Can i install pfsense on a macmini
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Hi. Just seen came across this post. I know it’s 9 months old now but just thought I would share.
I was in the same place. A Mac mini just sitting around doing nothing and wanted to set up pfSence. I had no requirements for running macOS on this box at the same time.
The Mac mini only has the one NIC as we all know. I had a USB nic laying around so thought I would give that a go. Hooked up monitor, keyboard etc. Created a bootable USB stick installer and went for it.
Everything just worked. No issues at all. I have since replace the USB nic for a Thunderbolt to gigabit one and has been at the front of my network ever since.
Only other change to my Mac mini is I upgraded the primary hard drive to a 128GB SSD that was spare and disconnected the second (was a Mac mini server) as it was not needed and would just generate heat.
So short story. Yes pfSense runs fine on Mac mini hardware.
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Just had a similar experience as dorianwoolger above :)
Installed pfSense 2.6 on an unused 2014 Mac mini. Put it on an external HDD so that I could boot it back into macOS if I ever needed to, and it all works like a charm.
It detected both the built-in ethernet interface and a USB-A NIC right away. Shortly afterwards I swapped out the cheap USB NIC for an official Thunderbolt (2) one for peace of mind, which was also immediately recognised.
Flawless performance (overkill really) and I'm sure it will serve me well for many, many years.
The whole process was much less hassle than any other DIY projects I've attempted in the past (various home automation projects on a Raspberry Pi, although PiHole was similarly non-frustrating).
The step-by-step instructions are clear and complete, and there's a plethora of forums and articles about how to get the configuration just right. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! -
I had been running PFSENSE for years on a Dell T20 in Hyper-v with no issues. Recently, I started having internet issues. After seeing this post, I went out and bought a 2014 Mac mini for $128 and the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter for $30. In less than 20 minutes I was back up and running. Even with multiple packages installed, the mini is not even breathing hard. Internet download speeds are over 900Mbps and iPerf3 tests were 949Mbps. When you consider you can get two wifi6 access points for $200, and a multiport switch dirt cheap, this really is a crazy setup. There aren’t many setups that can match the performance and the price.
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@BHC and @netrunner2077, where are the step-by-step instructions you refer to. I’m about to do the same on a 2018 Mac mini and could use the help. And talk about overkill… :)
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@bdenham It was so easy that you don't really need instructions. Install the iso file to an external USB drive, press the power button on the mac mini while holding down the "option" key, select the external USB drive to boot from, and install PFSense natively if you so choose. It was just that simple for me. Please note: You will need the Thunderbolt to ethernet adapter so the mac mini has a WAN and LAN ethernet connection.
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@bdenham LMAO, at overkill. I'm using a 2014 Mac mini and it definitely is overkill. Not telling you what to do, but I would sell the 2018 mac mini and use part of your profits to buy an older Mac mini. I did buy a cooler to sit the Mac Mini on which dropped the operating temps below 60°C. This was also totally unnecessary since the Mac mini is built to operate at higher temps. But, hey, if I'm going overboard, I have to go all the way. LMAO
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Hah! Yes, Mr. Overkill here for sure! I’ve also got a 2010 Mac mini with 16Gb of RAM running a Core 2 Duo (P8600) 2.4GHz, but thought that might be too slow to maintain a VPN that can operate at 1+ Gbps speeds for IMIX Traffic. I’m not worried about using the 2010 mini as a pfsense firewall only. It should have plenty of power for that. But I’m guessing a 2012 or 2014 mini will easily maintain 1+ Gbps speeds for VPN and everything else I want to add later? I won’t know until I try, but I’d like to keep my 1Gbps speed intact with just a little computing power to spare so the machine won’t break a sweat.
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@bdenham My curiosity about the capabilities of the 2010 Mac mini in regards to the VPN is jumping up and down. Since it only takes about 15min to install PFSense, I would definitely try it as well. I mean, for nerdgeek purposes...meaning my interest. My 2014, fully loaded and running a VPN has yet to hit 5% CPU utilization. My vote is to try it! lol
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Cool! I’ll do it and post results here tomorrow.
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So I want to be Mr. Super-Overkill.
I have a 2013 Mac Pro that's not doing anything so I'd like to try installing pfSense on it.
Does anyone know if it will work with USB or TB2 2.5G network dongles?I just upgraded my internet to 2.5G fiber and want to get full use of the bandwidth without buying a new $400+ router.
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@tknospdr if I were trying to use pfSense on such a high perf box, I would look at Thunderbolt to 10 gig ethernet adapters. Sonnet Technology makes some.
As for myself, I was experimenting with pfSense on a 2011 model Mac mini with a 2.5 GHz i5. I swapped in 8 gigs of memory and a 120 gig SSD and originally was trying it out with an Apple Thunderbolt to gigabit adapter. I was reading on the forums here that the Broadcom chips in the mini and the adapter aren't the best and that Intel cards are the shiznit for use with pfSense. I also wanted to set up a DMZ network and there was no way to add enough ports for that. Then I remembered that I had an Intel four port gigabit card in my spare hardware pile and I found a decent deal on a Sonnet Xmac Mini Server enclosure. That's a 1u chassis that mounts a mini and contains a hardware module that connects two PCIe expansion slots via Thunderbolt. I put the mini and Intel card in the chassis and I cut over to it from my old Cisco Small Business router a week ago. It has worked great since.
That said, I don't want to sound like I'm plugging Sonnet so much. They make good hardware, but their prices are horrendous. All of their stuff that I own was procured secondhand.
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@Shack I've used Sonnet stuff over the years, agreed. It's good quality but pricey. Been using Apple for over 30 years now.
Will the TB2 to 10G auto negotiate speeds?
I max out at 2.5G on the network right now. I can use USB right now to save money and still not saturate the bus unless the 10G aren't ridiculously more expensive and auto negotiate. I know most SFP+ ports only do 10 or 1 and will not work at 5 or 2.5.Edit: Just looked at the Sonnet website, their TB to 10G adapters are for TB3, the Mac Pro only has TB2 ports.
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@tknospdr FWIW I checked ebay and found Promise SANLink2 E2002t adapters that do Thunderbolt 2 and have two SFP ports for a not so bad price. Might be worth looking at.
As far as Apple stuff goes, I first used one in 1982. An Apple ][ plus with 48k of memory and a single floppy drive. My that was primitive.