pfSense Firewall/VPN/Router
Netgate | 2.3.4Linux/Unix, Other FreeBSD pfSense 2.3.4/FreeBSD 10.12 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
External reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Deploying pfSense in a network allows any level of granular security an administrator might choose.
What do you like best about the product?
The user-base of pfSense is so large that a new user has vast resources available for any level of desired network integration; pfSense is scalable. I have not found a competitor that can offer this level of customization.
What do you dislike about the product?
With videos, newsgroups, and online tutorials, it is difficult to imagine oneʻs self in a situation that cannot be resolved. Open-source solutions are a dynamic way to keep a network current with ever-evolving security issues. I have not yet found a weakness in pfSense protection.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I am a retired (10+ years) IT professional from higher education. With a need to keep myself somewhat current with network security, I decided it was time to set up a home network as a redundant data location for all my data now "in the cloud." With the proliferation of international bad-actors successfully injecting ransomware into ever more serious locations, I wanted a safe haven that I have under my control. pfSense allows me to build as much security into my system as I want.
- Leave a Comment |
- Mark review as helpful
Firewalls and UTM's are modeled after the PF in PFSense
What do you like best about the product?
The first firewall I had built was on FreeBSD in 1991, PFSense extends the 5th generation packet filter by allowing additional modules as needed to create a UTM.
What do you dislike about the product?
It's not as easy to use as Checkpoint or Cisco, however it's far more modular and that modularity comes at a cost.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It's my UTM (Snort, PfblockerNG, VLAN, DHCP, Encrypted DNS all in one apliance)
Great Open Source router software
What do you like best about the product?
I like PFSense for its ease of use and setup, as well as the advanced features that are available but not necessary for use.
What do you dislike about the product?
At this time, there is not anything I dislike about this product.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I am not aware of any problems the devs are currently solving, but I know they are constantly developing for security reasons as well as feature additions.
Incredible Build - Solid Experience
What do you like best about the product?
From the moment I opened the box over two years ago, to the today, I've appreciated the perfect mixture of high-quality hardware, world-class service, and the best-in-class firewall/operating system mix (pfSense/FreeBSD). I love the open standard operating system (FreeBSD) and firewall (pfSense) because when I'm digging into configuration and customizations, I'm learning something applicable in other settings as well. I appreciate the wide selection of ports on the back of the appliance - allowing fantastic SOHO customization - and also the solid build quality, with a metal base and high-density plastic top. The status LEDs let me know at a glance when things are just working, or if there's a concern I need to look at (like upgrading the firewall's software to the latest version). The Netgate team keeps things current, so we don't have to worry as much about firewall exploits, and we can just set it and forget it. For a technical person who wants a perfect firewall appliance to cover their SOHO, this is ideal, and if the build quality of this unit is any indication of the build quality in the higher-tier units, I'm sure they're all fantastic. Reputable company, easy-to-configure product, holds up to the years. Perfect!
What do you dislike about the product?
The only time I had an issue with this firewall was during a software/firmware upgrade, where the unit would not boot back up. Many other folks had the same issue, and we were guided by support (even outside of warranty!) through the company's support forums to resolve the issue. The one way this could be better, and I've suggested this to the company in the past, would be more affordable support contracts for SOHO situations, where we're paying out of pocket for a firewall that we use in our homes. I don't want to pay $300 a year for support, but I also realize that 24x7 support costs money. So perhaps $100 per year for next-business-day support, or 8x5 or something? I'd love to see that, and it's really the only concern I've had about the product. I hope they implement a less expensive support model for self-supported products, where you maybe just need one or two chats/emails per year, during normal business hours during the week, after exhausting all the other support methods first.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The pfSense firewall software provides an industry-standard solution for allowing my NAT'd IPv4 devices to communicate with the Internet, while keeping the Bad Guys out of my network. I feel confident that this Netgate appliance is the best solution for SOHO, and would absolutely recommend it to friends. The flexibilty of pfSense allows for plugins and extensions, which go far beyond a regular firewall appliance, and for a much more reasonable cost. A firewall appliance from a competitor might cost several times this, for far less.
Most functional solution on the market
What do you like best about the product?
I have been using pfSense for over 12 years. It is hands down the most robust solution on the market that literally does everything!
What do you dislike about the product?
The only difficulty I had was learning the UI. Other than that I can't find anything wrong with it at all.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It is truly the Swiss Army Knife. Over the lay 12 years I have had several different problems that it has been the answer to. Site to site, video, voice, even P2P traffic. It has conquered all.
O pfSense é eficas e extremamente porformático num ambiente de datacenter, escolas e universidades.
What do you like best about the product?
Simplicidade no gerenciamento e usabilidade.
