Available router choices at 2.5Gbps speeds (excluding Wi-Fi)
Available router choices at 2.5Gbps speeds (excluding Wi-Fi)
I rely on a specialized sonicwall firewall, though it only uses 1Gb/sec NICs. My ISP provides 1Gb but I actually get around 840Mb/sec. You should have at least two RJ-45 connections from your modem, as is typical with DOSIS 3.1 models. If you're not using that, you might end up spending a lot on an expensive router. The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 offers dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and has 2.5Gb/sec ports, while the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro supports tri-band WiFi 6 with a 2.5G port available at Best Buy.
The ISP technician arrived and swapped out the modem. The Bell modem uses a single-mode fiber cable, and I inquired about a Fiber-to-ethernet media converter, but she wasn’t familiar with it. For now, our internet is back online, but after installing my new 2.5Gbps router, I’ll reconfigure the static IPs and port-forwarding rules. Thanks for sharing all this useful information!
These routers seem quite powerful. My modem features four 1Gbps RJ45 ports and one 10Gbps RJ45 port. Currently, I’m linking one of the 1Gbps ports to my main gigabit switch, while the 10Gbps port connects to my 2.5Gbps switch. My three essential devices are all on the 2.5Gbps switch. When the first router arrives, I’ll simply plug it into the 10Gbps port of the modem and set it up for PPPoE access to get around my current modem. After that, both the gigabit and 2.5Gbps switches will link to the new 2.5Gbps router. To be honest, switching ISPs was mainly because my old plan offered only 1Gbps with 30Mbps upload/download speeds. Sharing my Plex server with friends and family used to be a pain due to that slow upload. Now with 1.5Gbps/940Mbps speeds, I’m relieved about bandwidth concerns.
Great setup. I consistently receive around 840Mb/sec incoming and ~50Mb/sec out from my ISP. With a subdomain, I avoid DHCP or static IP assignments for servers. I just reconfigured everything again so I can begin hosting servers myself. My primary focus will be a local surveillance server and IP-based cameras. The SonicWall firewall is mainly a convenience tool since I’ve been managing two high-end models at work for about two years now. It performs much better than typical routers, which is why the TZ270W model fits perfectly—plus it includes built-in Wi-Fi 5 WAP with solid integration options for my LAN. It’s really impressive.
You don't have to invest a lot: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004254089060.html If the ISP modem/router lacks bridge mode, you'll still face double-NAT challenges. It seems it can handle DMZ configurations and forward ports to an external device. The box averages about 11 watts, which is quite similar to a consumer router—possibly lower because it doesn’t include a powered WiFi chip or switch you won’t use. More recent Intel chips can drop to around 6 watts according to ServeTheHome, though those support newer NICs that pfSense hasn’t yet compatible with.
You definitely want to dive deeper into networking. Right now you already have a solid foundation that can be risky if not handled properly. It seems your current setup is strong but needs refinement.
I've noticed the pfSense routers featured on ServeTheHome. They seem like a solid choice, and I'll consider them for the future. Thanks!
It depends heavily on the setup details. My workplace uses local DNS for a few domains, adding some complexity, but once you grasp the hardware, it becomes straightforward. Choosing a Sonicwall firewall was simple and affordable at around $500. I’ve also set up an SSL VPN for my phone to connect to RDP and surveillance cameras that are still on the way.
I use the same exact model and it has performed well. My connection is limited to Gigabit, but I already have 1x FTTP, 1x5G, and I’m planning to add a third 5G for testing to check if I can reach 2.5Gbit. I see myself still in that phase, even though I began with a custom Linux dial-up router (yes, dial-up), then moved to consumer DSL routers, DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and finally pfSense. There’s always something new to learn, and plenty I’ll never fully grasp. Luckily, you don’t need to master all of this to enjoy a very adaptable setup.