When my network needs a new router, I usually reach for OpenWRT before OPNsense. They’re both extremely capable edge routers, especially when deployed as a VM. However, once I start stacking interfaces, VLANs, and rules, I find myself needing to draw out the topology to remember which networks can reach which others. It’s just too much complexity when all I need is a lab router. IPFire’s color-coded RED, GREEN, ORANGE, and BLUE zones offer a simpler way to picture those boundaries. My spare ZOTAC mini PC had two Ethernet ports and an Intel Wi-Fi card, giving each network its own physical interface and making the whole layout far easier to work with. Related 5 features my router has with OpenWRT that I thought were impossible The firmware swap that makes budget hardware punch way above its weight. The ZOTAC gave me a tangible network boundary Two Ethernet ports gave my experiments their own corner of the network My little ZOTAC Mini PC was sitting around collecting dust after I tried to make it into a …