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Reasons for Choosing pfSense Software Firewall to Safeguard Your Network

There are countless firewall software options to choose from. Do you opt for something simple but lacking in features? Is the commercially viable option safer than the open-source option? How about customer service and tutorials?

While you may be willing to sacrifice one firewall feature for another, you do not have to. Pfsense is a reliable firewall and router software that is relied upon by many users across the Internet. It offers the most features with the fewest disadvantages imaginable.

The pfSense® software project is a free network firewall distribution based on the FreeBSD operating system with a modified kernel and free software applications from third-party developers for added functionality. With the aid of the package system, pfSense® software can deliver the same or greater functionality than conventional commercial firewalls, without artificial limitations. In innumerable installations around the globe, it has effectively supplanted every major commercial firewall, including Cisco PIX, Cisco ASA, Check Point, Sonicwall, Juniper, Watchguard, and Astaro.

OPNsense is the software that is most frequently compared to pfSense®. In terms of user interface and usability, OPNsense excels. When it comes to online resources and documentation, pfSense® software excels. Due to HardenedBSD and more frequent releases, OPNsense provides marginally enhanced security. The pfSense® CE software supports OPNsense extensions such as Zenarmor.

In this article, we will explain the pfSense software firewall application areas and why administrators should deploy pfSense software on their networks.

What are the Use Cases for pfSense® Software?​

On the same physical device, pfSense® software is typically configured as a DHCP server, DNS server, WiFi access point, and VPN server. pfSense® software enables the implementation of third-party open-source programs such as Snort and Squid via an integrated Package Manager, making it a popular choice among network administrators. The most common use cases of pfSense Software firewall are as follows:

  • External Firewall: The most common application of pfSense® software is a perimeter firewall. Multiple Internet connections, LAN networks, and DMZ networks are supported by the pfSense® software.

  • Router: The pfSense® software can serve as a LAN and WAN router. As you may be aware, a LAN is essentially a group of computers and other devices that share a communication line or wireless connection to a host. A LAN typically consists of devices that are interconnected within a confined space, such as an office or business. A WAN is a private communications network that connects multiple LANs across the globe. A WAN, for instance, may connect multiple branch offices within an organization. A router provides connectivity between a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

  • Virtual Private Network (VPN): A VPN is used to enhance the security and privacy of private and public networks, including Wi-Fi connections and the Internet. VPNs are typically employed by enterprises to protect sensitive data. The pfSense® software, which is deployed as a discrete Virtual Private Network appliance, supports multiple VPN protocols and provides VPN capabilities without interfering with the existing firewall infrastructure.

  • WiFi Gateway: The pfSense® software can function as a wifi gateway or captive portal. The pfSense® software appliance is considerably more adaptable and useful than conventional SOHO security equipment. It is somewhat more difficult to install. The pfSense® software has a number of fantastic features, including the ability to host a visitor Wi-Fi network outside of the primary firewall, using a distinct public IP to NAT behind it.

  • Load Balancer: It can load balance or failover traffic from a LAN to multiple internet connections because pfSense® software supports multiple WAN connections. Connection-based load balancing distributes LAN traffic across available WANs in a round-robin fashion. With redundancy, traffic is routed until failure to the WAN with the highest priority. The subsequent one is then used. If the monitor fails, the WAN is disabled. This further reduces user latency. Utilizing hardware, software, or a combination of the two, load balancing can be achieved.

  • Network Address Translation (NAT): pfSense® software can also be used to forward ports and perform network address translation (NAT). NAT is the procedure by which a network device, typically a firewall, assigns a public address to a computer or collection of computers on a private network. NAT's primary function is to limit the number of public IP addresses that a business or organization must use for economic and security reasons. NAT increases security while decreasing the number of IP addresses an enterprise needs. NAT gateways are devices that are positioned between two networks: the internal network and the external network. Typically, IP addresses assigned to internal network systems cannot be forwarded to external networks.

  • Proxy Server: Squid is a web proxy cache server application that provides proxy and caching services for HTTP, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and other common network protocols. The Squid proxy cache server is an outstanding proxy and caching server solution that scales from branch office to enterprise-level networks and provides exhaustive, granular access control mechanisms and SNMP monitoring of critical parameters. Squid Proxy can be integrated into pfSense® software and used as a proxy server.

  • DNS and DHCP Server: pfSense® software can operate as a DNS or DHCP server. DHCP is a network communications protocol utilized by system administrators to centrally control and administer the network configuration of IP-connected devices. It eliminates the need to manually designate IP addresses and assigns a device an IP address even when it is transferred to a new location. DHCP is compatible with both Internet Protocol versions IPv4 and IPv6. Using DHCP and domain name resolution exclusively on the firewall simplifies configuring network traffic to your exact specifications.


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Reasons to Use pfSense Software Firewall to Protect Your Network​

In addition to the fact that the pfSense® software firewall is completely free to use and customize, there are a number of additional reasons why you should utilize it, whether you want to personalize it or simply want a reliable and dependable firewall. The main reasons for using pfSense Software firewall are as follows:

  • Open Source

  • Robust

  • Flexible

  • Next-Generation Firewall Features

  • Fault Tolerance and Speed Administration

  • VPN Features

  • No Vendor Lock-in

  • Networking Features

  • Well-Supported

  • User-friendly

Open Source​

The pfSense® CE software is Open Source. Open-source software is not only free to use but also has its complete source code available for public inspection and modification without copyright restrictions. The pfSense® CE software is a collaborative public project in which any competent individual may contribute to its development and have their work verified by others for quality and authenticity.

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pfSense Plus is a Netgate product that split out from the pfSense project, and it is closed source, much like Factory Edition. However, the pfSense Plus software is based on a number of open-source projects, including OpenVPN, strongSwan, Free Range Routing, and, FreeBSD. Users may inspect the bulk of pfSense Plus's underlying code if they so want.

Robust​

The pfSense® software is robust. Your firewall's effectiveness is determined not only by the rules you set for it but also by the precision with which it follows those rules, such as its ability to identify data flows that match your criteria for what is detrimental. The pfSense® software includes an abundance of features and sophisticated capabilities that ensure it always adheres to either default or custom rules. Additionally, it differentiates between traffic originating from your internal network of devices and traffic originating from the open internet, allowing you to designate separate rules and policies for each.

Flexible​

The pfSense® software firewall allows for the addition and integration of extra features as code and is adaptable enough to function as both a fundamental firewall and a comprehensive security system. You can integrate (IPS/IDS) to detect hackers attempting to access your network, as well as mass list blocking, which entails introducing a database of known malicious software sites, malicious IP addresses, and hacker sites in case you stumble upon one by accident.

Next-Generation Firewall Features​

Typically, pfSense software is an L4 packet filtering firewall like all other open-source firewalls. But by installing third-party extensions like Zenarmor you may upgrade your pfSense firewall into a next-generation firewall.

The capabilities of a next-generation firewall (NGFW) surpass those of a conventional stateful firewall. In most cases, a conventional firewall permits stateful inspection of incoming and outgoing network traffic. It allows or disallows network traffic based on IP source/destination, port, and protocol. Additionally, it filters traffic based on predefined policy principles and offers a virtual private network.

A next-generation firewall, on the other hand, includes features such as deep packet inspection, application control, web content filtering, intrusion prevention, and threat intelligence delivered via the cloud. Consequently, NGFWs may prevent the most recent cyber threats, including application layer/L7 attacks and malware.

Through analysis and signature matching, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) have a high level of control and visibility over the applications they can identify. They may employ whitelists or a signature-based intrusion prevention system to distinguish between safe and malicious applications, which are identified via SSL decryption. Unlike traditional firewalls, NGFWs have a method for receiving updates in the future.

Zenarmor® offers threat intelligence enabled by artificial intelligence in order to protect your network from more than 300 million websites and domains. Included in all Zenarmor subscriptions, from the Free Edition to the Enterprise Edition.

Zenarmor offers the following features:

  • Cyber threat intelligence in real-time

  • Web site categorization

  • Site Reputation and Classification (for use with TLS Whitelisting/Blacklisting Inspection).

The Zenarmor Business Edition offers enhanced user protection, including an additional 1+ billion categorized domains and 4+ billion recorded IPv4/6 addresses. Additionally, Business Edition users gain access to a global threat intelligence network comprised of over 140 leading cyber security vendors utilizing BrightCloud® Threat Intelligence to enhance and expand their threat detection solutions. Therefore, you can feel easy in the knowledge that you have access to the highest quality threat intelligence available. BrightCloud® has analyzed more than 48 billion domains to date and adds to this database daily by analyzing approximately 25,000 threats and URLs.

Subscribers to Zenarmor Business Edition receive automated access to the BrightCloud® Threat Intelligence database, which is powered by sixth-generation machine learning and always provides the highest level of protection for their businesses. Whether you have a Free, Home, or SOHO subscription, Zenarmor provides outstanding threat intelligence.

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As of v23.01, the pfSense Plus package manager blocks 3rd party applications, like Zenarmor NGFW extension, from getting installed onto the platform.

If you'd like to use Zenarmor and have a next-generation firewall, you can consider other platforms alternatives including pfSense CE, OPNsense, and other Linux-based distributions.

Other packages that empower your pfSense firewall with some next-generation firewall capabilities are as follows:

  • Snort/Suricata: This Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System (IDS/IPS) employs sophisticated and frequently updated rules to detect and thwart attempts by hackers to infiltrate your network. Snort is an open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS) that was created in 1998 by Martin Roesch, the founder and former chief technology officer of Sourcefire. Cisco, which acquired Sourcefire in 2013, is presently developing and maintaining Snort. Snort employs a set of rules that aid in defining malicious network behavior, searching for packets that match these criteria, and alerting users of potential threats. To intercept these transmissions, Snort is deployed inline. Suricata is an alternative to Snort that can be operated on pfSense.

  • pfBlockerNG: pfBlockerNG is a BBCan177-created pfSense® software application used for IP/DNS-based filtering. It is based on Marcello Coutinho and Tom Schaefer's previous work. The objective of the pfBlockerNG project was to extend the primary firewall functionality of pfSense by enabling users to control and administer inbound and outbound access through the firewall using IP and DNS control lists. pfBlockerNG enables pfSense® software to make allow/deny decisions based on factors such as the geolocation of an IP address, the domain name of a resource, and the Alexa ranking of particular websites.

  • Squid and ClamAV: Unlike traditional web proxies, antivirus proxies scan all content traveling through the proxy for malware and viral signatures. If the proxy determines that the content is malicious, the download will be terminated and the user will be redirected to an error page. Malicious network packets can be blocked from entering the network, which is the primary advantage of scanning for viruses directly on the router. This network security method is particularly useful for hospitality networks and other situations where you cannot be certain that every client has an antivirus program that is up to date. In addition, even if each of your clients has an antivirus program, the defense-in-depth principle suggests employing a central antivirus system as an additional layer of protection.ClamAV® is an anti-virus engine suitable for email scanning, web scanning, and endpoint security. It consists of a scalable and flexible multi-threaded daemon, a command-line scanner, and a sophisticated utility for automated database updates. It is licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License. ClamAV identifies millions of viruses, trojans, worms, and other forms of malicious software. ClamAV® executes only trusted signature definitions if the signature database is signed. In addition to scanning compressed and archived files, it also protects against archive explosives.

Fault Tolerance and Speed Administration​

Fault tolerance is when a system continues to function despite the failure of one or more of its components. pfSense provides failover tolerance via multiple mechanisms.

  • CARP: CARP stands for Common Address Redundancy Protocol, and it enables multiple routers to share a virtual IP address so that if one fails, the other takes over instantaneously and the remainder of the network continues to function normally. Those of you who are concerned about always having a working Internet connection and other routing features should consider configuring this. You require three IPs from your ISP.

