Tiny Home Server with Connectivity for DAYS! - iKOOLCORE R2

Get ready to upgrade your lab with the successor to the game-changing iKOOLCORE R1 Pro! Introducing the R2, with its four 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports and highly efficient Intel CPU, this little cube is a powerhouse. Whether you need a firewall, an ESXi host, or a mini PC, the R2 is a perfect energy-efficient hardware solution. Join me as we explore its features, performance, and power consumption.
*CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE!*
• Meet Your NEXT Mini Ho...
PRODUCT LINKS
iKOOLCORE R2: www.ikoolcore.com/products/ik...
iKOOLCORE R1 Pro upgrade kit: www.ikoolcore.com/products/r1...
512GB NVMe SSD: amzn.to/43n5ERF
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*TIMESTAMPS!*
0:00 Introduction
0:52 Dimensions and specs of the iKOOLCORE R2
1:57 External connections on the iKOOLCORE R2
3:10 Tearing open and inspecting the internals on the iKOOLCORE R2
4:08 Big changes between the iKOOLCORE R1 and the iKOOLCORE R2
4:42 Limitations of using a Realtek NIC with pfSense/OPNsense and VMware ESXi
5:42 A word about the included WiFi antennas
6:06 CPU performance comparison and power consumption costs
7:56 How much does the iKOOLCORE R2 cost?
8:31 Rich's recommendations for which iKOOLCORE R2 to buy
9:15 Closing! Thanks for watching!

[@JasonsLabVideos]

I want to buy one of these and run Home assistant on it !

[@LakedaimonII]

An n100 version would have been a bit more "in focus" to me. I find the project cool, maybe a little bit overpriced.

[@TITAN2K]

I'd love to see that video on how this R2 unit runs ESXi.

[@MrPir84free]

Most will likely choose Proxmox unless they choose Opnsense or OpenWRT

[@kargandarr]

Way too freaking expensive for that price for the more fully loaded versions.

[@marcin_karwinski]

I wonder how this thing works when used as a mini Kubernetes cluster with direct point to point connection between nodes over those 2.5GbE ports with the M.2 used for storage exposed to the Kubernetes cluster as the shared Longhorn or similar persistent volumes... 4 NICs net you a 5-node interconnected cluster, leaving the optional WiFi cards for cluster access traffic.

[@2GuysTek]

You absolutely could!

[@druxpack8531]

Since the Realtek is connected via usb, would esxi support it using the USB Network Native Driver Fling?

[@2GuysTek]

I would love to say _maybe_, but considering that Broadcom shutdown the Flings program the instant the acquisition went through, it looks like even downloading the USB fling isn't possible any longer. William Lam posted this: williamlam.com/2023/10/vmware-flings-update.html pretty disappointing.

[@Felix-ve9hs]

Although the Intel N100 and N300 are just sipping power, they are about as fast as an Intel Core i5-6500 or i7-6700K, respectively.
I wish Intel would release these CPUs but with more PCIe lanes, then they would be insane. :^)

[@dktol56]

That would probably risk cannibalizing sales of their higher-end (P+E cores ) Alder Lake processors. I suspect that's also why Intel restricted the N-Alder Lake CPU's to single-channel RAM. Lots of applications don't really need P-cores.

[@tengzhang5098]

最近很热闹

[@UKCG_2]

Is this really meant to be a server? The manufacturer lists it as a router/firewall.

[@2GuysTek]

In the end it’s a x86 Intel-based mini-pc that can run anything from Windows to Linux.

[@UKCG_2]

@@2GuysTek Fair enough, but its design likely confines it to roles like a Windows/Linux desktop or Linux server instead of a more traditional gaming PC (limited GPU) or full-blown Windows “server” (limited memory and NVME slots). That’s not a bad thing, I was just questioning the title of “server”.

[@MrPir84free]

Depends upon the definition of server. Does it have ECC memory ? Nope. Does it have redundant power supplies ? Nope. Can it run Windows Server, Linux, Opnsense, OpenWRT, etc, ? Yes. Does it fit a 19 inch wide rack ? Nope. Redundant drives ? Nope.
In truth, at work, a good server would have ECC memory, fit a 19 inch rack for rackmounting, have redundant power supplies, have very noisy fans, run stable, with at least 3 to 5 years of support & redundant drives. And at work, I've seen servers with a single power supply, many other routers/firewalls, etc with single power supplies, some without ECC memory, all providing services to around the world, supporting a corporation of about 9,000 employees located worldwide. Heck many systems don't have redundant drives even; depending upon redundant devices instead ( two or more such in a cluster) .
By definition - a server is something that is capable of delivering services to clients or other servers. Being in business, sometimes it's making the fiscally responsible choice balancing redundancy against costs vs needs. I have indeed ran servers on SFF PC's before, and probably will do again sometime in my career.

[@HHX_H]

You need to stop with your hands 😂, feels fake, be more naturally!