Official OPNsense Course: Hands-On Labs for Beginners
What you'll learn
- Installing & Configuring OPNsense
- Setting Up Firewall Rules & Network Security
- NAT, Port Forwarding
- 1st access to OPNsense
- User Management
- OPNsense Dashboard view
- Reset the OPNsense config
- Backup OPNsense config
- Use the Wizard to configure OPNsense
- Configure Basic OPNsense settings
Requirements
- No prior OPNsense experience required!
Description
Are you looking for a hands-on, structured approach to learning OPNsense, the powerful and flexible open-source firewall and routing platform? Whether you are completely new to OPNsense or have some basic networking knowledge, this beginner-friendly course is designed to help you build a strong foundation through practical, real-world applications. Instead of overwhelming you with theory, this course focuses on interactive labs, allowing you to gain valuable hands-on experience with the platform. You’ll follow a step-by-step learning path that gradually introduces key concepts, ensuring you develop both confidence and competence in managing OPNsense.
You’ll start by learning how to install, configure, and navigate the OPNsense interface, setting up a fully functional lab environment where you can safely test and apply your newfound knowledge. From there, you’ll dive into critical networking and security topics such as firewall rules, NAT, VPN setup, traffic shaping, and security best practices. Each module is structured with clear, real-world use cases to help you understand not just how things work, but why they matter in securing and optimizing network performance.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid foundation in OPNsense, enabling you to confidently deploy, configure, and manage firewall solutions for personal, business, or enterprise use. Whether you're an IT professional, network administrator, or security enthusiast, this course will provide you with practical, real-world experience to harness the full power of one of the best open-source firewall solutions available.
Who this course is for:
- IT Professionals & System Administrators
- Network Engineers & Technicians
- Cybersecurity Enthusiasts
- Home Lab Users & Tech Hobbyists
- Small Business Owners & IT Support Staff
Instructor
I'm Maher Haddad, an experienced Network Engineer and Certified Trainer for MikroTik, Cisco, IPv6 Forum, and LigoWave technologies as well as an Official OPNsense® trainer.
With over two decades of experience in the IT industry, I'm also a published author of several IT books available on Amazon.
My journey began in 2003 with Cisco certifications, and I've since expanded my expertise to include various other leading brands.
My current certifications include:
• Cisco CCNP Routing and Switching
• Juniper JNCIA • Huawei HCIA
• MikroTik (MTCNA, MTCRE, MTCWE, MTCSE, MTCTCE, MTCUME, MTCSWE, MTCEWE, MTCINE, MTCIPv6)
• IPv6 Certified Network Engineer (Silver and Gold)
I've provided consulting services to international companies and ISPs worldwide, specializing in:
• Routing: Static route, OSPF, BGP, MPLS, RIP
• Switching: VLAN, QinQ, Bridging, STP/RSTP/MSTP, Port Isolation
• Traffic Control
• Network Security
• IPv6 Implementation
• Wireless LAN
• VPN Solutions (PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, Wireguard, Zerotier, GRE, IPIP, EOIP, IPSEC)
• QOS
As an educator, I run my own online school My Network Training and have published 75 courses on Udemy, reaching over 80,000 students.
Many of these courses are highly rated and best-selling in their categories. I'm eager to bring my expertise you with the online video courses that I publish on Udemy platform.