My current internet setup is like this (which is common for most people).
fiber line from ISP <-> ISP fiber modem <-> Personal wifi router <-> switch
This is working fine with no issues. But I need to power two devices. I want to reduce this to a single device.
fiber line from ISP <-> Modem+Firewall PC <-> Switch <-> AP1,AP2...
From my initial research, what I need is an SFP module which can be attached to a PC which supports SFP. OPNsense should be able to handle most SFP modules.
What is the community’s take on this? Is this worth the effort? Can I find a mini-PC which supports SFP? Will it be cost effective?
You cannot just buy any SFP module and have it work. Most ISPs deploy a “special” (at least compared to normal point to point fiber links) that lets them serve multiple customers out of one port in their office. This is called a Passive Optical Network and requires specialized modules on both ends. There are ways to make a specific SFP work as an ONT and by cloning certain identifiers from the ONT to make the ISP think their box is still there.
This is a lot of effort and from my research, could stop working randomly in some cases.
Mine has been running flawlessly for nearly two years now. ISPs are lazy and only change things when they’re forced to.