There’s something calming about a finished project like this. Great job!
Agreed. Cleaned up nice!
Nice looking setup. And that cabinet has enough space to mount a Raspberry Pi to run Pi-hole on
Great idea! My hyper-controlling (adult) children insist that I stay at my daughter’s home during the CV-19 stay-at-home period, so I need a “nerd” project to keep me entertained.
Any helpful tips or pointers on setting up Pi-hole would be appreciated.
It’s pretty simple to set up.
- Install the software (instructions on the above site)
- Configure your DHCP server (probably the router) to use the Pi-hole device’s IP address for the primary DNS
- Block outbound DNS (port 53) on the router to force all traffic to use the Pi-hole.
If you want to see individual client device stats on the Pi-hole’s admin console, you’ll need to make the Pi-hole your DHCP server. Switch off DHCP on the router, and flip DHCP on in the Pi-hole control panel.
I would keep the Synology as the DHCP server and only use the Pi-Hole for DNS filtering. Works great! Its one of the few iT projects that gave me instant satisfaction and has remained trouble-free. It really makes a big difference while browsing the web!
This is a good case for it with a heat sink, no fan needed.
BTW how did you manage to wall mount the RT2600AC ?
@Alevyinroc, that is great advice, may I add a couple of points:
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Make sure you get a good power supply for your pi. Inadequate power supplies are the fastest way to kill the sd card in your pi.
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Your installation will be a lot easier if it allows you to change your DNS server(s), and if it allows you to disable IPV6 on your LAN side. If not, it can still be done but it requires more fiddling. This mostly comes up with ISP-supplied routers, since you have a Synology router you should be ok.
I wondered if someone would ask
The Synology’s long angled legs make the built-in mounting keyhole slots ridiculous. They’re an inch away from the wall and tilted at a 26-degree angle. See first two pictures below. The router is great, but Synology is making my life harder than it has to be!
A brilliant fellow named David H Brown used a 3D printer to create a proper mount (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2816079 ), but I have neither a 3D printer nor the skill to use one.
My solution was to mount the router to a 3" x 8" offset or spacer board, which was in turn mounted to the larger 8" x 18" main wall-mount board. The router’s keyhole mounting slots were placed on the heads of 1 1/2 inch drywall screws. The heads of the drywall screws were left 3/4" or so above the spacer board, allowing further clearance. Adjust the height of the drywall screw heads so that there is tension or friction as the router case is “pulled” against the angled inner edges of the router’s legs as they contact the edges of the spacer board. This is difficult to explain - see pictures.
I hope that the offset away from the main mounting board is sufficient to allow air circulation through the Synology router’s extensive air ventilation slots
I will eventually drill holes in the mounting board and drywall through which to pass the router’s power cable and two ethernet cables (one from the modem and another to the switch) into the space behind the drywall, then down into the structure box. I don’t like the 3 cables dangling down toward the structure box, possibly being crimped as the structure box door is closed.
Thanks for taking the time to explain, I get it
As long as it’s low voltage it is ok. Other examples include doorbells and thermostat wiring. Typically 24v.
And what about POE cables? If I’m not mistaken, those can be 48v. There are so many low-voltage cables that run inside walls I find it hard to believe that this would violate a building or safety code.
PoE is 44v dc but limited to 15.4 watts. DC is typically allowed at low voltages and currents.