Back to Blog
    SecurityNetworkingLabs

    pfSense Firewall: Enterprise Security for Your Network

    Deploy and configure pfSense as a powerful open-source firewall with VLANs, VPN, and IDS/IPS integration.

    January 25, 20266 min read

    Introduction

    pfSense is a FreeBSD-based firewall and router platform. It brings enterprise-grade security features to commodity hardware.

    Core Features

    • Stateful firewall and NAT
    • VLAN segmentation (802.1Q)
    • Multi-WAN and policy routing
    • OpenVPN / IPSec / WireGuard
    • Suricata or Snort IDS/IPS
    • Traffic shaping

    Hardware Guidelines

    Recommended Hardware
    ├── CPU: 64-bit Intel/AMD (AES-NI for VPN)
    ├── RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB+ for IDS)
    ├── Storage: 32 GB SSD
    └── NICs: 2x Intel (WAN + LAN)

    Initial Setup

    After install, access the web UI at https://192.168.1.1:

    1. Run the Setup Wizard

    2. Configure WAN (DHCP/Static/PPPoE)

    3. Configure LAN (default 192.168.1.1/24)

    4. Set a strong admin password

    Firewall Rules Strategy

    Golden rule

    Deny all, allow by exception

    VLAN Segmentation

    Create VLANs for Guest, IoT, and Servers and apply least‑privilege rules between them.

    VPN (WireGuard)

    1. Install the WireGuard package

    2. Create the tunnel and peers

    3. Add firewall rules on WAN

    4. Configure outbound NAT

    IDS/IPS

    Enable Suricata or Snort on the WAN and critical VLANs, then start in alert‑only mode before blocking.

    Conclusion

    pfSense turns standard hardware into a powerful security gateway when combined with strict segmentation.

    pfSense
    Firewall
    VPN
    IDS
    FreeBSD

    Written by

    CT

    Corentin Tujague

    Network & Security Engineer

    Passionate about building secure, scalable infrastructure and sharing technical knowledge.