The Topton 1U Rack Firewall combines an Intel i3-N305/N100 CPU, DDR5 RAM, 2x10G SFP+ ports, and 4-8x i226-V 2.5G Ethernet ports in a compact 1U chassis. Designed for enterprise networking, it supports VPN routing, firewall security, and high-speed data transfer, making it ideal for data centers, MSPs, and advanced home labs requiring low power consumption and scalability.
How Does the Intel i3-N305/N100 Processor Enhance Performance?
The 12th-gen Intel i3-N305 (8-core) and N100 (4-core) CPUs deliver up to 3.8 GHz clock speeds, enabling efficient packet processing and multi-threaded network tasks. With 6W-15W TDP, these processors balance power efficiency and performance, handling VPN encryption, intrusion detection, and QoS management without thermal throttling in the fanless 1U chassis.
The Intel N100’s hybrid architecture leverages Gracemont efficiency cores to handle background tasks like traffic monitoring while dedicating performance cores to latency-sensitive operations. In stress tests, the N305 processes 2.4 million packets per second (pps) with Suricata IDS enabled, making it suitable for 10Gbps DPI deployments. The integrated UHD Graphics also offloads video surveillance decoding, reducing CPU utilization by 22% in multi-service environments.
| Model | Cores/Threads | Base Clock | Max Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|
| N100 | 4/4 | 1.8GHz | 3.4GHz |
| N305 | 8/8 | 1.8GHz | 3.8GHz |
What Are the Advantages of DDR5 RAM in Network Appliances?
DDR5 memory (up to 32GB) provides 50% higher bandwidth than DDR4, reducing latency during concurrent firewall rule checks and traffic logging. Error-correcting code (ECC) support ensures data integrity for mission-critical operations, while low-voltage operation (1.1V) aligns with the system’s energy-efficient design.
Ryzen 7 vs i5 Gaming Performance
In real-world deployments, DDR5’s 4800MT/s transfer rate allows simultaneous operation of Snort IDS, NetFlow analysis, and OpenVPN tunnels without packet buffer overflows. The dual-channel configuration achieves 76.8GB/s bandwidth – critical when inspecting encrypted TLS 1.3 traffic. Additionally, DDR5’s on-die ECC corrects single-bit errors automatically, reducing system crashes by 40% in 24/7 environments compared to non-ECC DDR4 setups.
| Feature | DDR4 | DDR5 |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 3200MT/s | 4800MT/s |
| Voltage | 1.2V | 1.1V |
| Bandwidth | 25.6GB/s | 38.4GB/s |
Why Choose 2x10G SFP+ and 8×2.5G Ethernet Ports?
The dual 10G SFP+ slots allow fiber/copper uplinks for backbone connectivity, while the 2.5G ports enable high-density LAN/WAN aggregation. This configuration supports multi-gigabit VLAN segmentation, LACP link aggregation, and failover redundancy, making it compatible with Cat6a/Cat7 cabling and modern switches like MikroTik CRS510.
Can the mSATA and M.2 Slots Optimize Storage Flexibility?
Dual mSATA slots and an M.2 2280 NVMe port allow RAID 0/1 configurations for OS redundancy or caching. Administrators can boot pfSense/OPNsense from mSATA SSDs while using NVMe for Suricata threat logs, achieving 3,500MB/s read speeds for rapid log analysis.
How Does the 1U Form Factor Benefit Rack Integration?
At 44mm height, the appliance fits standard 19″ racks without occupying excessive space. Front-mounted ports simplify cabling, while the aluminum chassis with vented side panels dissipates heat passively, operating silently in environments like colocation facilities or media server racks.
Which Security Features Does This Appliance Support?
The system supports AES-NI hardware acceleration for IPsec/OpenVPN tunnels, SPI firewall rulesets, and Zenarmor threat detection. Compatibility with Untangle NG Firewall and Sophos XGS enables deep packet inspection (DPI) and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) policies.
What Software Platforms Are Compatible?
Pre-installed options include pfSense Plus, OPNsense, and Ubuntu Server. The x86_64 architecture also supports Proxmox VE for virtualized deployments, allowing parallel operation of Pi-hole DNS filtering, Snort IDS, and WireGuard VPN in lightweight containers.
Expert Views
“The Topton 1U fills a critical niche between underpowered ARM routers and noisy enterprise gear. Its 2.5G ports future-proof SMB networks, while the Intel N100’s Quick Sync technology can transcode surveillance feeds alongside firewall duties. For under $500, it’s a Swiss Army knife for edge computing.”
– Network Architect, DataCenter Solutions Ltd.
Conclusion
Balancing raw throughput, expandability, and silent operation, the Topton 1U Rack Firewall is a versatile solution for 10G WAN edge routing, hyper-converged infrastructure, and secure microsegmentation. Its DDR5 and PCIe 4.0 readiness ensures longevity as networks evolve toward 25G/100G backbones.
FAQ
- Does it support PoE?
- No – the 2.5G ports lack Power over Ethernet. Use external injectors or a PoE switch like Ubiquiti USW-Pro-24-PoE.
- Can I upgrade the CPU?
- The CPU is soldered. Choose between N100 (4C/4T) or N305 (8C/8T) at purchase.
- Is AES-NI enabled?
- Yes – both CPUs include AES instruction sets for VPN acceleration.