Need a Better Router - Pfsense, Edgerouter or Firewalla?

StarvingOat on 28/04/2022 - 13:55
Last edited 28/04/2022 - 20:36

I am pretty fed up of using Asus with Merlin, TP Link and Netgear products. The only decent router I have so far is my Eero mesh network which I am thinking of using only in bridge mode with a good wired router to serve as an access point.

I am thinking of getting a decent pro-sumer router which has good performance and QoS (Cake or FQ codel) which doesnt choke or overheats every month or so.

If you have any experience with these brands or any specific model in mind, let me know in the comments

My budget is around $500-700 max. 3-6 heavy users. I would like to use the ad block and IPS features if they are available.

Poll Options

  • 9
    Pfsense (Specifically Netgate)
  • 2
    Firewalla Gold
  • 5
    ubiquiti Edgerouter
  • 6
    Other
Internet Router

Comments

  • JimmyF on 28/04/2022 - 14:02
    +1

    I am pretty fed up of using Asus with Merlin, TP Link and Netgear products.

    What issues are you having? As it might help with advice for a new product.

    I was looking into giving openwrt a go when I get some time. Can be flashed onto many routers you might already have laying around.

    ubiquiti Edgerouter

    Have you thought about a dream machine and then adding some AP to this?

  • toomuchdogfur on 28/04/2022 - 14:14
    +1

    If you like to tinker and you know what you're doing, PFSense. Otherwise Ubiquiti stuff (USG or EdgeRouter) will do just fine.

    I personally went through EdgeRouter > PFSense > USG > back to PFSense, reasons being:

    • PFSense UI can handle far more functionality than the Ubiquiti UIs - for example, Avahi (for mDNS reflection) is a proper UI'd package for PFSense whilst configuring the same in either ER or USG needs you to modify configuration files. There are many other advanced configurations where you have to drop down to text configuration.
    • USG is pretty (via the Unifi Controller), but traditional FW functionality such as VLANs and firewall rules are buried pretty deep in the UI. You won't really need these functions anyway if you have a simple flat network… but if you do, it gets old fast configuring these.
    • PFSense UI is the most intuitive one (if you are an advanced user), once you get the hang of it. USG is tuned more for user-friendliness, but at the cost of burying more advanced options (see above). EdgeRouter UI is functional but nothing special.

    In general though:

    • All three handled NBN FTTP "Gigabit" just fine (~700 Mbps average). Even PFSense on an ancient AMD 5350 CPU.
    • No stability issues with any of them either.
  • bdl on 28/04/2022 - 15:00

    opnsense (I'm a recent convert after using pfsense for the past 5+ yr)

    test it on an old machine you may have lying around, or you can virtualise (on proxmox, for example). You can also do this with pfsense if you want to compare

    I'm running it on a Qotom box https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32863060778.html

  • clippers on 28/04/2022 - 21:07
    +1

    If you're techy, pfSense. Something more user friendly, Ubiquiti. Firewalla for ultimate ease of use with fancy mobile app etc.

    pfSense for router+firewall, Ubiquiti for their switches and wireless access point.

    I reckon IPS for general home use is not worth the trouble esp from other users in your network.

  • Euthyphro on 17/05/2022 - 09:10

    What's wrong with Asus with Merlin? Is there something that it can't do?

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