PC hardware isn't ideal because you lose the benefits of specialised offload capabilities.

I'd be willing to pay a nominal annual fee for devices which are important to get firmware updates; router, WiFi AP, phone, etc.

To an extent I've partly achieved the modularity I speak of; after becoming fed up with decommissioning WiFi routers every couple years, I moved to router, switch, AP (Ubiquiti gear).

Just so you know, this isn't true. Nothing stops hardware offload from being put in a PCIe slot (that's where it tends to have started actually). And indeed that's a fairly standard thing on decent NICs, which don't have to be particularly expensive if you buy used. I've switched to OPNsense for routing functionality at all sites I manage, and have had no issues with hardware offloading for CRC, TCP segmentation and large receive offloading, or VLAN hardware filtering with Intel or Chelsio NICs. Both are very well supported under FreeBSD. I suspect a Linux based solution would have an even wider range of options since it tends to have more hardware support, so something like a Mellanox card could work.

At any rate though it works well, and running on a PC opens a vast array of useful options and flexibility, all the standard tools are there, and one can get something enormously more capable then a typical pre-made gateway/router for cheap.

>I moved to router, switch, AP (Ubiquiti gear).

I did this as well way back, and still run the switch and APs as UniFi for now. But I'd caution against depending on them for routing, it's always been a weak point and they've really, REALLY gone down the tubes on development there long since. UniFi gateway/routing and most network services that they've decided to make dependent on it (DNS, DHCP etc) is frankly complete crap. OPNsense (probably pfsense would work too but I didn't want to go to another proprietary solution with a worrying concentration of asshole at the top), VyOS or the like aren't quite as nice to manage, but it's so nice to have normal capabilities and something kept up to date again.

Given my statement, you're correct, but what I meant to say was; I can't just take a random PC (-like) device and expect hardware offload or other similar capabilities, I still have to buy specialised hardware, a suitable NIC, e.g Intel. I make a point of buying Intel NICs for this purpose.

> But I'd caution against depending on them for routing

I agree. I've been running Ubiquiti for 5+ years now at home. At the time nobody was recommending against them, quite the opposite in fact. I use EdgeMax/EdgeSwitch/EdgeRouter + UniFi APs.

> VyOS or the like aren't quite as nice to manage I'm quite happy with VyOS/Vyatta, I'm not interested in fancy UIs, which made me _less_ interested in UniFi.

I've considered getting a PCEngines device because of the open/libre bootloader (uboot), when the EdgeRouter finally kicks it. It's nice and compact like a router, I can stick in my 12u network rack cabinet, and I'll be able to keep it up to date for longer as well as integrate it better with the tools I use.

I mean sure, you can't just take an entirely random PC, but then if you just grab any completely random AIO piece of junk you're probably not going to get a great experience either, "hardware offload" or not. The variety of kit available, particularly used, that has even built-in Intel networking chipsets which work is wide enough and cheap enough that it doesn't seem like a particularly limiting factor.

>I agree. I've been running Ubiquiti for 5+ years now at home. At the time nobody was recommending against them, quite the opposite in fact. I use EdgeMax/EdgeSwitch/EdgeRouter + UniFi APs.

Yeah, when I started with Ubiquiti they were excellent with much promise to come. Unfortunately their CEO is a mixture of toxic as hell and seems only semi-invested at this point while also having complete company control (don't let the "public" aspect fool you, he has a super majority of the shares) and has torpedoed their talent pool and vision. Damn shame, I don't know of anyone else pursuing quite the same thing at all.

I wouldn't bother with them for LAN stuff (their PtP/PtMP is still pretty competitive and useful) greenfield at this point, but even so I think they're fine on the switching side and acceptable for an existing investment on the WAP side. For switching they stopped being as feature/price competitive a while ago, but that doesn't harm the basic functionality. I have doubts about them navigating the multigig or WiFi 6E/7 transitions, they've been able to coast on old talent and investment by people no longer there for a long time. But that won't get pressing for a while so it's not a driver.

The gateway aspects definitely are though, awful. Edge is certainly somewhat better, but even there one can see the stagnation and rot.

>I've considered getting a PCEngines device because of the open/libre bootloader (uboot), when the EdgeRouter finally kicks it. It's nice and compact like a router, I can stick in my 12u network rack cabinet, and I'll be able to keep it up to date for longer as well as integrate it better with the tools I use.

I considered them as well as a range of others that supported coreboot. But in the end since I have a rack in a more out of the way place I just waited for a good 1U server deal to turn up on Ebay and grabbed a few of those. I have a decent SuperMicro system and a few HP DL20s, Provantage even briefly had a bunch up brand new for $350. For something as important as a gateway, it's actually kind of nice to have things like full lights-out-management and kit that's all designed to run 24/7 for years. 1U stuff of course tends to be noisier, but swapping fans for something quieter even at 40mm has tended to work pretty well for me in this application since they tend to be relatively power sipping (at least for x86). No GPUs, no big stonking 100W+ CPUs, not a whole lot to watts dissipate even in that form factor. Though too bad there don't seem to be more options without going custom for something SoHo/SMB focused that could trade Us for noise a bit more. Maybe that'll come around, in data centers density is king of course but I recall reading some articles that even there, let alone in company IT rooms/closets, there has been a growing appreciation about the dangers of high workplace noise levels.