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.

Learn to install pfSense using VirtualBox by downloading the official ISO, configuring two network cards for WAN and LAN, and completing the browser-based initial setup.

Navigate pfSense general setup to configure system hostname, domain, DNS servers (IPv4 and IPv6), and DNS override. Set time zone with a local NTP server and save.

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.

Explore configuring an optional pfSense interface, adding a third adapter, bridging mode, and assigning WAN, LAN, DMZ, or WAN2 networks via CLI and web GUI.

Learn how to enable and secure ssh on pfSense, configure authentication with passwords or public keys, and test access from lan using Putty, while avoiding default port 22.

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 a DHCP server with static mapping to always assign the same IP and DNS to clients, including IPv6 scenarios and printers, using MAC addresses and permanent 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 an alternate DNS for pfSense by adding multiple DNS servers in system general setup, including IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and define fallback via WAN DNS.

Configure the pfSense dns forwarder to act as a dns server, resolve requests, manage dhcp registrations, static mappings, and hostname overrides across ipv4 and ipv6 networks.

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.

Create and configure NAT port-forward rules in pfSense to open and redirect ports from WAN to LAN, using IPv4 NAT, TCP/HTTPS, and related firewall rule associations.

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 a firewall acts as a network security policy that blocks or allows traffic, guarding internal lan and filtering external access with default deny and default permit rules.

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 pfSense firewall rules, starting from the default block and releasing WAN access. Configure IPv4 and IPv6, test with ICMP ping, and use block, reject, or disable options with logging.

Explore pfSense firewall advanced rule features, including source comparisons, IP options, NAT integration, and max state controls. Configure gateways, scheduling, and QoS tagging to prioritize traffic like voice and video.

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.

Discover how virtual IPs in pfSense enable redundancy with CARP, including configuring IP aliases, ARP proxy, and one-to-one NAT across interfaces.

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.

Configure pfSense to support two internet links by creating multiple gateways, using the system routing gateway tab, edge interface choices, and monitoring options.

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.

Master pfSense traffic shaping with queue schedulers, prioritization, bandwidth limits, and CBQ and HFSC configurations to guarantee real-time VoIP and critical traffic.

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.

Explore pfSense bridge interfaces to join LAN and Wi-Fi or DMZ networks on the same subnetwork, configuring two interfaces as one at layer 2 with optional cache and port settings.

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.

Configure IPv6 on pfSense using Hurricane Electric tunnel broker to obtain a public IPv6 address, set up a GIF tunnel, configure LAN IPv6 and DHCPv6, and test connectivity with ping.

This course section explains pfSense configuration for redundancy and load balancing across dual internet connections, IPv6 failover, and firewall redundancy using CARP with master/slave pfSense devices configured identically.

Configure multi-wan with load balancing and failover in pfSense using gateway groups, IP monitoring, and static or dynamic wan interfaces.

Configure pfSense failover in a multi-wan setup, assigning primary and secondary links and automating failovers based on latency and packet loss.

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.

Enable UPnP and NAT-PMP to automate NAT port mapping and firewall rules for IPv4 and IPv6, configuring WAN and LAN interfaces, traffic shaping, logs, and access controls in pfSense.

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 the pfSense syslog server to transmit log messages over IP networks, view system logs, and centralize logs with a remote server for monitoring.

Learn to use ping and traceroute in pfSense to test connectivity, show packet loss and latency, and trace the exact route across IPv4 and IPv6.

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.

Configure pfSense to send email notifications via SMTP using Yahoo or your own email; set up the mail server, port, TLS/SSL, authentication, and test notifications.

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.

Learn to configure static dhcp mappings in pfSense by assigning fixed IP addresses based on MAC addresses, and customize DNS servers, gateway, and NTP settings.

Enable wake-on-lan in the bios and configure the nic to listen for magic packets. PfSense can send the magic packet to a mac address over lan or wan.

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 the pfinfo diagnostic page to view internal statistics of the pfSense firewall, including interface statistics, state trends, tables, and block events to detect overloads or attacks.

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.