Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router
Netgate | 24.03.0Linux/Unix, FreeBSD 14 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
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15 years pfsense user
What do you like best about the product?
Stable. Configure it once and it will just keep running reliably in the background. I have to reboot the ISP modem every few months but never pfsense. the only competitor in my opinion, is OpenWrt
What do you dislike about the product?
Just the learning curve of getting something to work sometimes. Biggest problem I have had is multi wan bonding but once configured it usually works without many problems
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I have enterprise router functionality that I can run on any hardware that I have. And it is free. These are features like virtual IP's , VLANS, and specific routing rules for internal security policies
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I've been using pfSense for about 6 years now and super satisfied with the product so far. love it.
What do you like best about the product?
It's free if use on our hardware. many apps available. User interface is simpler but it has wrapped up all simple config to advanced config in a nicer way.
What do you dislike about the product?
faced some difficulties with getting a proxy setup within pfSense.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
pfSense solved the need of a security appliance at a super low cost for a business while giving the full scalable features.
pfSense is easy to set up and just works
What do you like best about the product?
How quickly you can get it up and running, and how intuitive the interface and configuration screens are.
Automated backups and roll-back options (this has been so useful)
Automated backups and roll-back options (this has been so useful)
What do you dislike about the product?
I can't think of anything I would say I dislike. I know there is a lot I have not used yet but so far, nothing to dislike.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Secure internet access to and from my networks.
Able to re-use older hardware
Easy deployment of appliances.
Able to re-use older hardware
Easy deployment of appliances.
Runs on (almost) everything.
What do you like best about the product?
Solid and performant firewall
Extremely configurable
Installed on VM, generic X86 desktop, ebay firewall appliance (Watchguard XTM)
Extremely configurable
Installed on VM, generic X86 desktop, ebay firewall appliance (Watchguard XTM)
What do you dislike about the product?
Menu tree could be a bit better organized
Logs could be better accessible and searchable (e.g. "Want to know why IP 1.2.3.4 isn't getting through")
Logs could be better accessible and searchable (e.g. "Want to know why IP 1.2.3.4 isn't getting through")
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Much, much better than a over-the-counter "WiFi Router". Open-Source, with many available plugins meaning endless customizations
Stable and Secure with feature rich plug-ins.
What do you like best about the product?
Switching from a rather locked down routing software to PFSense has been a great experience. Configuration of PFsense from the Setup Wizard to customizations such as the implementation of site-to-site VPNs, HAProxy, DNS and PFBlockerNG. The abiliity to also have a Configuraiton Backup and easily spin-up a virtual Router should the physical hardware fail is also a relief.
What do you dislike about the product?
I haven't really experience anything that I dislike all that much. I suppose, it would be nice to have a Dashboard that could auto-populate with features that would be of interest rather than having to determine yourself what you want to visualise. Though, I suppose that's the power of running your own Firewall - You can control what you do and don't want to see.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
PFSense solves the issue of being able ot ensure router's have up to date software. Previously, router's were supported for a few years and then support was dropped by the vendor. With PFsense, since it's software you can move along with it provided you keep your system updated. You also have the added option of using their own hardware which is also feature rich and well supported. PFsense has also made it easy setting up site-to-site VPNs allowing for a choice between VPN technology such as Wireguard or IPSEC.
My first firewall
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense's defaults are very nice, and I only need to customize it for my given usecase. Also, it has a large package library, making this excellent software exponentially more powerful.
What do you dislike about the product?
It uses OpenSSL instead of LibreSSL. I'm not expert in security, but it seems the 'security' community has a consensus that LibreSSL is just better than OpenSSL. It seems like this decision was made out of personal sentimentality from the heads of development for pfSense. I don't appreciate that.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I want my own network completely under my own control.
I've been stuck with XFinity routers in every house I live in.
If anything drives me to madness, it will be my hatred for XFi software!
I can't upgrade the entire house's network, but I can at least have my own private LAN in my bedroom, and pfSense does an excellent job for this.
Also, with the wireguard package I have easy access to my LAN from anywhere.
I've been stuck with XFinity routers in every house I live in.
If anything drives me to madness, it will be my hatred for XFi software!
I can't upgrade the entire house's network, but I can at least have my own private LAN in my bedroom, and pfSense does an excellent job for this.
Also, with the wireguard package I have easy access to my LAN from anywhere.
Easy to use and quite effective if tuned the right way.
What do you like best about the product?
Firewall Rule creation
OpenVPN setup
Squip Proxy Filters and Blacklist addition.
Traffic Graphs
OpenVPN setup
Squip Proxy Filters and Blacklist addition.
Traffic Graphs
What do you dislike about the product?
Blocklists are not always up to date; I currently do manual updates to an alias list for suspect Bruteforce attempting IPs.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
LAN Filters - can limit bandwidth allocation for clients.
IP Blocklist - specifying what IP to block or unblock both on LAN and WAN based on Rules created.
Easy bandwidth monitoring.
Easy client activity monitoring.
Simple daily reports on usage.
Easy setup of OpenVPN and very effective.
IP Blocklist - specifying what IP to block or unblock both on LAN and WAN based on Rules created.
Easy bandwidth monitoring.
Easy client activity monitoring.
Simple daily reports on usage.
Easy setup of OpenVPN and very effective.
A powerful, stable, Opensource-based Firewall
What do you like best about the product?
Mostly, I love the simplicity and with a little of network knowledge, I can manage my network at home.
What do you dislike about the product?
Since I'm not a technical guy, I have to go through a lot of reading to make it up. but at the end, the documentation is available and there are a lot of forums contributions that are also very useful.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use pfSense to control the network's access by doing isolation for the guest network. In addition, I create a policy for my children's devices to be able to manage access to the website "block and authorize" and when they may use the internet.
Great OS and flexibility, hardware not as reliable
What do you like best about the product?
Control and visibility of traffic rules and data. Easy to configure rules and settings. Not bound to hardware and configuration can be easily ported to different hardware.
What do you dislike about the product?
The negate hardware has been unreliable. Would not use in remote distant areas due to failures and difficulty for an average user/remote hands restoring the appliance.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Geoblocking countries we are not in business with, DNS control and visibility, granular firewall rules, aliases, Snort, pfblocker, DNS, and VPN with relative ease.
Netgate pfSense appliance
What do you like best about the product?
The appliance seems very secure and allows me to configure my home office easily with plenty of video walkthroughs on YouTube.
What do you dislike about the product?
The UI could be easier in some places and workflows would be great to set a VPN up from scratch. The base OS is not the latest but that is already being worked on.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The two things that the pfSense resolves is security of my network connection and handling VPN's for multiple devices.
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