Routers

Protectli Vault review — fanless mini PC for OPNsense and pfSense

Who is this for? Home users and small businesses who want to run OPNsense or pfSense on dedicated hardware. Requires technical knowledge — see the [OPNsense VLAN guide](/en/guides/opnsense-vlan-guide/) for the matching configuration.

Price: Paid
Updated: March 2026

Protectli Vault review

Who is this for? Home users and small businesses who want to run OPNsense or pfSense on dedicated hardware. Requires technical knowledge — see the OPNsense VLAN guide for the matching configuration.

Update April 2026: The Protectli model lineup has been refreshed. The model numbers listed below (FW2B, FW4B, FW4C, FW6E) are older generations. The current lineup includes the V1410 (N5105, 4× 2.5GbE, from ~€270) and the VP2440 (N150, 2× 10GbE SFP+ + 2× 2.5GbE, from ~€420). Check current availability and pricing at protectli.com. The core of this review (OPNsense platform, Intel NICs, fanless design) remains applicable.

The Protectli Vault is a fanless mini PC with multiple Intel network ports, designed as a platform for open-source firewall software like OPNsense or pfSense. The recommendation for home users and small businesses wanting a fully configurable firewall on dedicated hardware.

Why dedicated firewall hardware?

An ISP router or consumer device (TP-Link, ASUS) runs closed firmware. You cannot inspect what it does, you cannot set advanced rules, and updates depend on the manufacturer.

OPNsense and pfSense are fully open-source firewall operating systems. They run on standard x86 hardware — the Protectli Vault is designed as the most suitable home hardware for this purpose.

Models

Model	CPU	RAM	Ports	Price
FW2B	Intel Celeron J3060	4–8 GB	2× Gigabit	lower tier
FW4B	Intel Celeron J3160	4–8 GB	4× Gigabit	mid-range
FW4C	Intel Celeron N5105	8–16 GB	4× Gigabit + 2× SFP	upper mid-range
FW6E	Intel Celeron N5105	8–16 GB	6× Gigabit	higher tier

FW4B is the most popular for home use — four ports (WAN + LAN + 2 extra for VLAN segmentation), sufficient CPU for IDS/IPS (Suricata) on Gigabit connections.

Specifications (FW4B)

Property	Value
CPU	Intel Celeron J3160 (quad-core, 1.6 GHz)
RAM	4–8 GB DDR3L
Storage	mSATA SSD (16–32 GB sufficient for OPNsense)
Ports	4× Intel i211-AT Gigabit
USB	2× USB 3.0, 1× USB 2.0
Display	HDMI
Cooling	Fanless — completely silent
Power consumption	~6–10W
Price	depends on bundle, without RAM and storage in some configurations

Intel NIC — why it matters

The Protectli Vault uses Intel i211 network chips. OPNsense and pfSense are optimised for Intel NICs — stable drivers, good support for VLANs and hardware offloading.

Cheaper mini PCs with Realtek NICs regularly have driver issues under FreeBSD (the basis of pfSense) and can cause speed problems with VPN encryption.

What you can do with it

Firewall and NAT: Standard function — determine which traffic is and isn’t allowed.

VLAN segmentation: Create separate network segments for IoT devices, guests and your main network. Each segment has its own rules — a smart TV cannot reach your NAS.

IDS/IPS with Suricata: Intrusion detection and prevention at packet content level. Detects known attack patterns in live traffic.

VPN server (WireGuard/OpenVPN): OPNsense has built-in WireGuard and OpenVPN server. Securely access your home network from outside.

HAProxy / reverse proxy: Set up a reverse proxy for self-hosted services (Nextcloud, Home Assistant) with Let’s Encrypt TLS.

DNS filtering: OPNsense has a built-in DNS resolver. Combine with Unbound + blocklists as an alternative to AdGuard Home.

Comparison with alternatives

	Protectli FW4B	Firewalla Gold	GL.iNet Flint 2	Raspberry Pi 4
Firewall OS	OPNsense/pfSense	Firewalla OS	OpenWrt	DIY
Technical level	High	Low	Medium	High
Intel NICs	Yes	Yes	No	No
IDS/IPS	Suricata/Snort	Built-in (limited)	No	DIY
Open-source	Fully	Partially	Fully	Fully
Built-in WiFi	No	No	Yes	Via adapter
Price	paid + extras	paid	paid	low-cost DIY + extras

No WiFi: The Protectli Vault has no wireless radios. You need a separate access point (TP-Link EAP, Ubiquiti, or your existing router in bridge mode).

OPNsense vs pfSense

Both are excellent. For new installations:

OPNsense: More active development, more frequent updates, more modern interface, better documented for beginners. Recommended.
pfSense: Older, large community, more online tutorials. The CE version is free; Netgate is pushing towards a paid version.

Caveats

No WiFi: Requires an external access point. Budget for that separately.

Learning curve: OPNsense/pfSense are powerful but require understanding of network concepts (VLAN, firewall rules, NAT). Not for someone who wants to install and forget.

RAM and storage separate: Protectli often sells the Vault without RAM and SSD. Budget extra for a complete setup.

Pros and cons

Pros

Intel i211 NICs — stable drivers and reliable hardware offloading under OPNsense/pfSense, no Realtek issues
Fanless, completely silent — suitable for 24/7 use at ~6–10W power consumption
Full OPNsense feature set: VLAN segmentation, Suricata IDS/IPS, WireGuard/OpenVPN server, HAProxy, DNS filtering
Open-source firewall OS — fully auditable, no closed firmware dependency
Four ports on the FW4B enable WAN + LAN + two extra for VLAN segmentation

Cons

No Wi-Fi — requires a separate access point
OPNsense requires understanding of network concepts (VLAN, firewall rules, NAT) — not for install-and-forget users
RAM and SSD are often sold separately
High learning curve compared to Firewalla or GL.iNet

Conclusion

The Protectli Vault is the default choice for advanced home users and small businesses who want full control over their network. OPNsense runs stably on it, Intel NICs cause no issues, and the fanless design makes it suitable for 24/7 use.

Those with the technical knowledge to configure OPNsense get more out of this than a Firewalla or GL.iNet. Those who don’t are better starting with a Firewalla.