When “Enterprise” Hardware
Fails You Twice
Build your own damn 2.5Gbps router from a dusty Dell
The MikroTik Disaster Trilogy
Act I: The First Death
Hours of meticulous configuration with AI assistance. Everything was perfect. Network locked down tight. VLAN configured like a pro. RouterOS looking slick and professional. This was it—the dream setup.
Act II: Hope, Then Betrayal
Second router. Fresh start. Three whole glorious months of uninterrupted uptime. Life was good. Time to level up—add that static IP, spin up the office webserver. What could go wrong?
No RMA offered. Just an implication that I should ship a router to Latvia at my own expense. Latvia. I’m still not 100% sure where that even is.
The Prequel: China Box Deception
Before subjecting myself to the MikroTik saga, I made an earlier mistake. Purchased a couple of “managed” routers from Amazon. The descriptions were glowing. The specs looked solid.
The Aftermath
No webserver. No static IP. Barely functional internet access. Three failed hardware purchases. Money wasted. Time wasted. Patience obliterated.
The Light Bulb Moment 💡
That Dell OptiPlex 3040 sitting on the top shelf in the closet, collecting dust for who knows how long?
It was about to become the unlikely hero of this entire saga.
Sometimes the solution isn’t buying more hardware. Sometimes it’s using what you already have—just better.
The Build: What You Actually Need
🖥️ Dell OptiPlex 3040
Small form factor. Low power consumption. Perfect size. Already owned it. Zero additional cost.
⚡ DERAPID 2.5Gbps NIC
Dual Intel I226 chipset. PCIe. Modern. Fast. Actually rated for the job. Unlike some routers we could mention.
🐧 Linux Mint
Stable, user-friendly, well-documented. Won’t randomly die on you. Proven track record.
💰 Total Investment
Price of ONE network card. No international shipping. No “professional advice” fees. No Latvia.
The Build That Actually Works
Network Interface Layout
↓
DELL ROUTER BRAIN
↓
enp4s0 (LAN: 192.168.1.1/24) → Hub → Your Devices
↓
enp5s0 (Management: 192.168.0.194)
The Power Trio: Services That Run The Show
🔄 DHCP Server
isc-dhcp-server
IP Range: 192.168.1.10 – 192.168.1.200
Config: /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
Automatically assigns IPs to every device that connects. No manual configuration needed.
🛡️ NAT/Routing
iptables
MASQUERADE: Internet sharing magic
FORWARD rules: Traffic control enabled
The invisible force that makes your entire network just work.
🎛️ Cockpit Web Interface
Access: https://192.168.0.194:9090
Professional web-based management interface. Monitor everything. Control everything. Because sometimes clicking beats command line—and that’s okay.
When Things Go Sideways 🔧
Let’s be real: something WILL go wrong. Here’s your survival guide.
🚨 No Internet from LAN Devices?
Check these in order. Don’t skip steps:
ip addr show enp4s0
# 2. Is DHCP server actually running?
systemctl status isc-dhcp-server
# 3. Are NAT rules in place?
iptables -t nat -L
# 4. Is IP forwarding enabled?
cat /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
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