mini pc

Jason — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:30:03 +0000

Building a Multi-LAN NAS + Router on a Mini PC (NVMe + 2.5G Networking)

Jason — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:28:12 +0000

Why I moved away from traditional NAS setups

Most home or small office NAS setups follow the same pattern:

A SATA-based NAS device
A separate router
Limited network flexibility

This works, but once you start running mixed workloads (file storage, services, routing), bottlenecks appear quickly.

I wanted something more flexible — especially on the network and storage side.

The idea: combine networking + storage into one node

Instead of splitting everything into multiple devices, I started testing a compact setup with:

multiple LAN ports
NVMe-based storage
enough CPU to handle routing + services

The goal was simple:

One box that can handle NAS, routing, and lightweight services reliably.

Hardware approach (multi-LAN + NVMe)

The platform I used is a multi-port mini PC (in my case, a Qotom Q31100G4 type system).

Key characteristics:

4 × 2.5GbE LAN (Intel I226-V)
4 × M.2 NVMe slots
Intel low-power CPU (up to i5 class)

What makes this interesting is not raw performance — but structure.

Network design: physical separation instead of only VLANs

Instead of relying only on VLANs, I used multiple physical NICs:

WAN → internet
LAN → client devices
NAS → storage traffic

This had a noticeable effect.

When large file transfers happen:

LAN traffic stays responsive
storage traffic doesn’t interfere as much

It’s a simple idea, but in practice it improves stability.

Storage layout: NVMe changes everything

Instead of a traditional SATA pool, I split NVMe roles:

OS → dedicated SSD
data → separate drives
cache → independent drive

This reduces I/O contention significantly.

Compared to SATA-based NAS:

faster response
smoother multi-tasking
better handling of mixed workloads
Running router + NAS together

This is where things get interesting.

The setup runs:

pfSense (routing + firewall)
NAS system (storage layer)
Docker (services)

All on the same hardware.

The key is separation:

network interfaces
storage roles
service boundaries

Without that, it becomes messy quickly.

Thermal considerations (often overlooked)

Compact systems like this have a hidden challenge:

multiple NVMe drives
multiple NIC controllers

Both generate heat under sustained load.

What I noticed:

NVMe drives are usually the hottest components
airflow matters more than CPU cooling
sustained workloads require proper ventilation
What this setup is actually good for

This type of system is not for everyone.

But it fits very well for:

homelab environments
small office setups
edge nodes
developers running multiple services locally
Final thoughts

This isn’t about replacing every NAS or server.

It’s about a different approach:

using a multi-LAN + NVMe mini PC as a flexible infrastructure node

The biggest takeaway for me:

network structure matters more than raw speed
storage layout matters more than capacity
and simplicity still wins when done right

Building a compact multi-port network platform with 2.5G, 10G and SFP+

Jason — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:55:54 +0000

Overview

In many setups, networking is typically split across multiple devices (router + switch + uplink).

Recently I explored a compact platform that integrates multiple Ethernet interfaces into a single system.

Interface Layout

This setup includes:

2.5GbE for access and segmentation
10GbE (RJ45) for high-speed data paths
SFP+ for fiber or DAC uplinks

Why This Matters

Combining different interface types into one system allows:

Reduced hardware complexity
Flexible network segmentation
Simplified deployment

Practical Use Cases

Multi-WAN routing
NAS / storage networking
Homelab setups
Edge computing nodes

Final Thoughts

While traditional setups still separate routing and switching, this type of integrated platform provides an interesting alternative for compact deployments.

DEV Community: Jason