[Noob/New User] Device Recommendations

[Stephnugs]

So I've officially entered the rabbit hole of home lab/DIY home networking, and I keep second guessing myself in regards to what hardware I should get for my new router/firewall.

I was originally going to use PFSense paired with a Protectli Vault, but after a decent amount of searching around I discovered that OPNSense seems to be the logical decision amongst the community.

I did some contracting work years ago for an MSP, by the way I'm in the US, who utilized Protectli devices running PFSense. So I was thinking about getting a Protectli device, but realized they are overpriced and not worth the cost.

Then I did some searching around and found the CWWK N100. This model looks really solid. The most appealing part of this device is the fact that its fanless, and I don't have to worry about years of dust accumulating internally or more moving parts that can fail.

I plan on using this router for a very simple firewall/router. I currently have a DOCSIS provider, I get 300mbps down/20 up. However, I plan on upgrading to 1gbps down/50up soon. I don't have a need for VPN, but Wireguard would be a nice feature to have if I ever want to use it. I also want the ability to monitor traffic per IP/MAC Address if that's possible, for example I want to log exactly what device is pulling how many mbps at a given date/time, if that's possible more info would be greatly appreciated. Money isn't really a factor, I just want to be smart with my purchase. For example, I don't want to spend $500 if I don't have too. I'm also not interested in the officially supported DECXXX overpriced product line. I understand that these devices have official support, but I cant justify that kind of price tag for the included hardware, especially for a home network as simple as mine.

Anyways, some specific models and recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to becoming part of the OPNSense community. Thanks guys!