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    Do people using pfsense all work in IT?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Off-Topic & Non-Support Discussion
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    • valnarV
      valnar
      last edited by

      It's not the logging per se, but the user interface for it, hence "useful logging".  If you are familiar with the Checkpoint and Cisco ASDM GUI's, you'd know what I mean - especially for troubleshooting problems.

      Geez, sorry if I offended anyone.  ;)

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      • D
        dhatz
        last edited by

        @valnar:

        It's not the logging per se, but the user interface for it, hence "useful logging".  If you are familiar with the Checkpoint and Cisco ASDM GUI's, you'd know what I mean - especially for troubleshooting problems.

        Geez, sorry if I offended anyone.   ;)

        No offence whatsoever taken :-) I was just trying to understand where you were coming from, because "logging" might mean different things to different people.

        Anyway, as I wrote above, while the webGUI doesn't expose too all available functionality to the user, a knowledgeable networking professional can always drop to the CLI and do all sorts of troubleshooting.

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        • jimpJ
          jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
          last edited by

          @valnar:

          It's not the logging per se, but the user interface for it, hence "useful logging".  If you are familiar with the Checkpoint and Cisco ASDM GUI's, you'd know what I mean - especially for troubleshooting problems.

          Geez, sorry if I offended anyone.   ;)

          Well it's not really offensive per se, it's just extremely vague and unhelpful. If you can explain what "useful" means specifically, to you, it would help more than a vague complaint.

          Also try 2.1, the firewall log filtering was expanded quite a lot.

          Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

          Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

          Do not Chat/PM for help!

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          • Z
            ZGamer
            last edited by

            Did the network admin gig then moved to SysAdmin/Engineering/Development.

            Have used pfsense to hold up 2,000+ students in the past. Some small hosting companies and test/dev environments frequently. Been using at home since 0.6.x or 0.5.x I think….Spring/Summer 2005...Helped Scott setup the forums originally way back when.

            –------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            pfSense Documentation Wiki
            Need Commercial Support?
            Personal Blog

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            • I
              InVidTiv
              last edited by

              :D
              Hello, another IT admin here.

              Started using monowall at home, and quickly found about pfsense.

              After a few months, I started to deploy pfsense at most my clients. At the time, sure mainly I was the only using it for vpn in to the office. Nowdays everyone connects trough the internet, and firewalls like pfsense aid a lot in keeping cost down, or better being able to get a massive pc for the firewall.

              At the most important locations, I do have an HP DL380G5 with pfsense. It does make a diference. The best about pfsense, is that you build up as you need. so no matter if you are a beginner in networking, or have quite the experience, pfsense is a great tool to learn and use.

              I would like to take advantage of this topis and thank everyone on the pfsense team.

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              • M
                mauirixxx
                last edited by

                Yep, another IT guy here.

                Been using pfSense at home after getting sick & tired of the consumer level garbage, using DD-WRT to get better functionality, and still needing to reboot the device every week or so. Tried Untangle, the gui was nice, but it made me feel like a donkey with Untangle riding me, dangling a carrot on a stick in front of me to purchase stuff. ClearOS was neat, but felt bloated. Stumbled across pfSense after the 2.0 stable release, and it was love at first install at home (virtualized under ESXi 5).

                And we literally swapped out our Fortigate 80C last night at work (11 hours ago now) in favor of running pfSense 2.1 in a VM, everyone's been telling me today "the internet works so good now!"

                Admittedly, if I wasn't in I.T. I'd probably still be limping along with yet another wrt54g flashed with dd-wrt …..

                –mauirixxx

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                • R
                  rjcrowder
                  last edited by

                  I'd love to stamp a bit "LIKE" on your post…

                  Another IT guy - but primarily application focused (not networking). At home, I've played around with multiple router firmwares (dd-wrt, tomato, openwrt) and *NIX based firewall/router distros. Prior to switching to pfSense, I spent a couple years using IPCop, but also looked at ipFire, ClearOS, Untangle, etc.

                  In my opinion, nothing comes close to pfSense because of the following:
                  1.) It's completely open - no pressure to buy a bunch of crap
                  2.) It's a rock solid, no-nonsense firewall distro (no NAS, Media junk, etc.)
                  3.) It has tons of add on packages already available (my favorite - Dansguardian)
                  4.) The UI and base functionality can be easily modified
                  5.) The community is active and helpful

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                  • G
                    grandrivers
                    last edited by

                    Not in IT here I farm but do the IT role for friends and family maintain ~25 boxes mainly windows. I was driven to Pfsense for dual wan as a replacement to a xincom box to balance cable modem and dsl as sometimes even with both we dont have decent internet.

                    pfsense plus 25.03 super micro A1SRM-2558F
                    C2558 32gig ECC  60gig SSD

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                    • F
                      focalguy
                      last edited by

                      Another IT person here. I work for a medium size non profit and do some network, some sysadmin. I started looking for alternatives to cheap little Linksys routers at our branch offices that kept having random issues. I tried IPCop as I was familiar with it but then found pfSense. After swapping in pfSense I liked it so much we got rid of the Sonicwall at the head office and eventually replaced everything with pfSense at around 30 locations. With OpenVPN it runs like a champ!

                      I also use pfSense at home and recommend it to others as well. I learned a lot from "the book" and just trying things out in VM.

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                      • C
                        concierge
                        last edited by

                        Just a retired IBM pEng (Hardware Failure Analysis)  here, now living in Jasper National Park (Canada), I operate an 80 rental cabin resort which now offers wifi over its 10.1 acres of river front property.

