About two and a half years ago, I posted here my notes on the Datto DNA-VZ5:
[SOLVED] Datto DNA-VZ5: an exciting misadventure
It was a rebranded Axiomtek NA361. Recently, I have come across another rebranded NA361, this time called Vectra S2, and, in my opinion, it’s well worth writing about.
Vectra is a network security vendor. The S2 was marketed as a “sensor” (whatever that means in Vectra’s proprietary lingo). Was, because it’s been out of support since January 2025.
I got lucky in that my device came in modest black. Most other S2 devices I’ve seen are a rather questionable shade of green. Don’t know whether this is indicative of any generational differences on the inside.
The specifications on this device are borderline insane. The processor is an octa-core Atom C2758 running at 2.4 GHz. There are four full-size memory sticks totaling 32 GB. Storage consists of a 32 GB CF card and a 480 GB SATA SSD. I was able to confirm that the processor on my unit is stepping C0, not vulnerable to the AVR54 defect. The sole console output is an RJ-45 port helpfully marked Console.
Networking is wired-only. Wired networking is similar to the Datto unit: six Gigabit controllers, two Intel i210 and four Intel i354. The difference: there are two bypasses, one on each pair of i354 controllers. No worries though: the device is completely unlocked, and the bypasses can be disabled from BIOS. The order of detection by OpenWrt is the same slightly wacky one as on the Datto: the two pairs of i354 (middle and right columns in the photo below) are detected first, the pair of i210 (the left column) is detected last.
Installation of OpenWrt is practically painless if you know your way around PC innards. You open the case (five screws total, one on the bottom and two on each side), take out both storage devices (the CF card and the SATA SSD), write OpenWrt onto one of them (your choice) or similar, plant that storage device back into the appliance, and it’s ready to run. I ended up running OpenWrt (squashfs, non-UEFI) off a random 1 GB CF card I had sitting around. squashfs, because you should probably use that on CF cards always; non-UEFI, because BIOS was set for legacy boot and I didn’t feel like experimenting with UEFI.
And now, the entertaining part… I’ve noticed that my luckiest purchases of networking equipment on eBay tend to come from sellers who mostly sell literal knick-knacks (porcelain figurines and whatnot). This one was no exception. The device came my way in a factory box, with a set of accessories including power supply, rack mounting hardware, and rubber feet. Handwritten on the box in large letters was, WHAT IS THIS? Looks like some technically unsophisticated person simply had no idea what they had on their hands…
