PFSense on an old PC to take over for server PF Sense when required

znamloot

I currently have an R710 server running Unraid (latest) with PF Sense in a VM. It is working well and no problems. I have several dockers running under Unraid and sometimes have to shutdown the server for various reasons such as new parts, replacement parts or new versions of Unraid etc.

I need a backup implementation of latest PFSense on another box, exact duplicate of the VM on the server, to take over when I have to bounce the server for whatever reason.

Is there a step by step process for creating PFSense on another box while PFSense runs on the server?

What I would like to do:

Install PFSense on an old PC (bare metal) – not having any other OS running. (DONE)
Access the web interface on the old PC and “restore” the XML backup of the server VM.
Set up a hot swap to the PC when the server is down.
Hot swap back to the server VM when the server is ready.

I have set up the old PC and successfully have PF Sense running (I get the text based screen with options).

But I cannot figure out how to access the web interface on the backup. Tried everything I can think of to accomplish this – even tried a laptop with ethernet connection to configured LAN port and no access to the internet.... I cannot get to the web interface.

Is this even the best strategy to accomplish this?

Just wondering if anyone knows of a step-by-step process, you tube video or website I could use to help figure this out.

I have searched but am only finding links to “how to create a back up of PFSense configuration.

Thanks in Advance

Cheers

SteveITS

https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/highavailability/index.html has info on setting up automatic failover. However, states only transfer if the network cards are the same in both (igb0, etc.).

In a CARP configuration router1 has a LAN IP (.2), router2 has a different LAN IP (.3), and they share a CARP LAN IP (.1). So the web GUI on the backup router would be accessed on its LAN IP.

The not-automated way would be to keep the backup PC off, and upon failure or the primary, disconnect it, turn on the backup and restore the configuration.

If you are plugged in to a newly installed backup router and can't get to the web GUI (using HTTPS?) then something's off...either try restarting the web processes from the console menu or just restart it. LAN can access the router on the LAN IP by default.