I like learning about the latest and greatest developments in these compact, fanless router boxes. But, so many are only available through seemingly random AliExpress sellers. Maybe this is being overly cautious, but I would never trust my home and small business networking duties to off-brand hardware like this. I worry about poor QC, nonexistent customer support and nonstandard/undocumented gotchas. This is not even considering outright malicious behavior by one of these storefronts.

I've used Protectli and PC Engines boxes before, which have been great. I'm definitely leaving some value/performance on the table compared to the hardware described in this article. I also know that Protectli hardware in particular is supposed to be identical to some of the Aliexpress boxes, at a higher price. But at least I have some assurance that the company behind the hardware has a reputation at stake and will hopefully stand behind their products.