Zynshield Desktop Firewall Intel N100 Pfsense Ubuntu Linux 4*2.5g Rj45 Ethernet Ports

Products Highlight

• Upgraded Dual USB 3.0: 2 USB 3.0 + 6 USB 2.0 Ports On The Front Panel I/O

• Added SATA3.0 And WiFi Slots With Automatic Signal Switching (Mutually Exclusive Selection)

• New Physical Dial Switch For Power-On-After-Power-Loss, Operable From The Front Panel

• 4 Intel i226-V Network Chips With 2.5G Filtered Connectors

• HDMI 1.4 + DP 1.4 Dual Display Interfaces, Supporting 4K Dual Display/Synchronous Or Asynchronous Modes

• M.2 NVMe x4 High-Speed Interface, Supports Splitting Into Multiple M.2 SSDs Via Adapter Board

• M.2 WiFi Slot Supports Bluetooth/WiFi 6 Wireless Modules

• M.2 WiFi Interface Can Be Adapted To M.2 NVMe Or mSATA SSDs Using Adapter Board

• M.2 x4 Interface Supports Expansion To 4 M.2 NVMe x1 Slots Via Adapter Board

• TF Card Slot Supports Data Storage Or System Boot

• Two Small 4-Pin Fan Power Slots, Both Supporting Temperature-Controlled Fans

Products Datasheet

CPU Comparison

Products Design

Recommended Systems

Recommended Firewall Systems Best Suited for This Hardware and Justifications:

OPNsense
Reasons:
Outstanding Hardware Compatibility: Excellent support for Intel NICs (especially i226-V) with mature, stable drivers.
Modern, Efficient Network Stack: Built on FreeBSD’s high-performance network stack, fully leveraging the potential of the 6x 2.5G ports.
Intuitive and Powerful Web Interface: Sleek, well-organized interface for easy configuration and management.
Rich Feature Set: Built-in stateful firewall, intrusion detection/prevention (IDS/IPS - Suricata/npf), VPN (OpenVPN, WireGuard), web filtering, traffic shaping, high availability, reporting, and more.
Active Community and Updates: Regular updates and strong security maintenance.
Plugin System: Expandable via plugins (e.g., CrowdSec, Zenarmor).
Hardware Optimization: Fully utilizes 32GB RAM and NVMe storage for smooth operation and fast boot times.

pfSense CE (Community Edition)
Reasons:
Industry Standard: Large user base, extensive documentation, and community support.
Robust Hardware Compatibility: Strong Intel NIC support, similar to OPNsense.
Powerful Features: Overlapping with OPNsense in core functionalities (firewall, IDS/IPS - Suricata/PF, VPN, load balancing).
Maturity and Stability: Time-tested reliability.
Commercial Support Option: Upgrade path to Netgate’s official support.
Comparison with OPNsense: Slightly traditional interface; some advanced features (e.g., native WireGuard) may be less polished. Both are top-tier choices, often decided by personal preference.

Sophos Firewall (Home Edition)
Reasons:
Enterprise-Grade Features for Free: Next-gen capabilities like deep packet inspection, application control, web filtering, sandboxing, and advanced threat protection.
Professional Interface: Feature-rich and intuitive UI.
Good Hardware Compatibility: Works well with mainstream Intel NICs.
Key Limitations: Free edition restricted to 4 CPU cores and 6GB RAM. For CPUs like the i3-N305 (8-core), cores are capped at 4; RAM limited to 6GB (despite hardware supporting 32GB). This could bottleneck performance, especially for multi-gigabit traffic. Higher resource usage compared to OPNsense/pfSense.
Conclusion: A strong candidate if using N95/N100/N200 (4 cores or fewer) and prioritizing Sophos’ advanced security features. Otherwise, hardware limitations may outweigh benefits.

