Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router
Netgate | 24.03.0Linux/Unix, FreeBSD 14 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
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The best firewall solutions
What do you like best about the product?
The pfsense is the most complete perimeter firewall solution that I have used so far. This firewall greatly facilitates the work of network administrators and computer security specialists. Pfsense has many useful network tools and services such as dns forwarder or resolver, dhcp server, ntp server, radius, etc.
Allows easy integration with LDAP and RADIUS servers.
PFsense has a very intuitive and easy to use administration web interface.
Managing vpns with openvpn is very comfortable for both servers and clients
Allows easy integration with LDAP and RADIUS servers.
PFsense has a very intuitive and easy to use administration web interface.
Managing vpns with openvpn is very comfortable for both servers and clients
What do you dislike about the product?
pfsense still needs to improve a bit more on features like vpns with wireguard, export and imports wireguard vpns configs.
pfsense it should also include a reverse web proxy service for use in perimeter firewalls.
pfsense being based on freebsd should have the freebsd repositories active in order to install tools available from the freebsd software sources. example (pkg install mc)
pfsense should have terminals tools like nano, mc, byobu, htop, ncdu installed to make it easier to work from the terminal.
vpns such as softethervpn servers and clients should be included (https://www.softether.org/)
The qemu-guest-additions should be officially included for the use of pfsense over Proxmox-ve
should improve the way to revert changes from the terminal
pfsense it should also include a reverse web proxy service for use in perimeter firewalls.
pfsense being based on freebsd should have the freebsd repositories active in order to install tools available from the freebsd software sources. example (pkg install mc)
pfsense should have terminals tools like nano, mc, byobu, htop, ncdu installed to make it easier to work from the terminal.
vpns such as softethervpn servers and clients should be included (https://www.softether.org/)
The qemu-guest-additions should be officially included for the use of pfsense over Proxmox-ve
should improve the way to revert changes from the terminal
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
pfSense the most stable, comfortable, safe and easy to use firewall that I have tested in my more than 10 years of experience working in networks.
the high availability of the service of my work is thanks to pfsense
the high availability of the service of my work is thanks to pfsense
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Reliable and good set of tools
What do you like best about the product?
I have used pfSense on 3 installations for over 5 years. It installs easy, basic setup is easy, so as the daily operation.
When I selected it I evaluated using plain Linux tools on Ubuntu server and Zentyal. pfSense gave me the functionality and ease of use I needed.
I also find it reliable. After loading an updated driver few years back, which caused me some headache, I had no issues with reliability. I very rarely reboot it, usually only in case of some maintenance. As of today, it has been running 79 days since the last reboot.
When I selected it I evaluated using plain Linux tools on Ubuntu server and Zentyal. pfSense gave me the functionality and ease of use I needed.
I also find it reliable. After loading an updated driver few years back, which caused me some headache, I had no issues with reliability. I very rarely reboot it, usually only in case of some maintenance. As of today, it has been running 79 days since the last reboot.
What do you dislike about the product?
Some functionality are not so easy to figure out how to configure for the first time, or not so easy to find in the menus. This applies e.g. to a bit more complicated routing.
Over the years I had an issue that when load towards the internet was constantly high (well, relatively high - I have 100/100 Mbit/s connection), than occasionally it would freeze. After some googling I found the solution, it needed an updated NIC driver, the one it came with (allegedly the one built into BSD) was having a bug.
Over the years I had an issue that when load towards the internet was constantly high (well, relatively high - I have 100/100 Mbit/s connection), than occasionally it would freeze. After some googling I found the solution, it needed an updated NIC driver, the one it came with (allegedly the one built into BSD) was having a bug.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Home office internet router
OpenVPN based remote access
Site-to-Site VPN tunnel
Implementing IP plan, by allocating DHCP addresses in a friendly UI
Interface statistics
OpenVPN based remote access
Site-to-Site VPN tunnel
Implementing IP plan, by allocating DHCP addresses in a friendly UI
Interface statistics
A great tool packed with features
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense by default comes packed with features, all the customization you could need and great documentation. When setting up, the guides were useful and when troubleshooting my network, the array of tools installed by default helped immensely.
What do you dislike about the product?
Not being fluent in networking terms, one might have trouble understanding certain features.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I requied a firewall + router setup in my network. pfSense was the best fit. Additionally blocking ads with an available addon.
Awesome Product. I use it all over.
What do you like best about the product?
The dashboard and the ability to drill into the system purely by click. I also enjoy the ability to get even more information from Laurence youtube channel
What do you dislike about the product?
My kids, their disdain when they realise the blockages in place. Their nagging to open stuff they are not allowed to see :>)
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
At home, the ability to regulate and monitor. At work, the ability to route, shape and limit.
Upgrading my home network for Gigabit
What do you like best about the product?
The flexibility around VLANS and allowing me to separate my IOT devices, Security Cameras, Docker Containers, Servers and End User Devices.
I had come from other solutions, including more expensive ones and PFSense was the first that really clicked for me.
