I'm making my own high-end router. From scratch.

- 4-core ARM CPU 1.6GHz (will be revealed in one of the future videos)
- 8GB RAM
- 64GB eMMC
- 3x 2.5GbE
- 2x 10GBe SFP+
- microSD slot
- mPCIe port

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Video gear I use to make these videos:

Audio Gear:

[MoFan]

"CE" is the abbreviation of "conformité européenne" (French for "European conformity").
Instead of machining from raw block of aluminum, it is cheaper to just use an aluminum sheet which will be cut by laser then bend. You can also have a very nice design with this method for a fraction of the cost.

[plagosus]

Great idea for picking up the aluminium, but using sheets is much easier and more cost effective than cutting it from a block. We do not mind the size, as long it can fit in 1U rack space. Multiple 10GbE options would be great: copper RJ45 and SPF+ and so on... Also, ability to run any open source OS would be a great plus. Homelabbers are gonna love it!

[aracrg]

Just want to say that I think the internals of a router are 100x more important than the case. Don't understand the motivation for CNC aluminium. Sheet metal would be just fine, and a big upgrade from plastic!

[aspzx]

I agree with the other commenter who said the internals are more important than the case. I think you should focus on designing and selling the motherboard for the router standalone before putting any more effort into designing the case. That way you can gauge interest in the actual pure functionality of the product. If there isn't as much interest in it as you thought then a fancy case isn't going to change that. Early adopters can fashion (or 3D print) their own case or even run it open air. With that said, I'm probably just as keen as you are on the look and feel of the product as the functionality and would love to replace my current router with a nice clean small aluminium device.

[retiredonabike]

This vid content was awesome . Just recently found your channel. Worked for a startup that became a powerhouse in the networking market. Went from manufacturing (and earning some extra cash) helping assemble the components since were all in the same building, to having the mobo/cases, etc manufactured overseas going from a few hundred units per month to thousands per month.

Please do more of these types as prototyping and product development are of massive interest to me (and I’m sure others).

[nothsak]

If you plan to add SFP+ connectors, please make sure they'll also work at 2.5G and 5G speeds, instead of only 1G and 10G. This will allow some people (including me) with FTTH from their ISP to connect their internet SFP+ directly to the router, instead of having to go through a switch or SFP-to-RJ45 media converter :)

[DeNNiiiable]

for the housing there are many ways to keep the cost down, I saw a few suggestions below. few suggestions here. 1. make it intel based like the new intel n95/n100 chipset. 2. ensure its no more then 1RU high and that 2x could sit in a single RU side by side if required. 3. ensure the network cards are intel based and not realtek. 4. Slot for LTE Module? 5.CPU Heatsink transfer heat into housing. I would not go with ARM as most items you could use it for go out the windows. I am pretty sure you can find something motherboard wise. the units i currently use for LAB's are 15cmX12cmx5CM (to tall for 1RU)intel 6005, 16gb ram, 4x 2.5gb and intell 225v3 nterowk cards. 226 are better but less support still especially bsd based solutions. There has to be somethign out there that might be a little deeper if required. I paid the above unit with 4gLTE i think around 450USD few years back

[caseyknolla]

A 10G capable homelab router is something I've been looking for for a long time. I'd definitely be interested in this! Rack-mountable would certainly be preferred though.

[murdo_mck]

Don't neglect thermal profiling and vibration/drop testing. 55 C ambient air temperature is possible in some environments. You might be shocked what some shipping companies do with parcels.

[meco]

While the effort is amazing and I really support the choice for ARM this sounds like a huge undertaking. My first thoughts go to a Rockchip RK3588 (mainline linux compatible) SoC and a generic SFP+ network card over pcie.

This could probably be done rather cheaply if you would only concentrate on a carrier board for a compute model (like the one from Friendlyelec CM3588 which costs 125$ retail for 16GB RAM + 64GB EMMC). Hopefully we get regularly updates on this effort.

Wow, this is such an amazing project! I admire your passion and creativity for making your own router from scratch. I hope you succeed and share your progress with us!

A quick note on your video: The acronym “CE” actually stands for “Conformité Européene, ” which means “European Conformity.” It is a certification mark that applies to many types of products, not only consumer electronics. For example, you can also find it on construction products. It shows that the products meet the EU standards for health, safety, and environmental protection. CE marking allows the products to be sold freely in the European Economic Area.

[honeypablo]

I don't know if I've missed something here but I find it hard to understand some of the decission the cost of an Al case machined from billet has in turn driven you to a smaller form factor that in turn has driven to a custom MB design. 10gb routing is some way off being a home requirement so 99.9% of these routers will find their way into a 19" rack mount and the smaller chassis size will require mounting trays and face plates. Good luck with it - your video is great and enjoyed your story telling.

[SmuutijsLV]

This video popped off on my recommended page, pressed on it, watched the video, did not regret it! Nice content and good luck with all this process! Can't wait to watch your other videos!

[dave_dennis]

This is perfect content for me. I’m never interested in doing that much hardware development just to build 1 of something. I am always looking for a fun project that can also be profitable. So far most of my sales have been through Tindie. But I’m look hard at turning this up a notch. So seeing how someone else tackles the problems of doing this as a business is very interesting to me. Thanks brother.

[eplus]

Hey. I made my own x86 router using a gygabite ITX board and an 11th gen i3, the main reason I went for that board is because it was heavily discounted and it is actually a pretty decent mobo, it has a 2.5G RJ45 which I use as WAN, added an expansion card with 4xRJ45 ports, I also replaced the inbuilt WiFi 5 with a WiFi 6E (dbdc) card, also added a 4G modem for mobile networking. All of it works great on OpenWrt, though I will just switch to a more complex linux distro since the CPU can handle it. The main reason I went for an x86 is due to AES hardware acceleration for OpenVPN purposes.
All of this fits into a 40 EUR case which I bought off AliExpress, very small form factor (though larger than your box).

[teguh.hofstee]

You could also flat pack the case (like the FormD T1 does for small form factor PCs) which means your stock material can be flat sheets that you screw together.

[trevermcbride]

You could use the pcie from the cpu and build in support for a lte module on the motherboard, many companies like to use cell service as a backup in case their fiber gets cut. Could make this product easier to sell to a small business/medium business as this could be a requirement they look for in a router.

[bbsl]

Top! Congrats on being selected by Katapult! Wishing you all the best with this project! And yes, this type of content is great! Keep on rocking! 💪

[jrm]

Thank you so much for your videos. I absolutely love this type of content and am learning so much from it. I appreciate your willingness to be fully transparent throughout the process. Keep up the great work! I'll be watching.

[MichaelRobertLawrenceITsec]

Sheat steal cases are often, stamped then folded, should be able to make sheat stamped Aluminum? Cases...
Sure the dies cost more... however you could stamp dozens of cases for price of custom milling a case.