OPNsense Forum

English Forums => Hardware and Performance => Topic started by: Schroinx on April 17, 2025, 01:22:33 PM

Title: RISC-V port could be an idea?
Post by: Schroinx on April 17, 2025, 01:22:33 PM
With all the move towards European tech independence, an RISC-V router with opnsense could be a place to start. I have searched the English forums but no hits.

There are both smaller cards with RISC-V and 2 gbit ports, but also bigger P550-based, which with a 10gb nic could likely reach higher speeds as well. While the P550 is not European it can be used until there are European solutions.

Are opnsense only for firewall duty, or can it also be used for wireless, or do opnsennse users use something else like openWRT for that duty?

https://wiki.freebsd.org/riscv

https://www.elektormagazine.com/articles/the-risc-v-architecture-16-boards-mcus
Title: Re: RISC-V port could be an idea?
Post by: Patrick M. Hausen on April 17, 2025, 01:47:15 PM
Quote from: Schroinx on April 17, 2025, 01:22:33 PMAre opnsense only for firewall duty, or can it also be used for wireless, or do opnsennse users use something else like openWRT for that duty?

FreeBSD is notoriously behind in features for wireless infrastructure mode so the general recommendation is not to try to turn OPNsense into an access point. This is unlikely to change unless someone throws money at the problem. There is no capacity (developers) and the FreeBSD foundation has more important areas to sponsor.

That being said there is Mikrotik located in Latvia. I like their products.
Title: Re: RISC-V port could be an idea?
Post by: Schroinx on April 17, 2025, 04:13:41 PM
@PatricMH

Thx. I'll give them a look.

That still leaves the main question.
Title: Re: RISC-V port could be an idea?
Post by: Greg_E on April 22, 2025, 03:58:06 PM
I have a few Mikrotik devices, just switches though, pretty good stuff and cheaper than a lot of other products. I have a small 10gbe switch in my production system, and an even larger 10gbe switch in my lab. I do think the larger switch might be slightly faster, but it also might be a difference in software loaded, something I need to update for the small switch. CRS309-1g-8s+ and CRS326-24s+2q+ are the two that I use.

Never used their wireless yet, but I may go through and do an upgrade at home, would be nice to have better signal in the back yard, so an external unit might be nice.
Title: Re: RISC-V port could be an idea?
Post by: passeri on April 23, 2025, 01:54:28 AM
I have a couple of Mikrotik CRS304 10GB switches and a CRS310 2.5GB, all handling the backbone under my Dec697 primary firewall. I also use a few of their APs for various purposes. They do not have the most advanced radios, currently on WiFi 6 rather than WiFi 7 for example, but then a lot of devices are still barely making it to WiFi6 while a lot of traffic does not need the speed anyway. Their advantages for me are low cost and incredibly flexible setup with ROS, but with a steep learning curve. Opnsense GUI is far easier and documentation far superior. These are important advantages for making sure you stay secure, the primary aim at the edge. Another reason Mikrotik will never replace Opnsense as my primary firewall is that I try to avoid common-mode failure. The switches and radios (indoor and outdoor) are well worth investigation though, if you are OK with ROS.