Non-NUC Projects
Most of my Non-NUC projects involve having a second wired LAN interface.
You can also find my Monero CPU Miner on this site, which I am now using for F@H.
Work-From-Home (WFH) Firewall
A work-from-home environment needs to be reliable and secure. Something less expensive than a netgate or Protectli box with built-in WiFi. Given the recent Ubiquiti compromise, I'm not using their USG until further notice.
Secure and stable -
pfSense is a reputable firewall
Use my cellular LTE data as a second/backup WAN with a built-in wireless adapter -
pfSense again does this seamlessly
Two gigabit interfaces for
LAN and WAN so I don't have to use a managed switch and trunking
The ZOTAC mini PC model ZBOX-CI325NANO was used.
Two gigabit wired interfaces (
LAN and WAN)
Integrated wireless (dual band AC 3165, 3165NGW, 801.11ac)
Older CPU - Intel Celeron N3160 (quad-core 1.6GHz, up to 2.24GHz) 4 cores 4 threads
2.5“ SATA drive and two (2) DDR3L-1600 SO-DIMM RAM slots (16GB MAX)
Has a fan
Setup
WAN interface to cable modem
LAN interface to network switch
WAN2 wireless interface to Jetpack LTE data modem
WAN_GROUP uses WAN and WAN2 for internet access, failing over on packet loss or high latency
Ubiquiti Unifi wireless access points and CloudKey
freePBX
While I can use a NUC configure and trunked interface to run a VoIP system, I wanted two interfaces: VoIP network and DMZ. The FreePBX platform is perfect for my needs.
The Qotom Mini PC Q220S-S02 came configured as I wanted:
Mac Mini Model A1347
This is change of pace from refurbishing NUCs.
3 devices
Device 1
Device 2
Device 3
MacOS Sierra
CPU:
RAM:
Disk:
Original state:
Clean
Non-booting
Unable to re-image any of them via the recovery utility
-
Download DMG file
Write to USB stick using
UltraDMG (paid product)
Shut down or turn off the Mac
Connect the bootable installer to the Mac
Turn on the Mac, then immediately press and hold the Option (Alt) key
Release the Option key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes, including the bootable installer
Select the bootable installer then click the onscreen arrow (or press Return)
Notes:
This Mac must be compatible with the macOS that you're installing. If it isn't, it might start up to a circle with a line through it.
Mac must be able to connect to the internet; bootable installer doesn't download macOS, but it does need an internet connection to get firmware and other information for this Mac model