Looking for some advice / recommendations / considerations on running OPNsense on bare metal vs virtualized, and if virtualized how best to do so.
I currently have OPNsense running bare metal on a Protectli FW6E Vault, with the following specs:
- Intel i7-8550U CPU @ 1.80GHz
- 120GB mSATA (1% utilization)
- 16GB RAM (6.5% utilization)
- 6 Gigabit Ethernet NIC ports
The Vault running OPNsense is the primary firewall and router, any wireless devices connect through a dumb AP running OpenWRT. Connected over Ethernet I have a RPi running HomeAssistant OS (would probably also move to virtual if that’s the chosen direction) as well as a TrueNAS setup.
How much of a performance hit would be expected running in some sort of container vs the current bare metal setup? Are there any other concerns with running the main firewall / router virtually vs bare metal to take into account?
Sure! It’s completely solid-state; no fans or other moving parts. The case is designed to dissipate the heat. The CPU is some low-power Intel Pentium. I don’t remember exactly which model.
I ordered a pre-built one from Protectli because I needed it fast, but you can save quite a bit if you prefer to build one. These little motherboards and cases can be found pretty easily online.
Ill check out Protectli, thanks!
I just found my order confirmation email. Mine is model FW4C (now superseded by the V1410). Purchased almost two years ago.
I’m very satisfied with mine. Nearly 100% uptime, except for occasional reboots after major system updates.