Upgrading pfSense hardware

Computer Hardware & Server Infrastructure Builds
1

I’m considering purchasing a Netgate 4100, or 6100 to replace my QOTOM Q355G4 Mini PC - Core i5 that’s been in use since mid-2020. My reason for the change is my concern in regards to how long the QOTOM will last. Over the past couple of years, it’s been very reliable, I’ve kept the unit running as cool as possible, between 36c - 41c. I’ll keep this current unit as a backup that I can easily swap out.

I’ve decided to move to Netgate hardware as a way of supporting the company, and the reliability of its hardware. ( from your discussions and videos)
My question is, which one to purchase? I like to future-proof to cover my networking and security needs over the next 5 yrs or so.
My internet connection is 1.5 Gbps down, and 100 Mbps up. (at the time that I signed up, 1.5 was cheaper the 1 Gbps…go figure! ) I know I won’t see the full speed (1G network), but on tests, 940 is average.
I’m currently running the usual packages plus arpwatch, Avahi, Snort, OpenVPN, haproxy
I’m also considering removing Snort and going to either pfBlockerNG, or Suricata.
My thoughts, the 6100 comes with 8 GB of memory vs the 4100 which only comes with 4 GB of memory. With the current configuration, I have 8 GB of memory with 25 % usage.
I also have 4 VLAN’s configured separating surveillance, IoT, guest, and private WiFi

Current system:
Intel(R) Core™ i5-5200U CPU @ 2.20GHz
4 CPUs : 1 package(s) x 2 core(s) x 2 hardware threads
AES-NI CPU Crypto: Yes (active)
QAT Crypto: No
23.01-RELEASE (amd64)
built on Fri Feb 10 20:06:33 UTC 2023
FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

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Go for the device that you can afford, both 6100 and 4100 will work in your situation

3

If you are looking for some future proofing the 6100 is a good choice as it has the 10G interfaces and some more speed.

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Thanks for the feedback, I’ll go with the 6100, it cost a bit more, but as I move forward it’s a bit more future-proof. I’ve been using pfSense for a number of years on old hardware, then purchasing something a bit better, so now I can give back by purchasing one of their devices.
As always, thanks Tom for all the videos and information that you do, I think I speak for most by saying we appreciate all you do. THANKS! Now I need to go and purchase some of your swag…lol

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I’ve been wondering about this as well as my situation is similar to the OP’s so thank you for the reply! I’ve also been wondering what are the needs/benefits of getting the 4100/6100 max over the base model?

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From my requirements, the memory is a big one, 4 GB vs 8 GB. With my current setup, I’m using 41% of 8 GB of memory. My Drive space is very little, currently about 5 GB of a total of 110 GB drive. I would also look at it as future-proofing since the hardware is of decent quality and should last a very long time in a home, home lab situation. Hope this helps you.

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That’s quite helpful. I’ll go with the 6100 max when time comes to buy. Thanks!

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