Software:pfSense

From HandWiki
Short description: Firewall/Router software distribution

pfSense
A version of the FreeBSD operating system
PfSense logo.svg
Dashboard of pfSense 2.7.0-DEVELOPMENT
The main dashboard of pfSense 2.7.0-DEVELOPMENT
DeveloperRubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate)
OS familyFreeBSD
Working stateCurrent
Source modelClosed source and open source
Released to
manufacturing		Oct 2006
|Final release|Latest release}}
  • Community Edition: 2.7.1 (amd64) / November 16, 2023; 3 months ago (2023-11-16)[1]
  • Plus: 23.09 / November 6, 2023; 3 months ago (2023-11-06)[1]
Platforms32-bit (discontinued in 2.4.x); 64-bit Intel / AMD
Default user interfaceWeb
LicenseApache License 2.0[2] (Applies to pfSense CE)
Official websitepfsense.org
Support status
  • Supported by the community
  • Paid commercial support


pfSense is a firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD. The open source pfSense Community Edition (CE) and pfSense Plus is installed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network.[3] It can be configured and upgraded through a web-based interface, and requires no knowledge of the underlying FreeBSD system to manage.[4][5]

Overview

The pfSense project began in 2004 as a fork of the m0n0wall project by Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich. Its first release was in October 2006.[6] The name derives from the fact that the software uses the packet-filtering tool, PF.[7]

Notable functions of pfSense include traffic shaping, VPNs using IPsec or PPTP, captive portal, stateful firewall, network address translation, 802.1q support for VLANs, and dynamic DNS.[8] pfSense can be installed on hardware with an x86-64 processor architecture. It can also be installed on embedded hardware using Compact Flash or SD cards, or as a virtual machine.[9]

WireGuard protocol support

In February 2021, pfSense CE 2.5.0 and pfSense Plus 21.02 added support for a kernel WireGuard implementation. Support for WireGuard was temporarily removed in March 2021 after implementation issues were discovered by WireGuard founder Jason Donenfeld.[10][11][12] The July 2021 release of pfSense CE 2.5.2 version re-included WireGuard.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Releases — Versions of pfSense and FreeBSD". https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/versions-of-pfsense-and-freebsd.html. 
  2. ↑ "pfSense adopts Apache 2.0 License". Serve The Home (Loyolan Ventures, LLC). 19 June 2016. https://www.servethehome.com/pfsense-adopts-apache-2-0-license/. 
  3. ↑ Ot, Anina (2021-02-03). "6 Reasons Why You Should Be Using pfsense Firewall". https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-use-pfsense-firewall/. 
  4. ↑ "You should be running a pfSense firewall". InfoWorld. 22 December 2014. http://www.infoworld.com/article/2861574/network-security/you-should-be-running-pfsense-firewall.html. 
  5. ↑ Miller, Sloan (26 June 2008). "Configure a professional firewall using pfSense". Free Software Magazine (22). http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/configure_professional_firewall_using_pfsense. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  6. ↑ Fields, Robert (28 October 2016). "Happy 10th Anniversary to pfSense Open Source Software" (in en). Netgate Blog. https://www.netgate.com/blog/happy-10th-anniversary-to-pfsense-open-source-software.html. 
  7. ↑ Mobily, Tony (14 August 2007). "Interview with Jeff Starkweather, Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich". Free Software Magazine. //freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/interview_with_jeff_starkweather_chris_buechler_and_scott_ullrich/. 
  8. ↑ "pfSense® CE functions". https://www.firewallhardware.it/en/pfsense/. 
  9. ↑ "How to Install pfSense Firewall on Ubuntu and CentOS?". 2020-02-06. https://geekflare.com/pfsense-installation-guide/. 
  10. ↑ Salter, Jim (2021-03-15). "In-kernel WireGuard is on its way to FreeBSD and the pfSense router" (in en-us). https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/in-kernel-wireguard-is-on-its-way-to-freebsd-and-the-pfsense-router/. 
  11. ↑ "Releases — 21.02/21.02-p1/2.5.0 New Features and Changes". https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/2-5-0.html. 
  12. ↑ Kumar, Rohit (2021-03-19). "pfSense and FreeBSD Pull Back on Kernel WireGuard Support" (in en-US). https://www.servethehome.com/pfsense-and-freebsd-pull-back-on-kernel-wireguard-support/. 
  13. ↑ "pfSense CE 2.5.2-RELEASE Now Available" (in en-us). https://www.netgate.com/blog/pfsense-ce-2.5.2-release-now-available. 

Further reading

  • Mastering pfSense, Second Edition Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing, 2018. ISBN:978-1788993173. By David Zientra.
  • Security: Manage Network Security With pfSense Firewall [Video] Birmingham, UK: Packt, 2018. ISBN:978-1789538991. By Manuj Aggarwal.

External links



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:PfSense&oldid=3468942"