Complete PFSense Firewall course! v2026

Install VirtualBox on Windows, download the cross-platform tool, and create a new virtual machine by selecting the OS type and using ISO images with the extension pack.

Configure the wan interface in pfSense, selecting IPv4 DHCP, PPPoE, or static IPv4 per your ISP; always enable the login block to protect your local network and apply changes.

Configure the LAN interface and access its web interface by default. Adjust IPv4 address, gateway, and outbound route on the LAN, and apply changes when pfSense notifies IP updates.

Configure a single dhcpv4 server on pfSense to auto-assign IP addresses, DNS, and gateways on the LAN, and manage lease times, address ranges, and static mappings.

Configure dhcp relay on pfSense to forward requests from the local network to another dhcp server, enabling the relay, setting ip destination addresses, and preserving static mappings.

Configure dynamic DNS on pfSense by selecting a dynamic DNS service, creating a hostname, and enabling IPv4 and IPv6 updates to keep your public IP synchronized.

Learn to create and manage aliases in pfSense, enabling name-to-IP translations for addresses, ports, and URLs to simplify firewall rules, NAT, and network configurations, including IPv6 considerations.

Configure nat66 on pfSense to provide ipv6 addresses for your lan when isp blocks or rotates ipv6. Enable dhcpv6 on lan and define a fd00 network, then test with ping.

Discover how pfSense edge firewalls defend large networks by controlling internet access, blocking nonwork sites, and boosting speed with caching, proxies, and bandwidth management.

Create schedules in pfSense and attach them to firewall rules to control access, such as wifi internet or guest networks, by business hours and dates.

Learn to protect your network with pfBlockerNG on pfSense by blocking ads, malware sites, and spam using built-in and custom lists, DNS resolution, IPv4/IPv6, and geolocation, while monitoring RAM usage.

Install squid on pfSense, pair with squidguard for access control, and configure caching as a transparent reverse proxy to reduce bandwidth, with a certificate authority and server certificate for SSL.

Configure the basics of Squid on pfSense by setting up local cache, hard disk and memory cache, enabling logs, and configuring manual proxy with IPv4/IPv6 awareness.

Configure a transparent proxy in pfSense to handle SSL traffic and deploy squidguard for allow/deny lists. Install and trust the certificate on browsers to enable secure, seamless filtering.

Learn to configure SquidGuard with pfSense and Squid, install and enable the proxy filter, manage blacklists and whitelists, and test access rules and redirects to tailor network blocking.

Install and configure squid on pfSense with SquidGuard, enable comprehensive logging, set up authentication, and monitor real-time traffic and website access through open stats and proxy tests.

Configure a one-to-one NAT rule in pfSense by mapping an external IP to an internal address, exposing the internal host, but it is not recommended; prefer VPN or port forward.

Explore how to create an outbound NAT rule in pfSense, including automatic, hybrid, and manual options for protecting egress from LAN, DMZ, and guest networks.

Create static routes in pfSense by defining a destination network and a gateway, then apply changes to route traffic via the correct WAN interface.

Configure traffic shaping with pfSense to prioritize VoIP and other services. Use the firewall traffic shaper wizard to allocate bandwidth, set rules, and apply across LAN and WAN.

Limit bandwidth on your pfSense network by creating and applying upload and download limiters, binding IPs to MAC addresses, and shaping traffic for local networks.

Create VLANs on a single interface with VLAN tags and interface assignments in pfSense. Configure DHCP for VLANs, set IPv4/IPv6 ranges, and assign WAN, LAN, and guest networks.

Limit bandwidth for users by configuring pfSense traffic shaper, creating and applying upload and download limits for IPs, MACs, and the local network.

Set up an inbound pfSense load balancer to distribute web and other service requests across multiple servers, using monitors, virtual servers, pools, DMZ, and NAT rules.

Learn to install pfSense in redundant mode using CARP to form a master–slave cluster with shared virtual IPs, three NICs per device, and a dedicated sync network for seamless failover.

Enable snmp on pfSense, configure access and version settings, and test with snmp walk to prepare data for monitoring in Zabbix or Nagios.

Connect pfSense to Zabbix via SNMP to monitor CPU, memory, speeds, interfaces, and availability. Add a pfSense host and apply generic SNMP templates to enable data collection.

Monitor pfSense with the Zabbix agent to enable complete visibility of system metrics, OpenVPN, and VPN connections, using XML templates and a guided setup.

Learn how to enable and use wake-on-lan in pfSense, sending a magic packet to desktop and server devices on your internal network via MAC addresses.

Enable regular pfSense backups by exporting an XML file of key areas, including firewall rules, DHCP, NAT, DNS, VPN, and certificates, and use restore and config history to revert changes.

Configure and customize the pfSense status dashboard by adding, removing, and rearranging widgets; edit settings, monitor logs and OpenVPN status, and view charts of network links.

Monitor pfSense network traffic in real time with a live graph and per-IP bandwidth table, filtering by IP, hostname, or URL, and track interface types like WAN and external.

View and interpret pfSense system, firewall, and DHCP logs to identify anomalies, IP addresses, and protocol usage, with guidance on syslog formatting, remote logging, and essential log management.

Master pfSense by managing services: monitor service status, restart or stop individual services like DHCP server, NTP, syslog, and Sabex proxy, and configure settings while viewing logs.

Explore real-time monitoring with pfTop in pfSense to view active connections, traffic rates, and firewall rules across IPv4/IPv6, protocols, and interfaces.

Explore pfSense system activity monitoring with a top-like view, covering CPU usage, uptime, memory, swap, arc cache, and the process list to assess overload.

Learn how to install and configure ntopng on pfSense to monitor network traffic with a feature-rich web interface, including traffic classification, geolocation, alerts, and long-term reports.

Monitor pfSense firewalls with Wazuh by installing a FreeBSD agent and configuring decoders and rules. Track logs for alerts on logins, changes, and brute-force attempts.