CWWK's four-port router box pairs the N100 with Intel i226-V network chips and a single DDR5 slot. It comes in three builds, from bare chassis to 16GB and 256GB, and its storage can grow further than most look-alikes.
CWWK sells one chassis in three builds, and choosing between them is the main decision. The barebone ships with no memory and no SSD. The two configured versions arrive with DDR5 and an NVMe drive fitted, ready for a router OS. Everything else, from the i226-V ports to the display outputs, is identical.
| Build | Memory | Storage | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barebone | None | None | You have a spare SO-DIMM and NVMe, or want 32GB |
| 8GB / 128GB | 8GB DDR5 | 128GB NVMe | A dedicated OPNsense or pfSense router |
| 16GB / 256GB | 16GB DDR5 | 256GB NVMe | Router plus IDS, or a small Proxmox host |
The 8GB build is the straightforward firewall. A router OS, DNS filtering and a VPN endpoint run in a fraction of that memory, and 128GB is plenty for the OS and months of logs. The 16GB build buys room for Suricata or Zenarmor on several interfaces, or a couple of containers beside the router.
The memory slot takes DDR5 at 4800MHz and accepts faster 5200 or 5600MHz modules, which simply run at 4800. The N100 has one memory channel, so one slot loses nothing in bandwidth. Chip-level limits are covered under N100 specs.
Buying configured also settles compatibility. The fitted module and SSD are parts CWWK has already booted in this board, which removes the one real risk of a barebone: a DDR5 stick the board refuses to train.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | N100 |
| Processor | Intel N100 (Alder Lake-N), 4 cores / 4 threads |
| Memory slot | 1× SO-DIMM DDR5 4800MHz, accepts 5200/5600MHz modules |
| Maximum memory | 32GB |
| Memory fitted | None, 8GB or 16GB DDR5, by version |
| Storage fitted | None, 128GB or 256GB NVMe SSD, by version |
| Primary M.2 | NVMe, PCIe x4 |
| M.2 split | x4 slot takes an adapter for two M.2 NVMe x1 drives |
| M.2 wireless slot | Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth module, or an adapter for NVMe or mSATA |
| Ethernet | 4× 2.5GbE, Intel i226-V, with filtered RJ45 jacks |
| Video | HDMI 2.1 + DP 1.4, 4096 × 2160 at 60Hz |
| Encryption | AES-NI |
| Operating system | OPNsense |
| Roles | Firewall, gateway, soft router, NAS, VPN |
| In the box | Power supply |
Storage is where this box pulls away from its look-alikes. The main M.2 slot is a full NVMe x4 interface, and CWWK supports an adapter board that splits it into two M.2 NVMe x1 slots. The M.2 wireless slot can also take an adapter for a further NVMe or mSATA drive.
The reason for the adapters is lane budget. The N100 has nine PCIe 3.0 lanes, and four network controllers take one each. Splitting the x4 slot is the way to fit more drives without a bigger board. A PCIe 3.0 x1 link carries roughly 985MB/s, still well beyond what a router or a small file share will ask of it.
A mirrored pair on a router is not overkill. SSDs rarely fail, but when a lone boot drive does, the whole house loses its internet until someone reinstalls. If the router will also serve files or run VMs, see how storage choices play out under N100 home servers.
For a pure firewall the single x4 drive is enough. The split earns its keep once the box also stores backups, container volumes or VM disks.
The four 2.5GbE ports use Intel i226-V controllers behind RJ45 jacks with filter connectors, the magnetics that clean up the signal on each line. CWWK names OPNsense as the operating system this box is built for, and the i226-V is native hardware there through FreeBSD's igc driver.
AES-NI is on the chip, which speeds IPsec and OpenVPN with AES ciphers. WireGuard uses ChaCha20 and runs well on these cores regardless. For a 1Gbit/s or 2.5Gbit/s uplink with NAT and a sensible rule set, four Gracemont cores are a comfortable fit.
The M.2 wireless slot takes a Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth module. That is more useful on Linux than on a firewall OS: FreeBSD's Wi-Fi 6 support lags well behind Linux, so an OPNsense box is usually happier wired to a separate access point. OpenWrt handles an onboard card far better.
Four ports at 2.5GbE each also make link aggregation possible: two ports bonded to a managed switch give a Proxmox host or a busy LAN segment more headroom. For most homes, one port per network is the cleaner design.
HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 both reach 4096 × 2160 at 60Hz. On a router that mostly means an easy install and a painless rescue when an update goes wrong. The wider router field is laid out under N100 firewall mini PCs.
Four i226-V ports in a finned aluminium case describe half the firewall boxes on sale, so the differences are in the details. CWWK's are the three-build choice, the splittable x4 slot and a plainly stated N100. What it does not state is its cooling method, so a buyer who needs silence should confirm it before ordering.
The MOGINSOK appliance is the nearest configured rival, fanless and on I226 chips, though current units carry an N150. The Dozlzyp box has two native NVMe slots in a lengthened fanless chassis but sells only barebone. The oaknode four-port box adds a SATA port and up to 48GB of memory.
Match the build to the job, then settle three details. Confirm whether a fan is fitted if the box will sit in a bedroom. Buy the split adapter at the same time if a mirror is planned. And if you choose the barebone, pick a DDR5 SO-DIMM, not DDR4, since the slot is keyed differently and the older module will not fit.
Idle draw on boxes of this class depends mostly on how many ports have a link, the SSD and the memory, rather than the 6W chip alone. Hedged figures for firewall boxes, and what pushes them up, are collected under N100 power consumption. Either way, running it around the clock costs little.
It depends on the build. The barebone has neither; the other two ship with 8GB DDR5 and 128GB NVMe, or 16GB DDR5 and 256GB NVMe.
One DDR5 SO-DIMM slot at 4800MHz, up to 32GB. Faster 5200 or 5600MHz modules also work at 4800MHz.
Yes, with an adapter board that splits the M.2 x4 slot into two NVMe x1 slots. The wireless slot can also host an NVMe or mSATA adapter.
CWWK does not state the cooling method in its specifications. The housing itself is the heat path; confirm with CWWK if silence is a requirement.
