OPNsense
OPNsense is an open source firewall and routing software based on FreeBSD. It features a stateful packet filtering firewall, traffic shaping, VPN capabilities, intrusion detection and prevention, and centralized logging and reporting.
open-source
firewall
routing
freebsd
packet-filtering
traffic-shaping
vpn
intrusion-detection
intrusion-prevention
centralized-logging
reporting
OPNsense: Open Source Firewall and Routing Software
OPNsense is an open source firewall and routing software based on FreeBSD. It features a stateful packet filtering firewall, traffic shaping, VPN capabilities, intrusion detection and prevention, and centralized logging and reporting.
What is OPNsense?
OPNsense is an open source firewall and routing software platform based on FreeBSD. It started as a fork of PfSense in 2014 and has since developed into a feature-rich networking solution with a strong focus on security and privacy.
Some key features and capabilities of OPNsense include:
- Stateful packet inspection firewall for network access control and intrusion prevention
- Traffic shaping and quality-of-service controls for bandwidth optimization
- VPN support including IPsec and OpenVPN for secure remote connections
- Forward and reverse proxy with caching for web applications
- Intrusion detection and prevention through Suricata and Snort integration
- Centralized logging and reporting for monitoring and analysis
- Captive portal capability for managing guest wifi networks
- DNS recursive resolver with DNS over TLS support
- Routing capabilities for inter-VLAN and internal networks
OPNsense uses a web-based administrative GUI for configuration, which allows central management of all networking features and security controls. It has an active development community contributing plugins and improvements to the core open source codebase. The software is commonly deployed as a perimeter firewall, internal segment firewall, VPN gateway, and router by SMBs, enterprises, and MSPs.
OPNsense Features
Features
- Stateful packet filtering firewall
- Traffic shaping and QoS
- VPN capabilities (IPsec, OpenVPN, L2TP)
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Centralized logging and reporting
- Web interface for configuration and management
- Plugin architecture for extensibility
- High availability with CARP protocol
- Captive portal for guest networks
- Traffic analysis and monitoring
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Free and open source
Regular updates and security fixes
Extensive documentation and community support
Highly customizable via plugins
Supports latest network standards and protocols
Performs well even on low-end hardware
Cons
Steeper learning curve than commercial solutions
Lacks some features found in proprietary alternatives
Requires more hands-on management than UTM appliances
Plugin quality can vary
Official Links
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