pfSense Hardware
Posted on 2020-07-23 in Hardware
I run pfSense as a home firewall/router. When looking for hardware to run it on, I came across a number of frequently recommended devices. I have listed these recommendations along with headline specifications below. Netgate strongly recommends Intel NICs (see "Network Card Selection") and I still read of people having trouble with Realtek NICs. Therefore, for third-party devices, I have avoided those without Intel NICs. Prices shown are direct from manufacturer with shipping to Canada (last updated 2021-02-20).
| Manufacturer | Model | CPU | AES-NI | Ports | RAM | SSD | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netgate | SG-1100 | ARM Cortex-A53 2c 1.2GHz | No | 3 | 1GB | 8GB | USD 216.65 |
| Netgate | SG-2100 BASE | ARM Cortex-A53 2c 1.2GHz | No | 5 | 4GB | 8GB | USD 342.06 |
| Netgate | SG-2100 MAX | ARM Cortex-A53 2c 1.2GHz | No | 5 | 4GB | 32GB | USD 385.06 |
| Netgate | SG-3100 BASE | ARM Cortex-A9 2c 1.6GHz | No | 6 | 2GB | 8GB | USD 442.06 |
| Netgate | SG-3100 MAX | ARM Cortex-A9 2c 1.6GHz | No | 6 | 2GB | 32GB | USD 485.06 |
| PC Engines | APU2E0 | AMD GX-412TC 4c 1GHz | Yes | 2 | 2GB | 16GB | USD 154.70 |
| PC Engines | APU2E4 | AMD GX-412TC 4c 1GHz | Yes | 3 | 4GB | 16GB | USD 183.70 |
| Protectli | FW4A | Intel Atom E3845 4c/4t 1.91GHz | Yes | 4 | 4GB | 32GB | USD 307.60 |
| Protectli | FW4B | Intel Celeron J3160 4c/4t 1.6-2.24GHz | Yes | 4 | 4GB | 32GB | USD 317.60 |
| 8GB | 120GB | USD 356.60 | |||||
| Qotom | Q190G4N S07 | Intel Celeron J1900 4c/4t 2.0-2.42GHz | No | 4 | 8GB | 64GB | USD 234.36 |
| Qotom | Q350G4 | Intel Core i5-4200U 2c/4t 1.6-2.6GHz | Yes | 4 | 8GB | 64GB | USD 293.25 |
| Qotom | Q370G4 | Intel Core i7-4500U 2c/4t 1.8-3.0GHz | Yes | 4 | 8GB | 64GB | USD 310.33 |
For throughput over 500 MBps, Netgate's pfSense Appliance Guidance (starts approximately halfway down the page) suggests multi-core Intel or AMD CPUs > 2.0GHz with AES-NI. Keep in mind that throughput between multiple LAN segments must be considered, not just WAN to LAN throughput. Accordingly, I have selected the Qotom Q350G4.
Hardware Detective: Netgate
The Netgate SG-1100 is based on the Marvell ESPRESSObin. The board with enclosure (but no storage?) is available on Amazon for CAD 113.45. I have not been able to find anything corresponding to the SG-2100 or the SG-3100; these may be custom boards designed specifically for Netgate.
Hardware Detective: Protectli
Protectli appears to be reselling Yanling small form factor (SFF) PCs. The correspondence between Protectli and Yanling models appears to be as follows:
| Protectli | Yanling |
|---|---|
| FW2 | IBOX-501 N8A |
| FW2B | NUC-C3L2 |
| FW1 | IBOX-501 N10 Plus |
| FW4A | IBOX-501 N10E |
| FW4B | NUC-C3L4 |
| FW6A | IBOX-501 N13 (Celeron 3865U) |
| FW6B | IBOX-501 N13 (Core i3-7100U) |
| FW6C | IBOX-501 N13 (Core i5-7200U) |
The IBOX-501 N10E with 4GB RAM and 32GB SSD shipped to Canada is USD 223.56.
The NUC-C3L4 with 4GB RAM and 32GB SSD shipped to Canada is USD 239.26. The 8GB RAM and 128GB configuration is USD 302.46.