Networking & VPN SeriesNew part

pfSense and OPNsense Firewalls

Choosing, building, and tuning a mini-PC firewall with pfSense or OPNsense: hardware picks, the OPNsense vs pfSense decision, and the Intel i226-V fix.

Start with Part 1 → 3 parts · 33 min total · read in order
pfSense and OPNsense Firewalls
  1. 1 Best pfSense and OPNsense Hardware: Fanless Mini-PC Firewall Boxes Part 1 of 3

    Best pfSense and OPNsense Hardware: Fanless Mini-PC Firewall Boxes

    Before you buy a box to run pfSense or OPNsense, settle one question: how fast is the link you are actually protecting, and what do you…

    14 min read·Jun 2026
  2. 2 OPNsense vs pfSense on a Mini PC: Throughput, IDS, and WireGuard Part 2 of 3

    OPNsense vs pfSense on a Mini PC: Throughput, IDS, and WireGuard

    Both firewalls run the same FreeBSD packet filter, so on a mini-PC the raw speed numbers come out nearly identical and the real decision lives somewhere…

    13 min read·Jun 2026
  3. 3 Fix Intel i226-V Random NIC Drops on OPNsense Part 3 of 3

    Fix Intel i226-V Random NIC Drops on OPNsense

    You buy a fanless N100 or N305 mini-PC, load OPNsense onto it, and everything looks perfect until the WAN drops for a few seconds in the…

    6 min read·Jun 2026

Press ESC to close