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Build Your Own Mini-ITX Firewall with IPFire – Complete DIY Guide

The Build

Some Customization

If you bought an extra Ethernet card and your case doesn’t have any expansion card slots, you will need to customize either the motherboard back plate, or the case, to mount the port-card. This is a difficult task as it’s nearly impossible to cut a neat, square hole in sheet metal. The way I do it is with a Step Drill Bit (see image) which makes round holes instead of square, but at least they’re neat. Just measure from the center of each LAN port, mark that on the back plate or case, then take the drill bit to the 3/4" (19mm-20mm) mark for each LAN port.

Custom mount bracket for Ethernet LAN port card mounted on motherboard back plate
Custom mount bracket for Ethernet LAN port card mounted on motherboard back plate
Round holes in motherboard for Ethernet LAN ports using a Step Drill Bit
Round holes in motherboard for Ethernet LAN ports using a Step Drill Bit

If you are using the SDHC to SATA Adapter you’ll need to drill some mounting holes for it on the overhead bracket. I used plastic stand-offs to keep the board away from the metal bracket to which will stop any shorting out.

Build

  1. Search Google for your motherboard model (ie. Gigabyte J1900N-D3V) to find the manufacturers page for it
  2. Look for the motherboard manual or technical product specification sheet, download and open
  3. Clamp any case leads to side of case to make the work area clear, or remove them until the motherboard is fitted
  4. Fit your motherboard’s metal back-plate into the rectangle slot on the case, making sure it’s fitted the right way up
  5. Gently place motherboard into position, then place pressure towards the back-plate until holes line up, insert screws and tighten lightly
  6. Keeping slight pressure on motherboard towards back-plate, tighten the screws to medium tension
  7. Attach USB, Power Switch, Power LED, and if your case supports it, connect Reset, Speaker and HDD LED (see mobo manual for pinouts)
  8. If your motherboard requires a CPU to be installed, do so now, place thermal paste on CPU then fit the heat sink and fan assembly
  9. Attach the 24 pin ATX PicoPSU and 4-pin ATX12v if required, fit the 5mm 12v DC jack into the rear of case and tighten
  10. If required, fit your LAN card into the expansion slot, then fit LAN port assembly to back-plate or case and tighten screws
  11. Fit any RAM into the RAM slot(s) carefully
  12. Mount SATA SSD or SDHC to SATA card to the top mounting bracket, fit bracket to top of case
  13. Connect SATA data dn power cables from motherboard to the hard drive
  14. Fit the case cover and screw into place
  15. Connect mouse, keyboard, screen/VGA and LAN (preferably connect to the on-board LAN port)
  16. Connect the 12v DC adapter and plug power adapter into power socket ready to turn on
  17. Move on to next section Installing IPFire

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