A hacked/compromised router is the worst thing that can happen to computer users.
Any computing device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, refrigerator) sitting behind a compromised router can be attacked in every known way.
Needless to say, a router can be used for spying, not just on normally insecure communications but its also a perfect host for man-in-the-middle attacks on supposedly secure communication (SSL/TLS/HTTPS).
Compromised routers can send victims to scam versions of websites, a great way to collect passwords. In August, Jeff Atwood wrote about two people whose routers were hacked. One router modified web pages to show extra ads, another tricked a victim into installing a hacked version of the Chrome browser. And, of course, a router can be used to install malware on computers too. Did your last Flash update really come from Adobe? How would you know?
(Score: 2) by SanityCheck on Thursday November 12 2015, @08:25PM
I would probably buy all new parts because anything I have lying around is gonna use 100W. And I definitely get why it's worth it to pay more for this setup, because if something breaks you can replace one part, not the whole thing. As is the consumer-grade shit dies in about 18 months, regardless of who makes it, and how many 5 star reviews it had on amazon. I woudl difinitely get VPN service on the box :) That would be super cool.
(Score: 1) by josh64 on Thursday November 12 2015, @09:39PM
I'm in the same boat as you, and I've been keeping an eye on these http://www.pcengines.ch/ [pcengines.ch] - in particular the APU. I'm just waiting for the new APU with the AMD Jaguars to come out of testing.
The price seems really reasonable for the features and performance.