What do you dislike about the product?
Os relatórios são muito simples. Sinto falta de autenticação "nativa" para Active Directory.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Ele me auxilia nas análises de cyber segurança e gestão do trágego de rede quando utilizado como core do ambiente.
outstanding solution for those interested in building their own router
What do you like best about the product?
I appreciate very much the availability of a community edition, which people are free to install on their own hardware.
Before building my own router, I used routers from various manufacturers, and there was always a compromise between features and price. I noticed over time the performance of router hardware would decrease. Perhaps this was due to middling quality components or inadequate cooling. With pfSense, I'm free to use good quality PC components, which greatly outlast the hardware of purpose-built routers.
Plus, pfSense delivers a good value for the user while providing an environmental benefit. The PCs on which I've run pfSense were older PCs that were no longer adequate to use as a workstation, but they were fine for running pfSense. Thus, I acquired the hardware for free, while keeping these old PCs out of the landfill for a while.
The pfSense software itself is outstanding. For example, the firewall rules are tunable in a much more detailed way than on consumer routers. I depend on pfSense's VPN server. The underlying BSD operating system is very stable and high-performing.
Before building my own router, I used routers from various manufacturers, and there was always a compromise between features and price. I noticed over time the performance of router hardware would decrease. Perhaps this was due to middling quality components or inadequate cooling. With pfSense, I'm free to use good quality PC components, which greatly outlast the hardware of purpose-built routers.
Plus, pfSense delivers a good value for the user while providing an environmental benefit. The PCs on which I've run pfSense were older PCs that were no longer adequate to use as a workstation, but they were fine for running pfSense. Thus, I acquired the hardware for free, while keeping these old PCs out of the landfill for a while.
The pfSense software itself is outstanding. For example, the firewall rules are tunable in a much more detailed way than on consumer routers. I depend on pfSense's VPN server. The underlying BSD operating system is very stable and high-performing.
What do you dislike about the product?
I have nothing negative to say about pfSense.
Perhaps I should mention that pfSense is a bit more complicated a solution than an off-the-shelf consumer router. This slight added complexity is appreciated by those who need a more advanced solution, bearing in mind that one has to have a moderate amount of networking knowledge in to configure and use pfSense.
Perhaps I should mention that pfSense is a bit more complicated a solution than an off-the-shelf consumer router. This slight added complexity is appreciated by those who need a more advanced solution, bearing in mind that one has to have a moderate amount of networking knowledge in to configure and use pfSense.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
When I was running a home-based business, pfSense helped me make use of VoIP technology to handle phone traffic. I depend on pfSense's VPN server to connect to my home servers while I'm offsite.
Simplicity makes small office firewall setup easy
What do you like best about the product?
It's open source with the very best open-source ethos and practices. A high-quality exhaustive manual makes setup, implementation, modification, and troubleshooting easy. No vendor "we'll get back to you on that" horror story here.
What do you dislike about the product?
Some of the repository committers are a little superficial when problems are reported. There was a DNS issue with the latest release that the dev team seemed reluctant to admit exists! However, with the usual crowdsourcing efficiency of open source, the user community was able to rub the developers' noses in it, so to speak :)
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
pfSense on my Netgate device solved the One Big Eternal Problem of maintaining a small business firewall: HOW MUCH TIME IS THIS THING GONNA TAKE ME!?!?
Answer: very little. Easy setup. Easy maintenance. Easy dashboard reviews of critical factors via the very nice PHP web interace. Easy-to-use command line if I have to drop to command line,
Answer: very little. Easy setup. Easy maintenance. Easy dashboard reviews of critical factors via the very nice PHP web interace. Easy-to-use command line if I have to drop to command line,
pfSense a perfect firewall for business
What do you like best about the product?
It's a very robust and versatile firewall. It supports multi-wan, VPN, filtering and more. Fits about any business need at a fantastic price.
What do you dislike about the product?
The occasional issue has happened. However, between community and paid support they have been resolved.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Secure VPN access either for road warriors or multiple branch locations. Strong IPS and blocker packages to keep the network safe.
It was a smooth transition from Sonicwall to pfSense.
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense has a different way of doing things from Sonicwall, but it was a very smooth transition once I went through setting it up. I would recommend pfSense to anyone. The cost is the best benefit, but NetGate offers a superior product that rivals the best names out there.
What do you dislike about the product?
Being open source, many tutorials are available on Youtube, etc. Some are difficult to follow. Getting everything just right can be difficult. However, our support from NetGate has been a great asset.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Our school needed a solution that was both cost-effective and affordable. Being a former Sonicwall customer with older equipment, upgrading was not an option budget-wise. pfSense made the best sense.
showing 181 - 190