is used as a display.
The machine runs Proxmox, with VyOS handling DNS and routing, and OpenWRT also running on it.
Key points
- The setup combines a and router in one DIY machine.
- Intel X540-T2 cards provide a 10G link between the server and the main PC.
- Proxmox runs the server workloads.
- VyOS handles DNS and routing tasks.
- A tablet is used as a simple screen.