add intro content, outline (refs #14)

container/site/content/posts/router-build/index.md

@@ -1,11 +1,113 @@
 +++
 categories = ["software"]
 tags = ["router","opnsense"]
-date = 2025-08-09T08:00:00-05:00
+date = 2025-08-27T08:00:00-05:00
 description = ""
 draft = false
 slug = "router-build"
-title = "Router Build"
+title = "🔀 Router Build"
 author = "nicholas"
 +++
 
+My router (Netgear R6400v2) lacks many of the features I would like to use and become familiar with:
+- VLANs
+- Advanced routing, firewall
+- Monitoring, logging, alerts
+- etc.
+
+**I need a new router.**
+
+I have a few options from here:
+
+1. ❌ **Write custom firmware to existing router** (*DD-WRT, OpenWRT, Tomato, etc.*)  
+    - ➕ Fun
+    - ➕ Free
+    - ➖ Too much jank
+
+2. ❌ **Buy new hardware**  
+    - ➕ Very easy setup
+    - 💲 Could require expensive/high-end router hardware
+
+3. ✅ **Repurpose existing hardware**  
+    - ➕ Fun
+    - ➕ Makes use of an out-of-work mini PC (Dell OptiPlex 5050 Micro)
+    - ➕ Can run proper router OS
+    - ➕ Use old router as WAP
+
+---
+
+## 🪵 Router-on-a-stick (ROAS)
+My VM host (where I will build my router) has only a single NIC, with only one physical port. That means I cannot replicate the behavior of ordinary consumer routers, which are typically configured with a dedicated WAN port, and several dedicated LAN ports. The router simply routes between the two. Very simple. I need to find a way to replicate the *function* of such a router without the same hardware.
+
+I have a couple of options:
+
+1. ❌ Configure the **virtual switch** to perform 802.1Q VLAN tagging for router VM.  
+    - ➕ Free, no additional hardware required
+
+2. ✅ Configure a **managed physical switch** to handle 802.1Q VLAN tagging and trunking to the router
+    - ➕ Gain additional physical ports
+    - 💲 Addtional hardware required
+
+I want the extra ports! 
+
+## 🖧 Logical Network Topology
+
+```mermaid
+graph TD
+    isp["🌐ISP"]
+    modem["📡Modem"]
+    switch["🔀Switch"]
+    subgraph vm-host["VM Host"]
+        router["🛡️Router (OPNSense)"]
+    end
+    wap["🛜WAP"]
+    nas["🗄️NAS"]
+    workstation["🖥️Workstation"]
+    subgraph wireless["Wireless Devices"]
+        laptop["💻Laptop"]
+        phone["📱Phone"]
+        printer["🖨️Printer"]
+    end
+
+    isp --- modem
+    modem --- switch
+    switch --- |"🪵 Trunk (VLANs 10,100)"| router
+    switch --- wap
+    switch --- nas
+    switch --- workstation
+
+    wap -.- wireless
+
+```
+
+## 🔀 Switch Port VLAN Assignment Table
+| Port | Device | VLAN Mode | PVID | Tagged VLANs |
+|-|-|-|-|-|
+| 1 | Router | Trunk | 10 | 10,100 |
+| 2 | Workstation | Access | 10 | - |
+| 3 | NAS | Access | 10 | - |
+| 4 | WAP | Access | 10   | - |
+| 5 | - | Access | 10 | - |
+| 6 | - | Access | 10 | - |
+| 7 | - | Management | 1 | - |
+| 8 | Modem | Access | 100 | - |
+
+
+## 🖥️ VM Configuration
+- 3 GB RAM
+- 1 vCPU
+- Static MAC address (Spoof NETGEAR router MAC)
+- Enable router VM network adapter to carry VLANs ID 10,100
+
+## ⏺️ OPNSense
+### Interfaces - VLAN 10,100
+LAN = VLAN 10
+WAN = VLAN 20
+### Unbound DNS
+### Query Forwarding
+- forward to pi-hole -> network-wide ad-blocking
+### Overrides
+### DHCP
+### Firewall - GeoIP
+[Block countries](https://AccountID:AccountKey@download.maxmind.com/geoip/databases/GeoLite2-Country-CSV/download?suffix=zip)
+