IPFire
Reasons:
Lightweight and Stable: Linux-based with low resource consumption.
Zone-Based Firewall Design: Clear separation of network zones (LAN, DMZ, WAN, OPT) for simplified management.
Solid Hardware Support: Good Intel NIC compatibility.
Core Features: Stateful firewall, IDS/IPS (Suricata), VPN (OpenVPN, WireGuard via plugins), proxy, QoS.
Comparison: Simpler web interface and smaller plugin ecosystem than OPNsense/pfSense. Functional depth may lag, but suffices for core firewall tasks.

Final Recommendations:

1. Best Balance (Performance, Features, Compatibility, Usability): OPNsense maximizes the hardware’s potential (6x i226-V 2.5G ports) with a modern, robust, and user-friendly firewall experience.

2. Proven Reliability: pfSense CE offers similar power and a time-tested ecosystem. Choose based on interface preference.

3. Enterprise Security (Accepting Free Edition Limits): Sophos Firewall Home if using ≤4-core CPUs (N95/N100/N200) and prioritizing advanced features. Avoid if hardware exceeds restrictions.

4. Linux-Based Minimalism: IPFire for lightweight, stable core firewall needs, though with fewer advanced features.

Hardware-Software Synergy:
6x Intel i226-V 2.5G Ports: OPNsense/pfSense’s FreeBSD-based stack optimizes throughput and multi-queue handling for high-speed traffic.
Intel N-Series CPUs: Efficiently handles firewall, VPN, and basic IDS/IPS tasks across all recommended systems.
32GB RAM + NVMe: Ensures smooth operation for resource-heavy tasks (e.g., IDS/IPS, logging). OPNsense/pfSense leverage this for responsiveness.
Fanless/Compact Design: All recommended OSes are lightweight and stable for silent, space-constrained environments.

Recomended Working Environment

Lightweight Office & Daily Use
Ideal for home PCs, student homework, front-desk tasks, and basic productivity (documents, spreadsheets, presentations), web browsing, email, and 1080p video calls. Runs smoothly on Windows 11, Chrome OS Flex, or lightweight Linux distros (e.g., Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint Xfce).

Home Entertainment & Media Center (HTPC)
Connects to TVs/displays for local or streaming (Netflix, YouTube, Plex, etc.). The UHD 24EU iGPU supports hardware decoding of AV1, VP9, H.265/HEVC, and H.264, enabling silent, fanless 4K playback. A cost-effective, quiet HTPC solution.

Networking & Firewall
Suited for SOHO routers (OPNsense/pfSense), VPN gateways (OpenVPN/WireGuard). The 4-core CPU handles 1Gbps–2.5Gbps NAT, firewall rules, and VPN encryption (AES-NI). Ultra-low power usage minimizes 24/7 operational costs. Requires dual/multi-NIC mini-PCs.

Lightweight Home Server/NAS
Supports file sharing, backups, and small Docker workloads (Home Assistant, Pi-hole, Nextcloud). Compatible with OpenMediaVault or TrueNAS Scale (light loads). Not for heavy transcoding or VMs. Energy-efficient for 24/7 operation.

Virtualization & Other Uses
Runs 2–3 lightweight VMs/LXC containers (e.g., OpenWrt + Docker + Windows test OS) on Proxmox/ESXi. Also fits digital signage, industrial controls (fanless options), and coding/learning environments (Linux, Python). Low cost and power draw make it versatile for entry-level setups.

Packing and Accessories

The product includes: carton, machine, SATA cables and other wire harnesses, power adapter, spare screws, protective foam, and warranty card.

Shipping Solution

1. We offer three shipping options: DHL, UPS, and FedEx.

2. If you maintain your own DHL, UPS, or FedEx account, we can arrange shipping using your account at no additional charge.

3. If you have a designated freight forwarder in China, we will deliver the goods directly to your forwarder without extra fees. Furthermore, we will coordinate directly with your forwarder and prepare all necessary documentation.

4. For your reference in freight cost estimation, should you require product packaging dimensions and weight details, please feel free to contact us. We will respond to your inquiry promptly.

About Customization

All products can be customized according to your requirements, including:

• Chassis (color, appearance, etc.)

• Motherboard (number of Ethernet ports, chipset type, SIM card slot expansion, etc.)

• Carton (logo customization)

The process is as follows: