This Topton-brand mini-ITX motherboard on AliExpress seems like a pretty decent choice for an Opnsense/Pfsense-based home router setup. It has four Intel 2.5gbe ports, an integrated 10W TDP CPU, and way more storage options than necessary for my use case.
However, I’m leery of just about everything from AliExpress. In this case, I assume security is probably a distant consideration after function and price point.
Am I being overly paranoid? Are products like this riddled with back doors and other exploitable components? Has anyone else out there built a router using this board?
Have a look at the Fujitsu Futro S720/920. They are dirty cheap on eBay (from 20/30€) and you can add a PCI Ethernet card (single/dual/quad gigabit, but I’m sure there are even 2.5/10 Gbps) and you’ll have your router ready with less than 100€!
Good tip. I’ve definitely looked at the Fujitsu boxes. However, I’m located in the US, and Fujitsu never sold those in the States, so they’re hard to find. The shipping fees from the EU seem to be in the $50-$90 range, which eliminates any cost savings.
Oh, I didn’t know. Have a look at the HP T730 or some other HP thin client.