Looking to add a router or firewall to your networking lineup and want some gear with relatively recent specs? A new mini PC with 6 Gigabit Ethernet ports, up to an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and support for open source router, VPN, and firewall software like pfSense might fit the bill.

As spotted by the the folks at FanlessTech and CNX Software, versions of the mini PC are available from AliExpress or Amazon.

Prices start at $417 for a barebones model with an Intel Celeron 6305 processor at Amazon, or $445 for a barebones system with a Core i5-1135G7 chip at AliExpress and both stores sell configurations with up to 32GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state storage if you don’t feel like supplying your own.

In addition to pfSense, the system supports other freeBSD or Linux-based operating systems including OPNSense and Untangle. You can even run desktop operating systems including Windows or Ubuntu on it, although this thing is clearly designed first and foremost to function as a networking device rather than a desktop PC.

In addition to the Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back of the computer, there are four front-facing USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and an RJ45 COM port plus a power button and a reset key.

Under the hood it supports up to 64GB of RAM thanks to two DDR4-3200 SODIMM slots and dual storage devices courtesy of an mSATA connector for an SSD and a 2.5 inch bay for a hard drive or solid state drive.

The system features a passively cooled aluminum enclosure that measures about 7″ x 5″ x 2.2″ and which weighs about 3.3 pounds.

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  1. Since the article doesn’t mention it, the device is called Hunsn RS36a, the manufacturer doesn’t list it on their website (yet) but they do have a lot of other mini-pcs and firewall appliances.

    Reply

  5. The motherboard is manufactured by Partaker ‘inctel.com.cn’, based in China. There’s very little info and few reviews. I’d prefer to stick with known vendors. Reliability, security and performance should always come before features and price.

    Reply

  7. Seems you forgot to change the default “add-new-post-liliputing-wordpress.html” URL 🙂

    Reply

    1. It’s worse than that. I accidentally copied and pasted the wrong thing into the URL field. That’s not the default. That’s MY fault 🙂

      Reply

  8. What your failing to mention is the majority of these have piss poor throughput and can’t actually be used as a firewall due to the poor implementation of the ethernet. 30mbs on a 200mbs connection, no thanks

    Reply

    1. I have an older version (i3) with 8 ports. Works very well for my home network. Speedtests will saturate my 1Gbps WAN.

      Reply

  9. I’ve had a box like this (same chassis) for 4-5 years, and it’s been a good home edge router running pfsense.

    Reply

  10. Yet another similar models:

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003603919764.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003570354989.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003740402369.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003688288540.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003560969056.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003642571476.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003534958011.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003599056522.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003687381801.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003570743075.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003643165482.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003604544095.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003604208220.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003688062623.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003541087649.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003558552626.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003589882037.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003740402369.html
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003541143858.html

    Reply

  11. Interesting in that it appears to have spots for antenna connectors, but I’ll let someone else buy it first to see if they go anywhere.

    Reply