Protectli's four-port firewall appliances compared: which one for a home lab in late 2026?
Protectli sells nine four-port fanless boxes aimed at people who run their own firewall. We lay out what the manufacturer lists, what it does not say, and how to choose between them.
By Andrew Ingleton · Published
If you want to run your own firewall at home, with software such as OPNsense or pfSense, you need a small computer with several network ports. Protectli sells a family of fanless boxes made for exactly that. This comparison uses the manufacturer's own four-port range page, checked on 3 November 2026. It is not a hands-on test, and we have not measured any speeds.
The range at a glance
| Model | CPU | Network ports | Max RAM | Storage | From (USD) | Status on 3 Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VP2440e | Intel N150 (burst 3.6 GHz) | 2 × 10GbE SFP+, 2 × 2.5GbE | 64GB | M.2 NVMe, no eMMC | $499 | Backorder, expected 5 Dec 2026 |
| VP2430 | Intel N150 (burst 3.6 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 64GB | 32GB eMMC, M.2 NVMe | $459 | Out of stock |
| VP2430e | Intel N150 (burst 3.6 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 64GB | M.2 NVMe, no eMMC | $419 | Listed |
| V1410 | Intel N5105 (turbo 2.9 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 8GB included | 32GB eMMC, M.2 NVMe | $449 | Listed |
| VP2420 | Intel J6412 (burst 2.6 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 32GB | 16GB eMMC, M.2 SATA | $369 | Out of stock |
| VP2420e | Intel J6412 (burst 2.6 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 32GB | M.2 SATA, no eMMC | $359 | Backorder |
| FW4C | Intel J3710 (burst 2.6 GHz) | 4 × 2.5GbE | 8GB | mSATA, no eMMC | $299 | Listed |
| VP2410 | Intel J4125 (burst 2.7 GHz) | 4 × 1GbE | 16GB | 8GB eMMC, M.2 SATA | $299 | Out of stock |
| FW4B | Intel J3160 (burst 2.24 GHz) | 4 × 1GbE | 8GB | mSATA, no eMMC | $299 | Listed |
Prices are Protectli's "from" prices in US dollars as shown on its page; the page did not show UK prices, so we cannot say what you would pay in pounds once shipping, VAT and any import charges are added. Stock status changes often.
How to read the table
Ports decide the ceiling
Your broadband line sets the minimum. The four 1GbE boxes (VP2410, FW4B) are fine for a connection up to about a gigabit, but UK full-fibre packages now go beyond that, so most buyers should look at the 2.5GbE models. The VP2440e is the only one in this list with two 10GbE SFP+ ports plus two 2.5GbE, which suits a fast fibre link or a 10G link to a switch or NAS. Compare our Synology DiskStation neo+ article if the NAS side matters to you.
The CPU generations
The newest chip listed is the Intel N150, in the VP2430, VP2430e and VP2440e. The V1410 uses an N5105, the VP2420 and VP2420e a J6412, and the oldest models (FW4C, VP2410, FW4B) use J3710, J4125 and J3160 chips. Protectli's page gives clock speeds but no throughput or power figures per model. The page gives a general 10W figure for the four-port Vaults, not a per-model one. If you plan to use IDS/IPS, a VPN or a lot of traffic shaping, newer silicon gives you more headroom, but we have no test data to quantify it.
Storage and RAM
Models with eMMC (VP2430, V1410, VP2420, VP2410) include a small onboard drive for the operating system. The "e" models (VP2430e, VP2420e, VP2440e) have none, so you add your own M.2 drive. Only the V1410 comes with RAM included (8GB); for the others the table shows the maximum, and you should check whether memory is sold with the unit.
Which one should you look at?
- A fast fibre line or 10G home network: VP2440e, if you can wait for the December restock.
- A modern 2.5GbE firewall: VP2430e is listed, newer chip, no eMMC. The VP2430 is the same silicon with eMMC, currently out of stock.
- Cheaper 2.5GbE: FW4C is the cheapest listed 2.5GbE box, but it has the oldest chip in the 2.5GbE group.
- A line at or below 1Gbps: the 1GbE models cost the same as the FW4C on this page, so the 2.5GbE model looks the better buy unless it is out of stock.
Software: what Protectli says and does not say
The range page describes the Vaults as operating-system agnostic. It does not state support for either OPNsense or pfSense, so check the compatibility pages before buying. OPNsense's own site lists release 26.7, "Xenial Xenops", built on FreeBSD 15.1; the page does not give a release date. The pfSense site we checked refers to pfSense Plus for appliances and gives no version number.
Before you buy
- Check your ISP's actual speed and whether it uses PPPoE or a VLAN.
- Decide whether you will run a VPN on the firewall. For a lighter route, see our VPN comparison.
- Look for UK prices and warranty terms from a UK seller.
- Keep a spare way to get online while you rebuild your network.
Still to verify: UK prices, per-model throughput and power use, and which firewall software versions Protectli officially supports. If you can send us a UK price list we will update this page.
Sources: Protectli four-port Vault range page; OPNsense and pfSense websites (all checked 3 November 2026).
