{"id":567,"date":"2025-12-30T13:42:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/?p=567"},"modified":"2025-12-30T13:42:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:42:04","slug":"home-network-security-finding-hardware-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/2025\/12\/30\/home-network-security-finding-hardware-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Network Security &#8211; Finding Hardware (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to my plan in <a href=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/2025\/12\/28\/home-network-security-the-idea-part-1\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"561\">Home Network Security &#8211; The Idea (part 1)<\/a>, there is some hardware that I need to source and buy. <em>I do not have any affiliation with the mentioned brands or shops, these are just my personal choices from my own use-case scenario<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Computer with minimum dual network interfaces for the OPNSense firewall<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Managed Switch with 16 ports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WIFI Access Point<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I already have a Lenovo ThinkCentre M910q that is running <a href=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/proxmox\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"500\">Proxmox <\/a>with <a href=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/home-assistant\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"503\">Home Assistant<\/a>. I imagined that I could also run a pi-hole DNS server in another virtual machine on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My budget was set at around 5000 Dkk. which corresponds to about 666 \u20ac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding a computer to run OPNSense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When searching for &#8220;opnsense hardware&#8221;, it is hard to miss Home Network Guy, as he has also covered a lot of other topics on home network setup and security. I recommend to check out his 2025 hardware comparison: <a href=\"https:\/\/homenetworkguy.com\/review\/opnsense-hardware-recommendations\/\">https:\/\/homenetworkguy.com\/review\/opnsense-hardware-recommendations\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also considered buying an <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.opnsense.com\/\">official OPNSense hardware firewall<\/a>, but the price tag would swallow my entire budget of 600\u20ac for finding the 3 hardware pieces listed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we need at least two ethernet interfaces, this limits the amount of available hardware, unless we want to install dedicated network cards. A machine that can host additional network cards, usually also means its physically larger and power consumption is most likely larger as well. For equipment that has to run 24\/7, power consumption is worth considering. Finding a low energy computer, could pay itself off in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a load of different mini PCs, with multiple network interfaces, to find on all the big tech seller websites. Like those listed in Home Network Guy&#8217;s posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Import taxes and duty can quickly make cheap hardware much more expensive, as the Danish VAT is at 25% + duty fees. Buying from sellers with prepaid VAT for importing to the European Union can be a wise choice, to avoid nasty surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I focussed on finding a mini PC, for the low power consumption, with dual 2.5Gb network interfaces, a decent CPU and at least 16GB of RAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of searching led me to find a <a href=\"https:\/\/minisforumpc.eu\/products\/minisforum-th50-th60-th80-refurbished\">refurbished Minisforum TH50<\/a>, that I got for 219\u20ac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I settled with the limitations of RAM not being expandable, as my main requirements for CPU, RAM and Ethernet interfaces were met at a decent price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_215933-Custom-2048x1153.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Model<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>TH50<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Processor<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Intel\u00ae Core\u2122 i5-11320H Processor. <br>4 Cores<\/strong>\/8 Threads(8M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Memory<\/strong><\/td><td>LP<strong>DDR4 16GB<\/strong> (On Board)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Storage<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>M.2 2280 256GB PCIe SSD<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Storage Expansion<\/strong><\/td><td>2.5 inch SATA HDD Slot\u00d72 (SATA 3.0 6.0Gb\/s)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Wireless Connectivity<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>M.2 2230 WIFI Support (Dual-Band Wi-Fi, BlueTooth)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Peripherals Interface<\/strong><\/td><td><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-green-cyan-color\">RJ45 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port \u00d72<\/mark><\/strong><br>USB 2.0 Port \u00d72(Left Side Of The Back)USB 3.1 Port \u00d74(Gen2)Clear CMOS \u00d71<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The refurbished unit came in a new box, with all extras and cables new in bags. The computer itself had minor scratches and use marks, but nothing worth complaining about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding a managed 16 port switch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I went looking for a 16 port managed switch, with PoE and positive reviews. From Reddit r\/homeLab and Home Network Guy, Grandstream switches was recommended from their feature-richness to the price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I do not know enough about switches, so I went with a summation of recommendations from forums and blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I found the Grandstream GWN7802P model at 213\u20ac from a local IT electronics webshop in Denmark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220035-Custom-2048x1153.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding a WIFI Access Point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wanted better coverage and expandability than I had in my current Google Wifi setup, with 3 mesh points. It never got to work together with my ISP supplied routers built in WIFI and Mesh+ support. So I essentially ended up with 3 different WIFI networks. Google WIFI, Routers 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading posts on Reddit r\/HomeNetworking, Home Network Guy and eventually reading up on details on Reddit r\/Ubiquiti, the Ubiquiti U6 Pro seemed like a well proven choice, good coverage, expandable and supports enough VLANs for my initial plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ubiquiti and UniFi is also praised for their good software and interfaces, something I can benefit from, as knowing very little about WIFI APs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I ended up finding the Ubiquiti UniFi U6 Pro from a local Danish IT electronics webshop at 169\u20ac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251229_220248-Custom-2048x1153.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finding the right computer to run the firewall took much longer, than rounding up recommendations for switch and access point. There is generally just a lack of cheap \/ accessible brand name mini PCs, and the amount of different firewall specific mini PCs is overwhelming to get through and compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I ended up spending a total of 601 \u20ac + shipping, which is just shy of my budget, but spending some money on a bunch of ethernet cables, power bars etc. got the total up around there anyway.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to my plan in Home Network Security &#8211; The Idea (part 1), there is some hardware that I need to source and buy. I do not have any affiliation with the mentioned brands or shops, these are just my personal choices from my own use-case scenario. I already have a Lenovo ThinkCentre M910q that<\/p>\n<p class=\"excert-link-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/2025\/12\/30\/home-network-security-finding-hardware-part-2\/\" class=\"excerpt-more-link\" >Continue Reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Home Network Security &#8211; Finding Hardware (part 2)&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"meta-nav\"> &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[76,77],"tags":[46,80,43,78],"class_list":["post-567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-network","category-security","tag-ethernet","tag-hardware","tag-network","tag-security"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=567"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":581,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567\/revisions\/581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disorder.dk\/wonderware\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}