Why not just use Linux?
It feels as though these days you'd be better off with a vanilla Linux distro at your perimeter.
Sure custom boxes are wizzy and fun, but even if they are 20% more efficient maybe spend more money on 20% better hardware. You should at least separate the physical box with 200 ethernet connections from the huge mass of unnecessary "features" that lives embedded in these things by default.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
