A bootable USB drive or CD/DVD-ROM for installation.A compatible network card (again, best two have at least two NICs).You probably want an Intel NIC for the best performance and reliability.įor reference, the minimum pfSense hardware requirements are: In general, you want one NIC for each interface (LAN, WAN, etc.). You can get away with one using VLAN tagging, but that adds unnecessary complications. At least 2 network interface cards (NICs).This is an encryption instruction set that helps pfSense performance, especially with VPNs. This is especially true if you want to run intrusion detection/protection systems like Snort and Suricata. pfSense doesn’t normally require much RAM, but if you are going to do a lot with it you may need more than the average user. Sufficient RAM for the packages you want to run.The faster your traffic, the more powerful the CPU you will need. The CPU must be powerful enough to route your Internet traffic.Bonus Choices: Hardware readers have recommendedĮveryone will have different hardware needs but here are some common requirements for pretty much any build:.Tenth Choice: Repurpose an existing desktop.Fifth Choice: MOGINSOK 4X 2.5GbE Intel I225-V.Second Choice: Qotom Mini ITX Q330G4 Intel Core i3.First Choice: Protectli Vault 4 Port Mini PC.

Opnsense firewall