Can a Thinvent Mini PC Run pfSense?
A Thinvent mini PC can serve as a pfSense firewall when it has the processor, memory and network ports that pfSense needs. The Thinvent product listings on this page do not state NIC chipsets, AES-NI support or FreeBSD compatibility, so confirm those details with the product datasheet before you install pfSense.
Key Specifications for a pfSense Firewall
A firewall needs a capable processor for routing, filtering and VPN traffic. It also needs enough memory for the services you run, and storage for the pfSense install and logs. The Thinvent range has several configurations:
| Model | Processor | Cores | Max Frequency | Cache | Memory | Storage | WiFi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero Mini PC | Intel Core i3-1215U | 6 | 4.4 GHz | 10 MB | 8 GB DDR4 | 256 GB SSD | No |
| Aero Mini PC | Intel Core 5 120U | 10 | 5.0 GHz | 12 MB | 16 GB DDR4 | 512 GB SSD | Dual Band |
| Aero Mini PC | Intel Core i5-1335U | 10 | 4.6 GHz | 12 MB | 16 GB DDR4 | 512 GB SSD | No |
| Aero Mini PC | Intel Core i7-1255U, Dual LAN | 10 | 4.7 GHz | 12 MB | 16 GB DDR4 | 256 GB SSD | No |
| Treo Mini PC | Intel N5095A | 4 | 2.9 GHz | 4 MB | 4 GB DDR4 | 128 GB SSD | No |
| Treo Mini PC | AMD Ryzen 5 7430U | 6 | 4.3 GHz | 16 MB | 16 GB DDR4 | 512 GB SSD | Dual Band |
| Micro 6 Pro Mini PC | ARM Cortex A55 | 4 | 1.9 GHz | 1 MB | 4 GB onboard | 32 GB eMMC | Dual Antenna |
The Aero i7-1255U model is the only listing on this page that states Dual LAN, so it is the Thinvent model with two network ports named in its listing.
Choosing a Model
For a small firewall with light traffic, the Treo N5095A model has 4 cores and 4 GB of memory. For heavier routing, VPN and filtering, the Aero i5-1335U or i7-1255U models provide 10 cores and 16 GB of memory. The Micro 6 Pro runs Thinux Embedded Linux rather than a standard x86 operating system, so it is a poor fit for pfSense, which runs on FreeBSD.
Thinvent Mini PCs for Firewall Use
The Thinvent range includes Aero, Treo and Micro 6 Pro mini PCs with Intel Core, Intel N-series, AMD Ryzen and ARM processors. The Aero i7-1255U with Dual LAN is the model listed with two network ports. Check each model's network and firmware details before you choose one for pfSense.
