Help deciding between Protectli VP2410 vs FW6A

[qeysxc]

I'm torn between whether to purchase the Protectli VP2410 or FW6A.

I prefer the quad-core of VP2410 but would like to have the 6 ports offered by the FW6A (but it's dual-core).

Anybody have any experience with these models or have feedback on performance differences? I'm primarily after very smooth 1 Gbps experience on network with low latency if anything gets saturated.

Details:
about 10 wired clients (video streaming, VoIP telephone) and about 6 wifi clients via openwrt access point
-is there any disadvantage from plugging a Linksys E8450 access point into a managed switch versus plugging it directly into the Protectli router?

More Details:
1 Gbps Internet via DOCSIS cable
traffic shaping
DNS DOT
DNSSEC
no IDS
no VPN
no hypervisor

[Demusman]

Keep in mind those are 6 router ports, not switch ports.
You say you want low latency, then you don't want to use those ports as a bridge.
Use a switch for switching.

[qeysxc]

Thanks so much. This insight helps a lot.

Would this configuration be a good setup?

4-port Protectli vp2410 model w/ quad-core CPU
|                   |                |                             |
wan/           desktop     managed switch       unmanaged switch in different part of house
modem       computer      |            |                                      |                 |
                                     wifi-AP   other clients                  Apple TV       Blu-Ray Player

[phoenix]

I'd agree with Demusman about the switch. On the Protectli use one port for the WAN and another for the LAN and connect it to a switch and all the devices to one, or more, switches you'll have a more simple configuration with that.

[ZadDander]

I'd agree with Demusman about the switch. On the Protectli use one port for the WAN and another for the LAN and connect it to a switch and all the devices to one, or more, switches you'll have a more simple configuration with that.

That means though

4-port Protectli vp2410 model w/ quad-core CPU
|                               |                                               |                              |                                       
wan/        Unmanaged/managed switch                     empty                     empty
modem    desktop computer,
               wifi-AP and other clients like
               Apple TV, Blu-Ray Player and so on

Am I correct

[cookiemonster]

that is better, yes. Switch doing the switching rather than the router

[ZadDander]

Which Wifi-API you would suggest for this project please? Any recommendations?
Please note that I am in the German area, if this should have any meanings.

[cookiemonster]

Assuming you mean Wifi AP not API :) . Depends on requirements.
If commercial/industrial: they often require auth options, multi SSD, VLAN support, etc. One set of choices.
If consumer: If is home and you are in control of your requirements, perhaps you can share them. At the most basic level an old router set to AP can work and better if you can install DD-WRT or similar on it.

[qarkhs]

If you plan on having more than one AP, you might want to look at Ubiquiti Unifi, TP-Link Omada, and Aruba Instant-On. Those are the more affordable systems that people use in home setups that are a step up from mesh systems (e.g. Eero). There are reviews and comparisons of all three systems at https://evanmccann.net/. If you use this type of system rather than a router in AP mode, you'll probably want a switch that supports PoE with sufficient PoE ports and power to support however many APs or other PoE devices you are likely to attach to the network.