CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) vs CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V)
| Field | CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) | CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel N100 | Intel Core i3-N305 |
| Cores | 4C / 4T | 8C / 8T |
| Form factor | Fanless router/NAS board | Fanless router/NAS board |
| Measured idle power | ~11 W idle on Proxmox (bare install, 32 GB RAM, NVMe); ~17 W with containers + Frigate NVR; ~24.5 W Prime95 wall-measured · Wall plug meter (PicoPSU build) · source · 2025-01-05 | ~13.5 W idle on Proxmox (32 GB RAM, NVMe, Coral TPU); ~34 W sustained 7-Zip, ~50 W peak wall-measured · Wall plug meter (PicoPSU build) · source · 2025-01-05 |
| ECC memory | No (DDR5 SODIMM, non-ECC) source · 2024 | No (DDR5 SODIMM, non-ECC) source · 2024 |
| NIC chipset | 4× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V (some SKUs add 2× 10G SFP+) source · 2024 | 4× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V (some SKUs add 2× 10G SFP+) source · 2024 |
| RAM ceiling | 48 GB (1× DDR5 SODIMM; some SKUs 2 slots) source · 2025-01-05 | 48 GB (DDR5 SODIMM) source · 2025-01-05 |
| IOMMU / passthrough | 4× discrete i226-V NICs pass through cleanly to OPNsense/router VMs — the reason this board is bought. source · 2024 | Discrete i226-V NICs pass through cleanly; 8 cores give headroom for router VM + NAS + a few containers. source · 2025-01-05 |
| AMD reset bug | — | — |
| Price band | $170–230 (barebones) | $220–290 (barebones) |
| Proxmox fit (editorial) | excellent — The router/firewall pick: 4× i226-V (the GOOD 2.5GbE silicon), ~11 W idle, NIC passthrough clean. DDR5 non-ECC. | excellent — 8-core sibling of the N100 board: same 4× i226-V, ~2.5 W more idle for 2× the compute. Strong all-in-one router+NAS+Proxmox. |
| Where to buy | Amazon Newegg eBay | Amazon Newegg eBay |
Frequently asked questions
Does the CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) or the CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V) use less idle power?
The CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) idles at ~11 W idle on Proxmox (bare install, 32 GB RAM, NVMe); ~17 W with containers + Frigate NVR; ~24.5 W Prime95 (wall-measured); the CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V) idles at ~13.5 W idle on Proxmox (32 GB RAM, NVMe, Coral TPU); ~34 W sustained 7-Zip, ~50 W peak (wall-measured). On the cited lower-bound figures, the CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) draws less. Idle varies with OS, 120 V vs 240 V mains and power tuning, so treat these as the third-party measured numbers, not a guarantee for your exact unit.
CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) vs CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V): which has the better NIC for Proxmox?
CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) NIC: 4× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V (some SKUs add 2× 10G SFP+) (rated solid). CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V) NIC: 4× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V (some SKUs add 2× 10G SFP+) (rated solid). Intel i226 is the chipset to want; i225 has a documented dropout history and Realtek RTL8125 works on Linux/Proxmox but not VMware ESXi. Confirm the silicon on the unit you receive with lspci -nn.
Which is the better homelab / Proxmox box, the CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V) or the CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V)?
CWWK / Topton N100 firewall board (4× i226-V): The router/firewall pick: 4× i226-V (the GOOD 2.5GbE silicon), ~11 W idle, NIC passthrough clean. DDR5 non-ECC. CWWK / Topton i3-N305 firewall/NAS board (4× i226-V): 8-core sibling of the N100 board: same 4× i226-V, ~2.5 W more idle for 2× the compute. Strong all-in-one router+NAS+Proxmox. These are our editorial verdicts derived from the cited fields above — not a spec.
Cited public information, not purchasing advice. Idle draw depends on OS, mains voltage (120 V vs 240 V) and power tuning (powertop); onboard NIC silicon can differ between production batches of the same model — confirm with
lspci -nn before relying on a NIC or passthrough claim. Full per-model detail and every source on the model pages.