Protectli Vault 6 Port Firewall Mini PC - Compact Silent Security

Our review of the Protectli Vault 6 Port finds a compact, fanless firewall appliance best suited for small offices, homelabs, and privacy-conscious power users. The single biggest reason to buy is the combination of a quad-core Intel i5 with AES-NI and six Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports, which deliver strong throughput for routing and VPN workloads without noisy fans. The unit ships without an OS so it is ideal for anyone comfortable installing and configuring open-source firewall software, and it comes with US-based support and a 30-day money back guarantee for added confidence.

Key Features

• Fanless Design: The passive cooling keeps the unit silent and reliable in always-on network environments.
• Intel i5 Performance: The Quad Core Kaby Lake R i5-8250U with AES-NI provides hardware-accelerated encryption for VPNs and secure throughput.
• Six Intel NICs: Six Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports make it easy to segment networks, run separate WAN and LAN interfaces, or handle multi-WAN setups.
• Ample Memory and Storage: 32GB of RAM and a 480GB SSD give headroom for features, logging, and additional packages without swapping performance.
• OS Flexibility: No OS pre-installed allows installation of pfSense, OPNsense, Untangle, or other open-source firewall distributions tested on the hardware.
• Connectivity: USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and an RJ-45 COM port let you attach peripherals or perform local management and troubleshooting.

Who It's For

The Vault is aimed at IT professionals, small business owners, and advanced home users who need a dedicated, quiet firewall appliance with multiple physical ports and strong encryption performance. It is well suited for multi-WAN setups, site-to-site VPNs, and networks that require VLANs or traffic segmentation handled by dedicated hardware.

Users who want a plug-and-play consumer router or who prefer a preloaded commercial operating system should look elsewhere, because the Protectli ships without an OS and requires comfort with installing and maintaining open-source firewall software. If you need simple out-of-the-box consumer features like automatic app-based setup, this unit is likely overpowered and unnecessary.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High-performance Intel i5 with AES-NI accelerates VPN and encrypted throughput.
• Six Intel Gigabit Ethernet NICs provide flexible network segmentation and multi-WAN capability.
• Fanless construction ensures silent operation and reduced mechanical failure points.
• 32GB RAM and a 480GB SSD support logging, packages, and higher load without upgrades.

Cons

• Ships without an operating system, so initial setup requires time and networking knowledge.
• Not targeted at users who need a consumer-style, fully managed router experience.

Specifications

Brand	Protectli
CPU	Intel Quad Core i5-8250U (1.6GHz, 3.4GHz Turbo, AES-NI)
Network Ports	6x Intel Gigabit Ethernet NIC ports
Memory	32GB RAM
Storage	480GB SSD
I/O	4x USB 3.0, 1x RJ-45 COM, 1x HDMI
OS Compatibility	No OS pre-installed; tested with pfSense, OPNsense, Untangle

Our Verdict

The Protectli Vault 6 Port is a strong value for technically minded users who need a quiet, reliable hardware firewall with multiple Intel NICs and AES-NI encryption support. It is especially good for small offices and homelabs that will install pfSense, OPNsense, or similar software; however, buyers should be comfortable with initial software setup since no OS is included.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Vault include an operating system?
The unit ships without an OS pre-installed and is intended for installation of pfSense, OPNsense, Untangle, or other open-source firewall distributions.

Is the unit noisy in operation?
No, the Vault uses a fanless design so it runs silently and is suitable for office or home environments where noise is a concern.

Can it handle VPN throughput?
Yes, the Intel i5-8250U with AES-NI and multiple Gigabit ports provides hardware-accelerated encryption and sufficient performance for typical VPN and routing tasks.