I had come from other solutions, including more expensive ones and PFSense was the first that really clicked for me.
What do you dislike about the product?
I think the logging mechanisms are pretty powerful, but maybe some of the flash & wow of other systems would be nice. It's hard to complain though. Every problem I have encountered has been solved by the community or me skilling up.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I wanted to be sure that IOT devices could not be used to compromise other parts of my network. I needed to ensure uptime compared to my previous environment (lots of patches) and I also needed a system that could do OpenVPN faster than my standalone router.
I use pfSense to manage multiple remote networks
What do you like best about the product?
I love that it's really just a "full" Linux distro, so when I can't find a built-in setting or a package to do what I need I can ssh in and write something. I also love that it's very stable and low maintenance once it's set up, I rarely need to worry about anything.
What do you dislike about the product?
A few things, but nothing major stands out:
I would like to be able to manage DHCP static clients remotely, ie with an external database.
Updating alias tables is a bit of a hassle (I have an external service that lists out several thousand ips to block that I want to be updated in pfSense immediately so I have a script to ssh in and update them).
I would love updates to not necessarily be automatic but to maybe notify me or have an API endpoint to check for updates and execute them. An API in general would be nice.
Additionally, a better dns resolver (ie wildcards!!)
I would like to be able to manage DHCP static clients remotely, ie with an external database.
Updating alias tables is a bit of a hassle (I have an external service that lists out several thousand ips to block that I want to be updated in pfSense immediately so I have a script to ssh in and update them).
I would love updates to not necessarily be automatic but to maybe notify me or have an API endpoint to check for updates and execute them. An API in general would be nice.
Additionally, a better dns resolver (ie wildcards!!)
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use pfSense in a residential setting, but it is completely remote. I use several services including, but not limited to firewall ip blocking, dhcp, dns resolving, NTP, SSL signing, and OpenVPN.
Great product, good support; Netgate doesn't fail to impress.
What do you like best about the product?
Leaning on the open source community and having rock solid support who are aware of pretty much every issue in their Redmine is awesome, I always feel like if I have to go to TAC that the people who respond know their stuff. I like the modularity and the affordability of the appliances/software.
What do you dislike about the product?
There's no API, automation is moot because of this which seriously restricts its use in the enterprise. I can't deploy these at every site if I have to manually configure them or use some XML uploads. Another thing is vetting your versions for enterprise customers, I know Netgate can't predict everything, but these should be thouroughly tested or at the very least a PSA if there's a possibility of a large bug on upgrade.
Lastly, another thing for enterprise customers, VPN usage. Every major firewall appliance builds off of a simple, existing VPN solution. It'd be nice to have more support for the OpenVPN addons for instance, things like SAML/OIDC for enterprise customers would be amazing. Even if you can't build an API into the current builds having some level of VPN automation would also help immensely.
Lastly, another thing for enterprise customers, VPN usage. Every major firewall appliance builds off of a simple, existing VPN solution. It'd be nice to have more support for the OpenVPN addons for instance, things like SAML/OIDC for enterprise customers would be amazing. Even if you can't build an API into the current builds having some level of VPN automation would also help immensely.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Probably the biggest thing is I know the latest versions of pfSense are secure, the developers are diligent in finding vulnerabilities, quashing them, and informing the community when a new one hits the waves.
For over decade, It's the only firewall/router I use. In lab or production. It's never let me down.
What do you like best about the product?
It just works. I don't have to think about it. Once setup it's out of my mind. I only need to add nat rules whenever a new service or machine is launched.
What do you dislike about the product?
It would be nice to have a mobile app or cluster management, thats a shallow want/need.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It saves me a lot of money. In labs, I use older hardware. In production, I buy the Netgate appliance. It gives me an easy place to setup nat/ routing/DNS/DHCP and IPsec tunnels.
PfSence fun
What do you like best about the product?
FreeBSD based and open source and GUI control panel
What do you dislike about the product?
missed some documentation regarding VPN configuration
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Firewall and IDS/IPS
An easy to manage and scalable all-in-one solution for the network management of our Start-Up.
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense covers all our needs for OpenVPN Networks, Cert-Management, Firewalls, DNS-Resolver etc., in one solution. The GUI makes it much easier and less error-prone to configure complex services, such as firewalls or VPNs, compared to the pure Linux pendants (e.g., iptables).
What do you dislike about the product?
A specific bug with the DHCP service (https://forum.netgate.com/topic/168172/dhclient-error-cannot-open-or-create-pidfile-no-such-file-or-directory/3) caused quite some trouble, but we finally found a solution in the Netgate forum. Our conclusion: The reliability of the free version is not at enterprise level (which was to expect), but the support is yet quite good.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
pfSense allows us to have a cloud-only IT infrastructure based on distributed VMs located at different providers. The built-in VPN servers and firewalls completely encapsulate crucial internal services. Hence, we can have a super scalable, safe, yet highly cost-efficient IT setup thanks to pfSense.
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