Mini PCs
Nano-N1121
Intel Celeron J6412 (4 cores, 2.0GHz up to 2.6GHz) with 3x 2.5G LAN.
Turnkey firewall appliance
N1121 — a real firewall for offices and labs
A fanless, silent appliance purpose-built to run pfSense or OPNsense: three 2.5G Intel LAN ports, AES-NI VPN acceleration, and TPM 2.0 — enterprise-grade network security without the enterprise licensing.
3× 2.5G LANAES-NI0 dB
The problem
Why a dedicated firewall?
ISP routers stop at NAT
Carrier-supplied routers rarely offer IDS/IPS, a proper VPN server, or VLAN segmentation — and you do not control their firmware.
Subscriptions add up
Many commercial UTM appliances need an annual license to keep security features running. Open-source firewalls do not.
Remote work needs a real VPN
Staff and admins need a secure tunnel into the office or lab that you own and can audit.
IoT belongs on its own network
Cameras, controllers, and smart devices are easy targets. Isolating them in a separate zone limits the blast radius.
N1121 + pfSense or OPNsense gives you a professional firewall you fully control — no per-feature licensing and no vendor lock-in.
Why this platform
3× 2.5G Intel LAN
Intel network controllers — the ones the BSD firewall community prefers — for WAN, LAN, and a DMZ or segmentation port at multi-gig speed.
AES-NI acceleration
Hardware crypto keeps WireGuard, IPsec, and OpenVPN tunnels at line rate without saturating the CPU.
Fanless and silent
Passive cooling — no fan, no noise, no dust intake. It disappears onto a shelf or wall bracket.
TPM 2.0 + watchdog
Hardware root of trust and automatic recovery for an appliance that must simply stay up.
Three ports, three jobs
Three physical Intel 2.5G ports cover the classic firewall layout without a managed switch. Add VLAN tagging for more zones.
Port 1
WAN
Connects to the ISP modem or upstream router.
Port 2
LAN
Feeds the internal switch — workstations, servers, Wi-Fi APs.
Port 3
OPT / DMZ
Guest network, DMZ, IoT zone, or a second WAN for failover.
Key specifications
- Processor
- Intel Celeron J6412 (4-core)
- Memory
- 1× DDR4 3200, up to 32GB
- Network
- 3× 2.5G LAN (Intel)
- Storage
- M.2 2280 + expansion
- Wireless
- M.2 slots (Wi-Fi / 4G / 5G)
- Cooling
- Fanless
All 9 specifications
- Processor
- Intel Celeron J6412 (4 cores, 2.0GHz up to 2.6GHz)
- Memory
- 1x DDR4 3200MHz, up to 32GB
- Networking
- 3x 2.5G LAN
- Display outputs
- 1x HDMI, 2x DP (4096×2160@60Hz)
- Storage
- 1x M.2 3052 B-key + 3x M.2 (WiFi/4G/5G) + 1x M.2 2280
- I/O
- 3x USB 2.0, 1x COM
- Dimensions
- 185 × 137 × 44mm
- Weight
- 0.84kg
- Platform features
- TPM 2.0, watchdog
Validated software
- pfSense
- OPNsense
- VyOS
- Proxmox VE
- Debian / Ubuntu
Software compatibility is validated for the exact model and release before quotation.
pfSense or OPNsense?
Both are mature, open-source, FreeBSD-based firewall platforms and both run on this hardware. The choice usually comes down to interface preference, update cadence, and the packages your team already knows.
| Feature | pfSense CE | OPNsense |
|---|---|---|
| Base system | FreeBSD | FreeBSD |
| Interface | Classic, widely documented | Modern, menu-driven |
| VPN | IPsec, OpenVPN; WireGuard via package | IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard built in |
| IDS / IPS | Snort or Suricata packages | Suricata built in |
| Release cadence | Fewer, larger releases | Two major releases a year, frequent updates |
| License | Apache 2.0 | BSD 2-Clause |
| Commercial edition | pfSense Plus (Netgate) | Business Edition (Deciso) |
Tell us which platform and release you plan to run; compatibility is confirmed for the exact build before quotation.
Own appliance vs the alternatives
How an open-source firewall on your own hardware compares with the two common alternatives. Individual vendor products vary; this is the typical picture.
| Feature | N1121 + pfSense / OPNsense | Subscription UTM appliance | ISP-supplied router |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring license | None required | Usually required for security features | None |
| VPN server | WireGuard, IPsec, OpenVPN | IPsec / SSL VPN | Limited or none |
| VLAN segmentation | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| IDS / IPS | Suricata or Snort (open source) | Vendor engine, subscription | No |
| Vendor lock-in | No — standard x86 hardware | Yes | Yes |
| Firmware control | Full — you choose when to update | Vendor schedule | ISP controlled |
Where it fits
Small-office firewall
Segmentation, VPN, and content filtering for offices up to gigabit WAN.
Home datacenter / lab
A quiet, capable firewall for a rack in the study — Proxmox, VLANs, the works.
Branch edge
Standardized, imaged appliances for repeatable MSP deployments.
Typical configurations
Starting points technical sales uses when sizing the N1121. Every build is confirmed against your WAN speed, VPN load, and packages before quotation.
Essentials
Home lab and small office
- 8GB DDR4
- 128GB M.2 SSD
- pfSense or OPNsense
- Up to gigabit WAN with VPN
Office
Offices running IDS/IPS and multiple tunnels
- 16GB DDR4
- 256GB M.2 SSD
- Suricata IDS/IPS
- VLAN segmentation and site-to-site VPN
Edge / Lab
Virtualized firewall, failover WAN
- 32GB DDR4
- 512GB M.2 SSD
- Proxmox VE host option
- Optional Wi-Fi or 4G/5G module
Frequently asked questions
Does it come with pfSense installed?
The appliance is quoted as a validated hardware configuration; the OS image is confirmed per order. We can advise on pfSense or OPNsense installation and settings — compatibility is validated for the exact model and release.
Is 2.5G enough for my connection?
For gigabit and multi-gig WAN with VPN and filtering, yes. If you run heavy IDS/IPS or need 10G uplinks, step up to a Core-class or rackmount platform — send the workload and we will size it.
Can it do VLAN segmentation?
Yes — with three physical ports plus VLAN tagging, you can separate WAN, LAN, guest, and DMZ networks. Describe the topology in your enquiry.
Related hardware
Ready to specify the N1121?
Send the configuration, quantity, application, and timing. Technical sales confirms compatibility, lead time, and pricing.