pfSense

PfSense

pfSense is a free, open source firewall and router platform based on FreeBSD. It has a wide range of features including traffic shaping, captive portal, VPN capabilities, and packages that add functionality.
pfSense image
firewall router networking open-source

pfSense: Free Open Source Firewall and Router Platforms

pfSense is a free, open source firewall and router platform based on FreeBSD. It has a wide range of features including traffic shaping, captive portal, VPN capabilities, and packages that add functionality.

What is PfSense?

pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router platform based on FreeBSD. It has an extensive range of features and capabilities for managing network traffic and security.

Some key features and capabilities of pfSense include:

  • Stateful packet filtering firewall
  • Network Address Translation (NAT)
  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) support including OpenVPN, IPSec, and WireGuard
  • Traffic shaping and Quality of Service (QoS)
  • Captive portal for managing user network access
  • Routing and multi-WAN capabilities
  • DHCP, DNS, and other network services
  • Package system for adding additional functionality
  • In-depth monitoring, logging and reporting

pfSense provides an easy-to-use web interface for administration and configuration. It has an active community providing support and additional packages. The software is commonly used by home users, small to medium sized businesses, and even large enterprises needing advanced router and firewall capabilities.

PfSense Features

Features

  1. Stateful packet filtering firewall
  2. Network Address Translation (NAT)
  3. Virtual Private Network (VPN) capabilities
  4. Traffic shaping and quotas
  5. Captive portal
  6. High availability with CARP
  7. Package system for adding functionality

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Wide range of features

Extensible through packages

Runs on commodity hardware

Regular security updates

Cons

Complex interface for beginners

Requires technical knowledge to setup and manage

Limited official support options


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