You may require an active support contract with a robust SLA for your firewall, but it is certainly worth exploring for some. For under $200, can I build a router that comes close to an $800 one? Of course, this may not be the solution for everyone. This build will be based on the low-cost HP EliteDesk 705 G3 Mini. When Patrick first announced Project TinyMiniMicro, one of the first things that came to my mind was pfSense.

The purchase was made as a future investment, with gigabit internet in mind. Doing all that, I never hit over 50% CPU utilization. It allows me to saturate my 400/30 connection with traffic shaping, full IPS/IDS, DNS filtering, and even more services. In an extremely small footprint, these devices can perform many tasks that once required 1U servers to accomplish. One of my favorite tech purchases ever was a Netgate SG-5100 firewall. The Project TinyMiniMicro form factor represents an excellent opportunity for home-labbers and power-conscious small businesses alike to do something special.

Diy pfsense router