                        Thanks to pfSense in part.

                        I never studied IT per say, but my old job required I kept my friends close and enemies closer… lol.

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                        • K
                          Keljian
                          last edited by

                          I work in an IT related position (in Marketing) .. so do I count?

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                          • P
                            phil.davis
                            last edited by

                            @Keljian:

                            I work in an IT related position (in Marketing) .. so do I count?

                            I don't know - can marketing people count?  ;)

                            I play in IT - it can hardly be called work, does that count also?

                            As the Greek philosopher Isosceles used to say, "There are 3 sides to every triangle."
                            If I helped you, then help someone else - buy someone a gift from the INF catalog http://secure.inf.org/gifts/usd/

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              @phil.davis:

                              I play in IT - it can hardly be called work, does that count also?

                              Doesn't get better than that. You get my vote.  :)

                              Steve

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                              • H
                                Harvy66
                                last edited by

                                I'm a system's designer and consultant that does a lot of programming. I've been building computers since I was 8 years old. Now that I think back, I'm not sure why my dad let an 8 year old handle $3k of computer parts. Anyway, my college job was actually as IT for my University. We were the second tier support and coordinated many projects that involved the admins. We had access to the entire system, from VLANs to servers. The kind of work we did required such access, primarily for debugging reasons. We got so much food from happy teachers after we fixed their computers.

                                I now spend most of my time in front of a computer, but I still find myself coordinating admins. I'm not in a management position, I just tend to mesh well with other tech people. They seem to like how I mostly understand and appreciate how and why they do things, so they tend to play well with me. I only ask for permissions that I need, and can explain why I need them and provide alternative ways of accomplishing the same job with pros and cons. I also tend to be good at identifying something that may affect an admin, and ask for their blessing even if I already have access. Admins like that.

                                I have an educational and hobby interest in network and server design and security. That was something like 5 classes alone with 3-4 credits per class. But nearly all of my post-graduation professional experience is in system design, programming, customer data interfaces, and SQL.

                                Not really IT.

                                Computers are so much fun.

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                                • M
                                  Mr. Jingles
                                  last edited by

                                  I'm an economist by education and profession. Started with 'puters a long time ago, and managed to destroy every operating system within hours after installing them. Of course windows (I don't recall the version, it came on two 1.44 floppies  ;D ), OS/2, and a zillion Linux-versions (those were the days, early nineties, 'Linux will be king in 3 years' or so the talking heads in the computer magazines were writing back then). FreeBSD I met early 2000's, the first I didn't crash within hours, so my eternal love goes to FreeBSD, and therefor also to pfSense.

                                  6 and a half billion people know that they are stupid, agressive, lower life forms.

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                                  • C
                                    Cino
                                    last edited by

                                    I'm sad to say I work in IT also  :P Been in the field for about 16+ years… Started as a Network/Windows Admin for a small company then was recruited by an evil empire (a large MSO) 12+ years ago. Since then I've worked on high end network equipment, window servers, pbx, acd systems. I have gone thru many changes here but it keeps it interesting... These days I work mostly on Telephony/CTI Application servers... Miss working on networks but its fun when I prove the network team wrong because their config is messed up (I hate one-way audio calls)

                                    Stephen

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                                    • W
                                      Wolf666
                                      last edited by

                                      Started as PC-assembling helper in early 90's to pay some bills at university, I am a Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc.

                                      I am an IT enthusiast and tech-fanatic, now I pay my bills working as VP Maintenance for a major EU Airline.

                                      Modem Draytek Vigor 130
                                      pfSense 2.4 Supermicro A1SRi-2558 - 8GB ECC RAM - Intel S3500 SSD 80GB - M350 Case
                                      Switch Cisco SG350-10
                                      AP Netgear R7000 (Stock FW)
                                      HTPC Intel NUC5i3RYH
                                      NAS Synology DS1515+
                                      NAS Synology DS213+

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                                      • I
                                        italics
                                        last edited by

                                        Fun thread. -^_^-

                                        I'm in IT and am a systems and network administrator. I've been doing it for about 2 years now and was a helpdesk person before that. All in all I think I'm much less a "network admin" for my title than others on here are, as I've only been doing things for corporations for about 4 years now and before that I stocked shelves at walmart. lol

                                        So really, even though I am a network admin for about 450 employees(several trucking companies) I'm more just that tinkerer at heart. :D I started programming and stuff when I was about 14 and computers were simply a huge passion. I actually really didn't want to go into IT as a profession because I felt like I would be too restricted and I also didn't tend to focus on single areas and thus, was very much so a jack of all trades type. It hasn't been until the last 2.5 years that I have pursued Network administration. VERY hard and fun and frustrating. I like that I have been able to do this, but I'd actually rather be a makeup artist or design makeup. <3 In particular, I'm a nail polish fanatic. lol

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                                        • I
                                          iraiam
                                          last edited by

                                          Not IT in the Business sense, but what is commonly called "manufacturing IT" or "Automation Controls". lots of computing, switching, and routing as it pertains to automated machinery. The business IT work that is increasingly forced on me I perform with a fair degree of rancor.

                                          I only use pfSense at home, admittedly less and less. I much prefer a Cisco router, but with the speeds I have at home, Cisco equipment would be quite costly, although I just picked up a couple 2851s with VPN modules that I may be switching to, at least temporarily for lab purposes.

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                                          • K
                                            kejianshi
                                            last edited by

                                            I just like using hardware that isn't made by any big company - for a variety of reasons.

                                            It being cheap/free is just an ancillary benefit.

                                            Not an IT guy.

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