Hardware fo pfSense

NollipfSense

To get your feet wet, there's nothing wrong with a throwaway PC and some net ports.

That's exactly how I got started with pfSense back in 2016...HP computer sitting on the ground next to the trash dumpster...picked it up and plugged in...it works!

KayakMan4289F

@fireodo said in Hardware fo pfSense:

there) or PCengines APU (PCEngines)

Thanks, here why I don't want one:
Most are not UL certified, no support, firmware updates rare or undocumented, failure rate is higher than name brands, security concerns...

fireodo

@KayakMan4289F said in Hardware fo pfSense:

@fireodo said in Hardware fo pfSense:

there) or PCengines APU (PCEngines)

Thanks, here why I don't want one:
Most are not UL certified, no support, firmware updates rare or undocumented, failure rate is higher than name brands, security concerns...

OK, understood!

KayakMan4289F

@stephenw10

Normal Routing
IDS/IPS and other apps that provide enhanced security.
6 Clients
8 IOT devices
NAS @ 2.5gbps (not open to the internet)
Network Analysis /Troubshooting apps.

Still planning the design and how I will use a managed switch to create an iot/guest network.

Thanks,

Jeff

Patch

@KayakMan4289F said in Hardware fo pfSense:

@fireodo said in Hardware fo pfSense:

there) or PCengines APU (PCEngines)

Thanks, here why I don't want one:
Most are not UL certified, no support, firmware updates rare or undocumented, failure rate is higher than name brands, security concerns...

Then a Netgate appliance is really your best option. That leaves only which Netgate appliance is most appropriate for your needs.

rcoleman-netgate

@Patch said in Hardware fo pfSense:

Then a Netgate appliance is really your best option. That leaves only which Netgate appliance is most appropriate for your needs.

2.5Gbps ETH (built-in) is only on the Cordoba devices -- the 4100, 6100, and 8200.

Odette

@KayakMan4289F said in Hardware fo pfSense:

failure rate is higher than name brands

This is not my experience: I've been running pfSense and other systems/OSs on PCengines machines in the last 10 years since the time of Alix (32 bit predecessor of APU).
Now I'm maintaining about 30 APUs, working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, most of them since many years.

Not a single hardware failure, out of some power suppliers and a couple of SD cards.

So the troubles have nothing to do with PCengines hardware:

power suppliers are standard 220 AC in - 12V 2A DC out
SD cards were standard SD cards from other producers.

Now I use mSATA SSD cards or SATA SSD drives instead of SD cards for storage and power suppliers from other producers and everything is working flawlessly.

So my personal reputation about PC engines board reliability is very high.
Not big numbers for statistics, just my experience.

Now I'm going to find a different hardware just because PCengines announced that APU platform is going EOL.

Bye

stephenw10

Mmm, the ALIX board was almost legendarily indestructible! Pretty sure the one I have here would fire right up if I blew the dust off it.

Odette

@stephenw10 I've got some Alix still working 365*24 until more than 15 years ago.
None of the PCengines boards I've been using had failures.
Sure, ready to bet that if you plug in a power supplier it will work.

Patch

@Odette said in Hardware fo pfSense:

So my personal reputation about PC engines board reliability is very high.

@Odette said in Hardware fo pfSense:

I've got some Alix still working 365*24 until more than 15 years ago.

How do you find their bios update frequency and after sales support?

Odette

@Patch Never needed after sales support. They have been massively used by a large community of users, so I've always found every information I needed just by... "praying St. Google" .

Anyway here is PCengines support page and, from there, the bios update info page.