Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router
Netgate | 24.11.0Linux/Unix, FreeBSD 14 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
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Wide set of features with easy disaster recovery
What do you like best about the product?
For us the pfsense makes the maintenance work of our external enpoints very easy to comprehend. We sadly had a crashing pfsens hardware but luckely we had a recent backup, we restored the backup to the new hardware and just like that we where up and running again. We where in contact with support to get a new firmware for another one and the support is fast and very informative.
What do you dislike about the product?
It can sometimes be hard to fine tune settings for very specific needs, but that most likely lack of competence on our side.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
A competent loadbalancer for http traffic and wireguard VPN.
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Great experience and great hardware
What do you like best about the product?
The first upside of using pfSense is of course the ease of use, and the great interface. It may not be as complete as what Palo Alto offers for example but realistically, the price range is not the same.
What do you dislike about the product?
I have to say, I don't really like the firewall logs, I think there is room for improvements like for example pagination on live monitoring.
It would be awesome to see an application based firewall, even if it comes with a specific version of pfSense.
It would be awesome to see an application based firewall, even if it comes with a specific version of pfSense.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
pfSense permits me to have a VPN connection to my home network while I'm elsewhere and I need to get a specific file, or just want to browse the internet without ads. It also gives me the ability to open ports (for example for game servers with friends) and to do strict firewall rules.
Enterprise & Small Business ready
What do you like best about the product?
I have deployed 6100's in secure facilities and small businesses a like and im constantly impressed with the robustness not only of the software, but also the support model.
What do you dislike about the product?
A few lacking "features" to make administration on mass is a niggle, nothing major
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Multi Tenant buildings with fail over, CE+ secure networks for CNI and List X solutions
Wide array of hardware with flexible software
What do you like best about the product?
The pfSense software is widely-known and very flexible. There are considerable resources on the Internet, from books to videos. Good technical support from Netgate.
What do you dislike about the product?
I'm used to configuring routers and firewalls for my advanced home network. pfSense had a learning curve for me. It would be nice if there were a more intuitive visual interface where it's more obvious that firewall rules and DHCP servers are based on interfaces, and aliases are definitions that go into the rules and such.
Also, it should be much easier to analyze and reduce bufferbloat and other common connection nonidealities.
Also, it should be much easier to analyze and reduce bufferbloat and other common connection nonidealities.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The Netgage 1541 provides more than enough throughput for my 1.6 Gbps Internet connection. It provides support for the isolated wireless networks in my house, and has two 10 Gbase-T connections for connecting to my primary switch.
Best and only firewall used for our business and our clients
What do you like best about the product?
Simplicity yet powerful tools to configure the Firewall. Intuitive.
What do you dislike about the product?
Sometime the Firmware updates tend to brick the device
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The range of harware to fit the size of the buinsess.
Easy to setup and understand. Lots of features.
What do you like best about the product?
It has ALOT of the capabilities I am looking to deploy all in a single box.
What do you dislike about the product?
I am still having issues with multiple wireguard tunnels. Reverted to openvpn.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Multiple egress routes based on rules.
Vpn using MFA and certificates.
Vpn using MFA and certificates.
Satisfaction
What do you like best about the product?
My general confidence in its high security level (on the condition that its configuration is errorfre)
What do you dislike about the product?
1. Sometimes I experience uncertainty in how to interpretate and/or configure and understanding consequences of firewall configuration commands.
a. One example of my experience: I did create firewall commands for an OPT interface (on SG-1100, as well as on SG-2100), in order to setup Netgear WiFi Routers R6020 to the OPT Interface as their WAN. However, when I looked at Netgear router logs, there used to be an abundancy of log entries indicating DOS Attack. Therefore, I assume that I didn't manage to secure the OPT interface against incoming traffic from the Internet.
b. Another example that I do not understand: Log entries in pfSense (System, General) containing text "now monitoring attacks", quite a lot of entries.
2. Use of PHP in pfSense which, to my knowledge, is not a completely reliable web language, and often is subject to security vulnerabilities.
a. One example of my experience: I did create firewall commands for an OPT interface (on SG-1100, as well as on SG-2100), in order to setup Netgear WiFi Routers R6020 to the OPT Interface as their WAN. However, when I looked at Netgear router logs, there used to be an abundancy of log entries indicating DOS Attack. Therefore, I assume that I didn't manage to secure the OPT interface against incoming traffic from the Internet.
b. Another example that I do not understand: Log entries in pfSense (System, General) containing text "now monitoring attacks", quite a lot of entries.
2. Use of PHP in pfSense which, to my knowledge, is not a completely reliable web language, and often is subject to security vulnerabilities.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Secure Electronic communication from my home (Stationary computers, Laptops, Smart phones, WiFi AP and router (since a few days, no longer including Netgear WiFi routers having OPT as its WAN interface)
Great alternative to edge firewalls / routers
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense has great documentation and even better support. Even TAC Lite users get to enjoy pretty much immediate professional support with staff based in Texas!
Setup is quite simple. Very sensible defaults out of the box. Uptime is pretty much determined by the frequenc of updates. It's rock stable and solid!
Setup is quite simple. Very sensible defaults out of the box. Uptime is pretty much determined by the frequenc of updates. It's rock stable and solid!
What do you dislike about the product?
Prices of their lower end appliances perhaps.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Netgate appliance with pfSense+ as my Edge firewall.
Full featured Layer 3 Solution for SME Networks
What do you like best about the product?
Stable routing and firewall solution, supporting HA, IPv4+6, boot environments, multiple routing alternatives, DoH and DoT, Wireguard and other VPN solutions. Firewall supports interface-based rules in addition to address-based ones, which is essential when WAN addresses or GUAs are dynamic. Freedom in selecting hardware platform, either Netgate's or third-party. Boot environment support makes it simple to switch between releases and configurations. Well-documented with a helpful community in addition to paid support. Integrates easily with Layer 2 switching and AP solutions from other vendors.
What do you dislike about the product?
Nothing. Even the smallest pfSense+ deployments require a yearly fee. pfSense CE is available for those who want a fee-free solution.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Switched to pfSense+ primarily for full-featured v6 support: GUAs + ULAs, interface-based firewall rules that enable firewall rules to track dynamic GUAs. Was previously using another vendors integrated L2+L3 solution. pfSense makes it simple to combine its powerful L3 features with other vendors L2 solutions.
Netgate user review
What do you like best about the product?
Someone that can help support the product when time is of the essence. Once we received our product, it was of high quality with high quality support.
What do you dislike about the product?
Their support is a bit clunky, and the ordering process was opaque.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
A reliable firewall gateway that I can learn once and keep as the main , industry standard firewall so I don't keep having to switch vendors.
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