Budget DIY firewallProtectli Vault FW4C (4-port, 8GB/120GB)
The FW4C is where most people should start with DIY firewalls: cheap enough to experiment, capable enough to protect a gigabit home for years. Step up to the VP2420 only if you need multi-gig throughput.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked Jul 30, 2026.
What we loved
Worth knowing
Why we recommend it
The FW4C is where most people should start with DIY firewalls: cheap enough to experiment, capable enough to protect a gigabit home for years. Step up to the VP2420 only if you need multi-gig throughput.
In our testing the highlights were clear: four 2.5 GbE ports at a starter-friendly price; fanless, compact and completely silent; handles gigabit routing with IDS enabled; same coreboot openness as pricier Vaults.
It is not perfect — older CPU limits multi-gig and heavy VPN loads; no OS preinstalled — bring pfSense or OPNsense. For most buyers in this category those trade-offs are easy to live with, but weigh them against your setup before you click buy.
At a glance
Where this product shows up in our guides
- Firewalla vs pfSense for Home: The Honest Total-Cost ComparisonWe ran both for months: the app-first appliance against the build-it-yourself firewall. The honest total cost — money and hours — decides it.
How it compares in Firewalls & Network Security
| Product | Our score | Price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protectli FW4C this review | 8.5/10 | $359 | first pfSense build, gigabit homes | |
| Firewalla Gold SE | 9.4/10 | $449 | families, prosumers | Review → |
| Ubiquiti UDR7 | 9.1/10 | $279 | prosumers, UniFi ecosystems | Review → |
| Firewalla Gold Pro | 9/10 | $879 | 10G fiber, small business | Review → |
| Firewalla Purple SE | 8.9/10 | $229 | budget, first firewall | Review → |
| Fortinet FortiGate 40F | 8.8/10 | $650 | small business, branch office | Review → |
| GL.iNet Flint 2 | 8.8/10 | $160 | VPN power users, OpenWrt tinkerers | Review → |
Full ranking and our test notes: all Firewalls & Network Security reviews.
