# Protectli Vault

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Protectli Vault and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Small x86 firewall and router boxes that people run for years with regular updates, with coreboot firmware and many network ports. Most models lack built-in WiFi.

## Why people recommend it

- Long-term reliable with regular updates (2 comments): "It's been going strong with regular updates (and by regular I mean as regular as your Linux workstation) for over half a decade now." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45874215)) "I switched, about 7-8 years ago to a Protectli box running Coreboot and OPNSense and haven't looked back" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50101726))
- x86 with coreboot firmware (2 comments): "They've got x86 systems with coreboot. That's about as good as you can get these days for open source-ness" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45872235)) "x86, low power, coreboot options, lots of network interfaces" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46083968))

## What people warn about

- Most models have no WiFi (1 comments): "almost none of their models seem to have built-in WiFi" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47534618))
- Intel NICs limit performance (1 comments): "the NICs (5 Intel NICs) are the limiting factor" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50140371))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [MikroTik router](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mikrotik-router.md): 59 recommend
- [GL.iNet travel router](https://hackerapproved.com/p/gl-inet-travel-router.md): 54 recommend
- [Ubiquiti UniFi Travel Router](https://hackerapproved.com/p/unifi-travel-router.md): 35 recommend
- [OpenWrt One](https://hackerapproved.com/p/openwrt-one.md): 34 recommend
- [Ubiquiti UniFi 5G](https://hackerapproved.com/p/unifi-5g.md): 17 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Protectli+Vault+firewall+router+appliance&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://protectli.com/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Protectli Vault", https://hackerapproved.com/p/protectli/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).