Firewall Mini PC N150 (Upgraded N100) - Fanless 4 x 2.5GbE Micro

In this review the Firewall Mini PC N150 (Upgraded N100) is evaluated as a compact, purpose-built micro appliance for home labs, small office networks, and security enthusiasts. Its biggest selling point is the combination of a low-power 12th Gen N150 processor and four Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports, which together deliver noticeably higher throughput and stable packet handling compared with standard gigabit boxes. The unit arrives ready to run with Windows 11 Pro preinstalled but also supports OPNsense, Linux and other network OSes for those who want a dedicated firewall or router platform.

Key Features

• Processor: The Twin Lake 12th Gen N150 CPU provides four cores, 4 threads and up to 3.6 GHz burst for responsive packet processing and lightweight virtualized services.
• Network: Four i226-V 2.5GbE LAN ports give about 2.5x the bandwidth of gigabit ports, useful for multi-WAN, VLAN segregation and faster LAN transfers.
• Memory and storage: Uses DDR5 SO-DIMM at 4800 MHz and supports up to 48GB plus two M.2 NVMe slots and two SATA3 ports for flexible storage and caching.
• Silent operation: The fanless chassis runs quietly for noise-sensitive environments and accepts an optional small 12V 4-pin cooling fan if extra thermal headroom is needed.
• Display and I/O: UHD integrated graphics with two HDMI, one DisplayPort and one Type-C output support up to 4K@60Hz across multiple displays for console or monitoring screens.
• Deployment features: BIOS access via Delete, PXE and Wake on LAN options simplify headless deployment and remote boot scenarios for network appliances.

Who It's For

The N150 mini PC is aimed at networking professionals, lab builders and small business IT administrators who need a compact, energy-efficient appliance that can run a full firewall distribution like OPNsense or act as a multi-role mini server. Its multiple 2.5GbE ports and NVMe capacity make it a good match as a central router, UTM, or VPN gateway in setups that exceed gigabit LAN needs.

It is less suited to users seeking a general-purpose desktop for heavy multimedia creation or gaming; the low-power N150 CPU and fanless chassis prioritize efficiency and network throughput rather than raw graphical or multi-threaded workstation performance. Consumers who want a plug-and-play consumer router with integrated support and warranty service should look at dedicated retail routers instead.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Compact, fanless design that runs quietly while offering robust network throughput with 4 x 2.5GbE ports.
• Flexible storage and memory expansion with DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2 x M.2 NVMe slots and 2 x SATA3 ports.
• Supports multiple OS choices including Windows 11 Pro preinstalled and popular firewall distributions for custom deployments.
• Rich I/O including Type-C, HDMI, DP and multiple USB ports for peripherals and monitoring.

Cons

• Low TDP design limits peak sustained CPU headroom for heavy virtualization or multi-core compute tasks.
• Fanless cooling is quiet but may require the optional small fan under sustained high-load network throughput.

Specifications

Our Verdict

The Firewall Mini PC N150 is a well-balanced micro appliance for anyone building a dedicated firewall, router or small network gateway where multi-gig LAN is important. It offers solid expandability with DDR5 and NVMe slots, quiet fanless operation, and platform flexibility for OPNsense or other network OSes. For IT pros and lab builders it represents good value as a compact, capable appliance; those needing heavy CPU-bound workstation tasks should consider a different class of mini PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this run OPNsense?
Yes, the unit supports OPNsense, Linux and other firewall distributions and comes with BIOS options like PXE and Wake on LAN to help deployment.

How many 2.5in drives can I add?
There are 2 SATA 3.0 ports for 2.5in SSD or HDD devices; a SATA cable is included in the package.

Is active cooling required?
The chassis is fanless for quiet operation and includes a 4-pin fan cable if you choose to add the optional small 12V fan under sustained heavy load.