  • Multi-WAN: This enables multiple Internet connections for increased throughput and/or redundancy. With multi-WAN, you have multiple internet connections active simultaneously, allowing you to move to the next in line in the event that one connection fails. Multiple connections are useful if you want to increase your connection performance by distributing the data transfer across multiple connections rather than one. A smart failover strategy would be to have your primary hard-wired Internet connection failover to a cellular connection using a cellular adapter or by connecting to a wifi hotspot via a bridge.

VPN Features​

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) offer several advantages for enhancing our online security and privacy when browsing the internet, not just from hackers, governments, and telephone service providers. On an untrusted network, you should encrypt and secure your Internet transmissions. You should not trust resident and public wifi connections by default. VPNs provide secure remote access to private network resources. VPN allows you to view and configure your IT systems, and securely view your network monitoring systems when you are away.

Using a VPN to encrypt network traffic on these connections protects your privacy. VPN enables anonymity on the internet by concealing your IP address, location, and search history. By using VPN, you can prevent websites, internet browsers, cable companies, and internet service providers (ISPs) from tracing you. Depending on who you ask, anonymity is either one of the Internet's most fundamental principles or one of its most pressing problems. However, once your identity is revealed, someone or something will abuse you and your information. Furthermore, there are certain online activities that we do not wish to be associated with us. You can access web applications and websites through a VPN while remaining entirely anonymous. Consequently, a VPN is vastly superior to incognito modes and web proxies, which do not completely protect your identity or data.

By altering your IP address, a VPN makes it appear to content providers that you are browsing from a different region, allowing you to access content that may not be available in your current location. You should review the terms of service to learn what your streaming service permits and to be aware of any country-specific penalties.

pfSense offers a variety of VPN protocols, including IPSec, PPTP, L2TP, WireGuard, and OpenVPN.

No Vendor Lock-in​

Vendor lock-in describes a circumstance in which the cost of transferring to a different vendor is so high that the consumer is effectively unable to switch. The ability to choose your own hardware enables you to match your router's specifications to the requirements of your network. You may have 2 WAN connections or desire multiple VLANs. Then, you can acquire hardware with the necessary number of network adapters. Perhaps you already have excellent access points, in which case you do not need to purchase wireless equipment for your router.

If you plan to operate a VPN server or IDS/IPS such as Snort or Suricata, you may need to purchase more robust hardware. You can even decide to virtualize your router. In many cases, you can replace the router supplied by your Internet service provider, even if they insist it is necessary.

The point is that you can purchase hardware tailored to your exact specifications and then extend it if your requirements change.

Networking Features​

pfSense provides networking capabilities that many fundamental SOHO off-the-shelf routers lack. Some networking features of pfSense software are listed below:

  • VLAN support: Virtual LANs permit the segmentation of network resources. You can use this to grant certain network resources priority Internet access or to prevent certain network devices from accessing other network devices, such as when segmenting IoT devices.

  • Time-based Filtering: Schedules can be applied to firewall rules, allowing for granular control over which network devices have Internet access at specific times.

  • Quality of Service (QOS): This enables you to specify which categories of Internet traffic receive priority access on your network. This is useful for ensuring that your streaming videos do not continually buffer and that your online gaming receives priority.

Well-Supported​

The pfSense® software is supported well. When utilizing pfSense, you have numerous support options. pfSense® software routinely releases security and feature enhancements. You never feel as though you are using obsolete software. The pfSense® software has its own extensive, searchable, and frequently updated documentation website. Available resources range from how-to guides to technical documentation. The pfSense® software support forum is extensive, knowledgeable, and receptive. You can find answers to almost any query, as well as assistance with troubleshooting and developing features. Although most home users will not be interested, paid support options are available. In all honesty, the documentation and community forums should be sufficient support for home users. There are options for compensated support.

User-friendly​

pfSense® software is user-friendly; firewall software is typically difficult for novices. In contrast to other firewalls, pfSense® software provides a user-friendly system with an uncomplicated interface that is simple to administer.