I'm setting up a homelab to replicate an enterprise-style network for practice and to prepare for my certification exams. Specifically, I'm considering Fortigate firewalls like the FG-60E, but I'm torn between buying refurbished branded firewalls or opting for an open-source solution. If I choose open-source, I'm uncertain about the hardware requirements. I know it's essentially a computer running firewall software, but I'm stuck on determining the right specs. I plan to manage typical home traffic and some VLAN configurations without needing full enterprise capabilities. Any suggestions on which route to take?
2 Answers
Be cautious with SonicWall. I used to love it until I discovered their trade-in program really limits the device's functionality—no firmware updates or service subscriptions. For my own homelab, I've transitioned from SonicWall to pfSense and finally settled on Sophos XG in a Proxmox VM with 6GB RAM and a dual-core CPU. Works great!
Both options can work well. If you're looking to save some cash without sacrificing performance, I recommend going for OPNSense. Just remember, if you go the FG-60E route, it will reach its end of life in 2026. If you've got an old PC lying around, grabbing an extra network card for at least two ports (WAN and LAN) could do the trick!
Got it! Is there a minimum CPU requirement and other specs I should be aware of beyond the two NICs?