Using Old Tech to improve New Tech

Now, before the next problem could be solved, some updated network capabilities were needed.

That turned out to be a project on it's own.

Suffice to say, a VPN was needed. And the easiest way to go about having a VPN is to have it implemented in your router. And one of better ways to achieve that is to install OpenWRT on it (if it's supported of course).

Now, entrusting that to a small box on top it's duties of being connected to the Internet and routing traffic trough the network, might take a toll on the already overheated CPU inside.

So additional cooling was installed:

Take one router with supported hardware, one decade old CPU with ceramic casing, one serving of thermal paste and a shot of super glue.

Apply the thermal paste on the router's CPU, with just a touch of super glue on the clean corners, align and press the upside down "museum item" on the paste and wait a few seconds.

Lesson learned: old AMD CPU's work very well as passive heat sinks!