GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500/MT2500A) Security Gateway
Networking
“The Brume 2 is a niche VPN security gateway running OpenWrt, best for users who need a dedicated VPN server or cascading setup at home or for SMBs. Limited to ~1Gbps throughput due to single 2.5GbE + 1GbE ports, making it unsuitable as a primary router. Competitive at ~$60 but outperformed by alternatives in raw performance.”
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Runs on OpenWrt v21.02 with full customization and package support
linuxlookup.com"compactly designed to host a VPN server at home"
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Achieves 355 Mbps VPN throughput via WireGuard for efficient remote access
gl-inet.com"VPN Speed of 150 Mbps (OpenVPN) &355 Mbps (WireGuard®)"
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MediaTek MT7981B dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 1.3GHz with 8GB eMMC and 1GB DDR4 provides headroom for VPN tasks
linuxlookup.com"8GB of Samsung eMMC storage... 1GB of Nanya DDR4 Memory"
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USB 3.0 port enables mobile tethering and network storage via Samba, WebDAV, DLNA
linuxlookup.com"USB port can be used for tethering a device such as a smartphone"
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Built-in DNS-based ad blocking for network-wide filtering
youtube.com"be easily set up some tricks broom 2 it's $60 security Gateway will DNS ad blocking"
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Supports SD-WAN site-to-site tunneling for small/medium business deployments
gl-inet.com"run SD-WAN (Site-to-Site) for small and medium-sized enterprises"
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Only 1x 2.5GbE WAN + 1x 1GbE LAN limits total throughput to under 1Gbps with no expansion
forum.openwrt.org"1x 2.5GbE + 1x 1GbE, so basically you don't get more than 1Gbps throughput"
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HTTPS access reportedly fails on snapshot firmware builds in testing
forum.openwrt.org"The only issue I had is that HTTPS access doesn't seem to work"
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Active fan inside the compact metal enclosure may cause long-term reliability concerns
forum.openwrt.org"If we ever figure out the fan issues"
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Firewalla offers better security features and simpler setup at similar price point
the-gadgeteer.com"the Firewalla device seems to be a much better bet with far more features"