A raspberry pi could work as a router, but it might not handle heavy traffic or advanced features well.
A raspberry pi could work as a router, but it might not handle heavy traffic or advanced features well.
The subject discusses building a router and questions whether a Raspberry Pi can handle running OPNsense.
Really, not so much. After giving it a bit more thought, I figured it’s unlikely to succeed due to the absence of Ethernet ports.
A router doesn't have to be equipped with many Ethernet ports. You can connect an Internet connection via USB to Ethernet and then link a switch to the built-in port, allowing it to manage routing. For processing needs, a Raspberry Pi works well as a router.
You can connect via USB Ethernet or use VLANs and a managed switch to split LAN/WAN on one port. However, neither method is perfect. If you're building your own router, consider ARM-based boards like the Banana Pi—since their names suggest they have five LAN ports.
I wouldn't recommend any model besides the latest Pi 4 or newer. Earlier versions only supported USB 2.0, which includes built-in Ethernet, making them potentially slower compared to broadband speeds above 300-400Mbit.
I understand why I mentioned USB 3 or newer devices. That covers the Pi 4 and later models. It seems simpler to express it that way.