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New Home Build - Help spend my money!

AndrewSerff

I'm trying to find good hardware setup for a new UTM Home build. I've never used Sophos UTM, but want to protect my home network and kids from the evils of the internet! ;) I've read about a 1000 threads with everyone recommending everything from NUCs to Desktops to 1U pizza boxes, but all of these recommendations are 1) old (it's 2016 guys!) and 2) build for different needs. What I would like to find is a general solution that I could just buy and recommend to family members and friends. Here my constraints:

Budget: I'd really like to stay under $300
Home connection: 50MB / 20MB
# Users: 2 adults, 2 kids
# devices: A mix of laptops, iOS devices, gaming consoles, and smart devices. I'd say we have probably have 20 devices online...
typical usage: We have no cable, so we stream everything. lots of netflix, hulu, amazon. Lots of general internet usage. Some online gaming (ps4, xbox, wii u, ios).

I can put the box in my basement, but would still like to consider lower power usage, and quieter operation.

I need web filtering first and foremost. I'd like IPS, VPN, and other features if possible. Everything I'm reading is pushing me towards a 3GHz i3 because of IPS.

I'd also like to not have to do this again (buy new hardware) for years if possible. So hardware with room to grow with both new Sophos capabilities and new technologies (like 4k streaming...much faster internet).

I'd love to just buy a Sophos box, but they seem so expensive and I don't want the subscription fee. I love to find a hardware solution I can just order from amazon, plug it in, and install Sophos UTM Home on it and be done as well, that's not looking very possible though which is bumming me out.

So, I know I'm probably asking for a unicorn...but let me know what is possible! Thanks for all your help!

P.S. as a side note, anything announced at CES right now would be awesome. dual nic NUC with fast processors for cheap?? Let me know if you see anything!



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  • 0
    Andrew - I just ordered from Amazon, total build 305.00 I could get it down to under 300 if I go with smaller cheaper mSata, but I wanted a little wiggle room to grow, and/or if it doesn't work out for me as a UTM I can repurpose it as something else. It arrives on Friday, I'll build it up and run it a day or two and let you know.
    1) Jetway JC320U93W-2930-B Intel Celeron N2930 Dual Intel LAN Fanless NUC, 2.5" HDD
    2) Samsung 850 EVO 120 GB mSATA 2-Inch SSD (MZ-M5E120BW)
    3) Crucial 4GB Single DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) SODIMM 204-Pin High Density Memory CT51264BF160BJ
  • 0 in reply to GeneBarnett
    Will the Celerons really handle IPS though? Also, is 4GB enough memory for most people? I've seen most people recommending 8GB. Can't wait to hear about your test results!
  • 0
    Hi Andrew. I just recently upgraded my home system from a small generic (Foxconn) barebones atom D525 system to a Dell T20 server. I scored the T20 during the holiday sales from Dell for $139, but it is still on sale at Dell Business for $179 (Pentium G3220 with 4GB RAM). That still gives you $120 to add a second NIC and a hard drive to meet your budget. It isn't small (more than twice the size of the little Atom box it replaced) but it s VERY quiet and doesn't seem to use much power most of the time (plus it is a Dell with a good warranty and service behind it). With just my wife and teenage son our usage is a lot like yours (many cell phones, laptops, tablets, and streaming services). My CPU utilization doesn't rise above 30% (average is under 10) and I use web filtering and IPS.
  • 0 in reply to GeneBarnett
    Gene, any update on how your setup is working?
  • 0 in reply to Scoobmaster
    My preference would be a 1U ATOM, shallow 9" depth server from SuperMicro with 4 onboard NICs and a Samsung SSD. Rather cheap, very low power, and plenty of power for a home network. MUch more stable than a barebones PC. Run the UTM on Hyper-V and use the server for other VMs as needed.
  • 0 in reply to BeanAnimal
    You have any links to something like this for sale? Or would it all be pieced together? What would the total cost be?
  • 0
    Andrew i recommend you the box i use at home.. see my signature..
    cheap, low power, works perfect for me...

    what you need:
    - zotac zbox nano c321
    - 8 GB RAM
    - 120 gb SSD

    tipps for installing sophos utm:
    - first make bios update on zotac box (need to install win7 for it) then the sophos installer works..

    greets

    zaphod
    ___________________________________________

    Home: Zotac CI321 (8GB RAM / 120GB SSD)  with latest Sophos UTM
    Work: 2 SG430 Cluster / many other models like SG105/SG115/SG135/SG135w/...

  • 0 in reply to BeanAnimal
    Supermicro SYS-5018A-FTN4
    Samsung 860 Pro or Evo drive
    Some RAM
    That's it.... Maybe $650 total.
  • 0 in reply to AndrewSerff
    It's pretty solid, but I haven't put it into full use yet. I had to work on a server all weekend and then back to the grind during the week. So it's only covering a few of my computers. I have faster web browsing, and solid vpn connections so far.
    The other reason for holding back, was I had high hopes of making the wireless work. I even purchased an Atheros card for it, still no joy. I know, I have plenty of APs around here, even a couple of new ones. But I really wanted the already built in wireless to work.
    So I'm making this too long for a short answer of still working on it.
  • 0 in reply to zaphod
    What about a second NIC? Does the wireless work?
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