{"product_id":"micro-firewall-appliance-4x2-5gbe-fanless-n100-mini-pc","title":"Micro Firewall Appliance 4x2.5GbE - Fanless N100 Mini PC","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review the Micro Firewall Appliance is presented as a compact, fanless router appliance aimed at small offices, home labs and edge deployments that need a low-power, AES-NI capable platform. The bottom line is straightforward: this unit is for anyone who wants a silent, industrial-grade mini firewall with four Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports and an N100 quad core processor, because it pairs energy efficiency with hardware acceleration for encrypted throughput and flexible storage and expansion options.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuad 2.5GbE LAN:\u003c\/strong\u003e Four Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports deliver faster wired throughput for multiple WAN\/LAN setups and link aggregation for increased bandwidth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eN100 quad core CPU:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Intel Celeron N100 4-core processor keeps power draw low while providing AES-NI support for accelerated VPN and encrypted traffic.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFanless, durable design:\u003c\/strong\u003e An aluminum alloy shell with three-sided cooling fins provides silent operation and industrial-grade durability for 7x24 operation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlexible storage and memory:\u003c\/strong\u003e One DDR5 SO-DIMM slot up to 32GB, one M.2 2280 NVMe slot and a 2.5in SATA bay allow varied OS and storage configurations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDual 4K display output:\u003c\/strong\u003e HDMI 2.0 and DP1.4 support dual 4K@60Hz displays for local management or monitoring screens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRouter system compatibility:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardware tested with pfSense, OPNsense, Untangle and supports PXE, ESXi and Watchdog for broad deployment options.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis appliance is targeted at IT professionals, small businesses and advanced home users who need a compact, silent firewall\/router with modern 2.5GbE networking and AES-NI for VPN performance. It is a good fit for lab environments, branch offices or anyone consolidating multiple WAN links with Multi-WAN or WAN\/LAN mode adjustments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is less suitable for users who need an out-of-the-box system with preinstalled RAM and storage or for those who require built-in WiFi; buyers should plan to add DDR5 memory, an M.2 NVMe or SATA drive and optionally a wireless module to meet their needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuiet, fanless operation with a robust aluminum chassis for continuous 24\/7 use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrong networking hardware with four Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports for high-speed LAN\/WAN setups.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAES-NI support in the N100 CPU improves VPN and encrypted throughput.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlexible expansion with DDR5 memory slot, M.2 NVMe slot and 2.5in SATA bay.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold as a barebone: no RAM or NVMe included, so additional components are required before use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSome system images or drivers may need manual updates for optimal performance on certain OS builds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCPU\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntel Celeron N100 4C\/4T up to 3.4GHz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMemory\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1x SO-DIMM DDR5 slot, up to 32GB (DDR5 not included)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStorage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot and 1x 2.5in SATA bay (SATA cable included)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNetwork\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4x Intel i226-V 2.5GbE LAN ports\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVideo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHDMI 2.0 + DP1.4 dual 4K@60Hz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExpansion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1x mPCIe wireless slot and 1x SIM slot (WiFi\/3G\/4G optional)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePower \u0026amp; BIOS\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLow power profile 6W\/15W TDP range; BIOS supports AES-NI, PXE, Wake-on-LAN, Watchdog\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Micro Firewall Appliance is a sensible value for users who need a silent, capable firewall platform with modern multi-gig networking and hardware VPN acceleration. Because it is a barebone, it offers flexibility to build a tailored appliance with DDR5 and NVMe, making it a cost-effective choice for labs and small sites that can handle component installation and occasional driver updates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it come with RAM or storage?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, this is a barebone unit and ships without DDR5 memory or an NVMe\/SATA drive installed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich router systems are supported?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHardware has been tested with pfSense, OPNsense and Untangle; it also supports ESXi, Proxmox and common Linux distributions with up-to-date drivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan it use cellular or WiFi modules?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, there is an mPCIe wireless slot and a SIM slot for optional WiFi\/3G\/4G modules (choose one configuration).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"UDPTCP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48601376784603,"sku":"B0D1P1T3JW","price":179.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/41gradHfoyL._AC.jpg?v=1778575005","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/micro-firewall-appliance-4x2-5gbe-fanless-n100-mini-pc","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}