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    PFSENSE vs standard routers

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • K Offline
      kenmarple
      last edited by

      I'm currently looking into and trying to decide which would be the better way to go. Should I bill the PF sense box, should I purchase PF sent box, or should I use a standard off-the-shelf router?

      I'm currently looking into deploying this configuration into an office, which needs security and the ability to audit and control information tightly.

      How easily is the software-based router/Hackable?

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      • M Offline
        musicwizard
        last edited by

        pfsense has a lot more options for that than a off-the-shelf router.
        maybe if you get a really expensive one that is for big companies that need security. But then pfsense is cheaper/better.

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        • D Offline
          divsys
          last edited by

          Definitely another vote for a pfSense solution.

          As far as build or buy, to me that depends on your budget vs what you have available in spare parts/time/build apptitude.

          As far as "Hackability" check through the forum over the last 8+ years.

          There's no such thing as an "unhackable" piece of gear that works in your network, but pfSense is a very active open source product.

          IMHO it's also a very effective, safe and stable choice as well.

          -jfp

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          • johnpozJ Offline
            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
            last edited by

            What off the shelf "router" are you looking at?  Some home POS or business firewall/router from say cisco or sonicwall, etc.?

            You do understand that every router/firewall out there runs software right??

            What are you looking to audit?  Changes to rules, connections allowed/blocked through the firewall?  Where users go on the internet?

            An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
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            • W Offline
              Wolf666
              last edited by

              Depends on your personal needs.
              I have been an avid consumer router buyer, always chasing the last product….and after a couple of year I have been soon disappointed. I don't trust proprietary firmware on consumer router/firewall, I cannot afford and I don't need an enterprise router/firewall, I love open source and build something.
              pfSense gave me a lot of solutions: open source, very active and professional community, solid software, easy configuration for a home LAN...I put pfSense in a pretty good hardware (see my signature), I will not look at consumer router/firewall anymore. My Netgear R7000 and WNDR3700 have been downgraded to AP.

              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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