After installation - which packages are the most important to install?

Waqar.UK

Hello all,

wkn

Hi!

You don't need to install some extra package to have pfSense working.

Only if you want to use functionllity that belongs to an installed package, than you must install this package before.

But first try to get your pfSense working for the things you have installed it.

BR
wkn

Waqar.UK

Cheers for a prompt reply. I finally got it working a few days ago all thanks to this forum.

Grimson

@Waqar.UK:

After installation - which packages are the most important to install?

The packages you need and understand how to use.

Installing a package just because someone recommends it doesn't do any good if you have no actual need for it, and it can actually create issues if you don't know how to use/configure it. Prime examples are Snort/Suricata in a home environment, and even pfBlockerNG when you just add a random amount of lists you find online, without undertstanding what they are meant for.

Waqar.UK

Thanks, I rather keep a stable system that simply works.

johnpoz

@Grimson

Great answer, could not of said it better..

Its amazing how many threads come down to the user shot themselves in the foot fiddling with stuff because they heard its kewl, etc. Yeah IPS can be fantastic tool.. It can also cause you nothing but pain, and flood you with info you have no clue how to interpret.

Same goes for pfblocker - fantastic features, but also can cause the user that doesn't understand its proper use case nothing but grief.

Big one you didn't mention is proxy… Another huge pain point with lots of issues self inflicted..

Dicking with dns.. pfsense should work out of the box for dns via resolving and dnssec. If you do not know the difference between a resolver and a forwarder maybe you should figure that out before dicking with something that works out of the box, etc..

The package system is great tool in pfsense - doesn't mean you need to go installing all of them when you most likely don't even know what they do ;)

For your typical home user, out of the box - watch the bouncing ball install is all that is needed for pfsense to be up and running and provide pretty much everything you would need out of the box.

To be honest there are only 2 that your typical user actually might need. The FTP_Client_Proxy, but only after you have discovered a need for it since to be honest ftp should of died off 10 years ago.. Use sftp! or simple web interface to move your files.. The openvpn-client-export but only if you want to run openvpn server and connect to it remotely and want easy way to export the config for your different devices.

Waqar.UK

OK, I will leave it well alone.