pfSense Install and setup walkthrough — from a noob's perspective.

[hydn]

Hi everyone. So, when I first installed pfSense about two months ago, I started keeping a detailed log of my configuration process. Partly as a personal reference, but also to help others who might be navigating similar challenges. Over time, this evolved into a step-by-step guide and troubleshooting journal, which I’ve shared here: My pfSense settings walkthrough.

One recent example: Yesterday, I ran into an issue where the NordVPN app on my phone wouldn’t connect when using my main Wi-Fi VLAN. After some trial and error, I ended up using the Diagnostics > Packet Capture feature in pfSense for the first time to trace the problem. And, with just a few seconds of captured data, identified the missing firewall rule, added it, and that resolved the issue:

I’m continually updating the post as I learn more. Especially after those inevitable moments of “why isn’t this working?!!”

If you’re also just getting started with pfSense or enjoy reading, and sharing, I hope my notes will be helpful as well. Thanks to everyone in the community for sharing your knowledge here in the forums, Reddit, and to the pfSense team for such a powerful, network-transformational tool.