All articles
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UniFi Dream Machine Pro vs pfSense: Hardware and Cost
How the UniFi Dream Machine Pro compares with a pfSense build on ports, IDS/IPS licensing, VPN protocol support, and long-term cost of ownership.
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Firewalla vs pfSense: Appliance or DIY Firewall?
Firewalla's app-managed appliances against a self-built pfSense box, compared on published throughput, VPN limits, extensibility, and true total cost.
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pfSense Alternatives: 7 Platforms Compared for 2026
Seven pfSense alternatives compared on licensing, IDS/IPS, VPN and hardware, plus the once-popular names that no longer belong on a 2026 shortlist.
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Best Mini PC for OPNsense 2026: A Buyer's Guide by Tier
A spec-driven guide to the best mini PC for OPNsense in 2026, covering NIC compatibility, AES-NI, IDS/IPS sizing, and three picks from budget to multi-gig.
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UniFi vs pfSense Firewall Comparison: Which Fits Your Network?
A UniFi vs pfSense firewall comparison covering setup, IDS/IPS, SSL inspection, VPN performance, and routing, plus who should pick each platform.
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How to Set Up WireGuard on OPNsense: Road Warrior, Site-to-Site
Set up WireGuard on OPNsense for road warrior and site-to-site VPN tunnels: plugin install, peer config, firewall rules, and MSS clamping.
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Best Firewall for Small Business 2026: 6 Options Compared
Six firewalls evaluated for SMB buyers in 2026 — specs, total cost of ownership, and which fits your team size and compliance posture.
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Firewall Hardware Tiers: Celeron vs N100 vs i5 Mini-PCs
How much CPU does a home firewall really need? A tiering of mini-PC silicon, from older Celeron through Intel N100 to i5-class, mapped to throughput.
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HAProxy vs nginx Reverse Proxy for a Home Firewall
Both OPNsense and pfSense can run a reverse proxy on the firewall itself. HAProxy and nginx solve the same homelab problem differently.
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WireGuard vs OpenVPN on Your Firewall
WireGuard has become the homelab default, but OpenVPN is far from dead. A practical comparison of the two VPN protocols as you would run them on a firewall.
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WireGuard on OPNsense vs pfSense in 2026: VPN Comparison
WireGuard is the default homelab VPN, but OPNsense and pfSense handle it differently. A comparison of setup, kernel implementation, and routing behavior.
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OPNsense vs pfSense in 2026: Honest, Side-by-Side Comparison
A documentation-based comparison of OPNsense, pfSense CE and pfSense Plus on UI, packages, IDS/IPS, upgrades, licensing and long-term maintenance.
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Protectli vs Netgate 2026: Which Firewall Hardware Wins?
Side-by-side hardware comparison of Protectli (VP2410, VP2420, VP4670) and Netgate (1100, 2100, 4100, 6100) firewall appliances.
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Best Homelab Firewall in 2026: OPNsense, pfSense, UniFi, MikroTik
A buyer's guide to picking the right homelab firewall in 2026, comparing OPNsense, pfSense, UniFi, and MikroTik RouterOS with budget tiers and concrete picks.