Upgrading My pfSense Router to a Lenovo M720Q Mini PC
I've been using pfSense for a few years and have been relatively happy with it. My setup ran on an aging Qotom Q150P-S08 Mini PC with an Intel J3060 Atom processor, 2GB DDR 1600 RAM, and a 16GB SSD. While this setup met my needs, it had limitations, particularly with network connectivity. You can read a blog post I made back in 2019 when I first purchased this router here.
Why Upgrade?
The Qotom Mini PC only had two Ethernet ports, which wouldn't be an issue for most users. However, I had a secondary backup connection, and one of these ports was reserved for the LAN. To work around this, I configured VLANs on the single WAN port and my network switch to handle multiple WAN connections.
Over time, managing these VLANs became complex, and I realized it would be much more efficient to have a dedicated network card with additional ports directly on the router.
Choosing the Lenovo M720Q
After some research, I noticed that many people recommended the Lenovo M720Q Mini PC. The key reason for selecting this specific model is that it allows for a PCI Express adapter, enabling the addition of a multi-port network card. I opted for an Intel I350-T4 network card. (a Dell-branded version, but functionally identical).
Hardware Purchase List
I managed to source the following components from eBay:
- Lenovo M720Q - 8GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD, Intel Core i3-8100T CPU @ 3.10GHz
- Dell Intel I350-T4 network card
- PCI adapter cable
- Case bracket for the network card
- 90W Lenovo PSU (as my unit didn’t come with one)
Total Cost: £125.00, this was the same cost as the Qotom Mini PC I purchased in 2019.
Setting Up the New Router
Once all the components arrived, I began by backing up the configuration of my existing pfSense router. Then, I transferred this backup to the new router while connecting my computer directly to the router via LAN. At this stage, the new router was not yet connected to a WAN.
Benefits of Direct Connection
- Prevents multiple DHCP servers on the same network.
- Once the backup is restored, the new device will retain the same assigned IP address as the previous pfSense router.
After restoring the settings, I reviewed the configuration. Most settings transferred correctly, but I had to adjust the network interfaces to account for the four-port network card instead of the previous internal ports.
Testing and Deployment
After verifying the settings, I temporarily connected my main WAN Internet connection to ensure the new router could establish a connection. Everything worked perfectly!
I scheduled the final router swap for an evening when my family didn't require Internet access. The transition was seamless, and the upgraded router is now fully operational.
Performance Improvements
Even though the Lenovo M720Q is not brand-new hardware, it performs significantly better than my old setup. The improved specs allow me to:
- Retain more logs with additional storage space.
- Install more advanced packages for enhanced network functionality.
What’s Next for the Old Router?
I'm not entirely sure what I'll do with my old Qotom Mini PC. Some possibilities include:
- Repurposing it as a backup router.
- Using it as a test machine in my homelab.
- Reconditioning it for another lightweight use case.
However, given its limited specs, I’m unsure if it’s worth the effort.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m very pleased with this upgrade. The Lenovo M720Q provides better performance, additional network ports, and I now have a larger hard-drive which I can use to install more advanced packages.