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    New to PFsense - Transparency mode

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    • H
      heirkeyso
      last edited by

      Sir,

      How about skype? How to block it?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • H
        heirkeyso
        last edited by

        Sir,

        I have a attached a network diagram. Is this possible?

        Thank you

        ![network diagram02.jpg](/public/imported_attachments/1/network diagram02.jpg)
        ![network diagram02.jpg_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/network diagram02.jpg_thumb)

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          There are many threads about blocking Skype. E.g. with Snort: http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,53584.0.html

          You can build your network as in the diagram but why do you have two pfSense boxes?

          Steve

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          • H
            heirkeyso
            last edited by

            Sir,

            In order one can use as transparency mode and the other for non transparency mode.

            Is this possible? Is there be a problem for this setup?

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            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              The non-trasparent pfSense box must have a different subnet on each side. E.g. 192.168.0.* on the WAN side and 192.168.100.* on the LAN side. However I still don't see why you need two boxes.  :-\

              Steve

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              • H
                heirkeyso
                last edited by

                Sir,

                The diagram what I present to you is not a good practice?

                I want to use the pfsense for the purpose to serve as a internet or the pfsense is the giving an internet connection to the user and in the same time I can block the website the are using like the social media(facebook, tweeter and etc)., instant messenger, torrent and etc. for the users and I want also to control whose user will I block or gave a full access for the website or url.

                Below are my concern:
                -> documentation or manual for setting up pfsense
                -> if I already finished set-up the box how can I block the https://www.facebook.com and https://www.twitter.com?
                -> setting up port forwarding. is it the same in configuring in link-sys router?
                -> Is the i7 processor with 8gb ram will enough for the around 60 users?

                Sorry for these questions. I'm just new to pfsense and I just want to know everything before I deploy to our office network.

                Thank you in advance for your response.

                Precious

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                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  There is no need to have two pfSense boxes. Run a single box in non-transparent mode (the default) and run the web proxy, Squid, on it. Squid will run as a transparent proxy.

                  Port forwarding is the similar to any soho router like the Linksys.

                  If your modem can run in bridge mode such that the pfSense WAN address is you real public IP that makes things a lot easier.

                  An i7 with 8GB or RAM is almost certainly more power than your need. What is your WAN connection speed?

                  Steve

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                  • H
                    heirkeyso
                    last edited by

                    Sir,

                    Please correct me if i'm wrong in my understanding. I run a single box pfsense and install the squid package and run it on transparency mode? I'm I correct in my understanding?

                    I can make my modem run in bridge mode and I will configure the pfsense box wan the public ipaddress of wan or internet

                    My wan speed is upto 5mbps the minimum is 1mbps.

                    Precious

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                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      Yes you're correct.
                      Almost any new hardware will be fine for a 5Mbps connection regardless of how many people you have behind it (within reason!). An i7 with 8GB is far far far more powerful than you need. Something like an Atom D2500 and 2-4GB will easily suffice.  :)

                      Steve

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                      • H
                        heirkeyso
                        last edited by

                        Sir,

                        Thanks for the response.

                        How about NIC? Is there a recommended specification of NIC to run the pfsense smoothly?

                        Precious

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                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          Always choose Intel NICs where possible. Broadcom NICs are considered 2nd best. Do not get very new hardware as it may not be supported, the Intel i210 is not for example.

                          Steve

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                          • H
                            heirkeyso
                            last edited by

                            Sir,

                            Is configuring pfsense is it like configuring a soho router like linksys and d-link? but it only has more functionality?

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              In many ways it is very similar. However as you say because it has far more capability than most SOHO routers it must be more complex. Getting up and running is relatively easy and as long as you don't try to do everything at once adding extra features is not difficult. Just read up on it first.

                              Steve

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                              • H
                                heirkeyso
                                last edited by

                                Sir,

                                Thanks for the response.

                                I'm sorry also if I have so many question regarding the pfsense. I just want to make I will know very before I configure it and use it.

                                Do you know a website that can help to get started in pfsense? Or any documentation or video to follow? Basically I want to pfsense serve as a server for the internet that can block a websites.

                                Precious

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                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                  last edited by

                                  No problem.  :)
                                  To do that you should install pfSense as your network router.
                                  Install the Squid web proxy package and get that working.
                                  Install either the Squidguard or Dansguardian package to filter web content.

                                  By far the best source of pfSense information is the official book. A new book is due out shortly that will cover 2.0.x and 2.1 in more detail.
                                  There is a lot of pages in the docs wiki that cover installation and Squid etc.
                                  There's a lot of good step-by-step guiges at this site: http://pfsensesetup.com/ I don't believe that is related in any way to the dev team or any official source. Seems mostly correct though.  :)

                                  Steve

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                                  • H
                                    heirkeyso
                                    last edited by

                                    Sir,

                                    I'm confuse with the squid web proxy and squidguard? Is it 2 different package to install?

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • H
                                      heirkeyso
                                      last edited by

                                      Sir,

                                      Just to add to my previous post.

                                      What is the difference of the squid web proxy and squidguard? What is the purpose of each?

                                      What is the title of the book and the author?

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                                      • stephenw10S
                                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                        last edited by

                                        Squid is a web proxy server: http://www.squid-cache.org
                                        Squidguard is an addon for Squid to allow URL filtering: http://www.squidguard.org
                                        Dansguardian is an alternative to Squidguard that has more flexibility and options: http://dansguardian.org

                                        The book is called 'pfSense: The Definitive Guide' it's written by the project developers and is available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979034280?ie=UTF8&tag=pfsense-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0979034280

                                        Steve

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                                        • H
                                          heirkeyso
                                          last edited by

                                          Sir,

                                          Should I install the squid and squidguard? Which better to use between the squidguard and dansguardian?

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • H
                                            heirkeyso
                                            last edited by

                                            Sir,

                                            Please see below if my understanding is correct about the squid, squidguard and dansguardian

                                            Squid

                                            • its a proxy server that help to cache a website for a certain network
                                            • help or improves internet browsing speed for the clients using the caching capability of squid

                                            Squidguard

                                            • its a add-on of squid
                                            • use for blocking a website base on url only
                                            • you can configure here for the exception on blocking a website or user who will you allow for the certain website

                                            Dansguardian

                                            • its a different or separate package from squid
                                            • it can block a website using content filtering meaning it will check the whole website if will access it or block it.

                                            These are my question
                                            -> Is the statement above correct? Do I miss something? Kindly correct me or add if there is wrong about it and missing.
                                            -> Is it a good practice(as a pfsense user) or is it a common practice to install the squid, squidguard and dansguardian?
                                            -> What is squid3? Is it the same with squid?

                                            Thank you in advance

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