I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts

mikeisfly

I installed OpnSense on some hardware that I'm testing HP t730. Below is the hardware I have installed.

CPU - AMD RX-427BB with AMD Radeon(tm) R7 Graphics
RAM - 16GB DDR3 
Storage - M.2 SATA SSD (Crucial MX500 500GB 3D NAND SATA M.2 (2280SS) Internal)
NIC 0 - Built in Realtek
NIC 1 - Dell Broadcom 57810S Dual Port 10GBASE-T Converged Network Adapter HN10N Low Profile.

Anyway I found opnSense to not be what I'm use to with pfSense. In fairness to OpnSense it could be that I'm just not use to their interface and how it works but I had a hard time setting up remote access to my box. I don't like a firewall that won't do what I tell them to do (No matter how stupid). I'm sure they have code or reasons for not allowing port forwards to the management interface but I should be able to do it if I want!

Now the sad truth is pfSense GUI. On a mobile device like your phone it's unusable with half the menu options not working cause I can't navigate to them. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy note 20 Ultra and I can't make simple changes with my phone. Don't matter if my phone is in landscape or portrait mode. OpnSense's GUI on the other hand worked flawlessly on my phone.

To the pfSense Team please fix this. Can't wait to buy pfSense+, I would also love to have a android app to manage my firewall(s) too.

Gertjan

@mikeisfly said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

I would also love to have a android app to manage my firewall(s) too.

and that needs the a total rewrite of pfSense.
Implementing an API is planned for the far, far future.
pfSense idea was ans till is : GUI based.

@mikeisfly said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

but I should be able to do it if I want!

Open source, closed source : they- the authors - decide first what's good - or bad. You just have to lie it, or not.
It boils down to saying that black as a color is more beautiful is red.
Btw : it's open source : no need to 'ask', it's already open, so change what you don't like.
So, fork the fork that was forked (M0n0wall was written from the ground up I guess).

@mikeisfly said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

On a mobile device

Strange.
Never actually used such a device for my firewall.
Sometimes I use a pad to look at graphs or logs. But I'm not 'validating' new info into it.
Maybe a question of habits, as for the last 30 years, I only (mostly) saw 24 x 80 text based configuration screen. It's burned into me with red glowing metal bar : check and double check info, expected results, proof of the contrary tests, etc. At last, the most dangerous person on a firewall is the admin itself. Limiting it's "views" is anything but secure.

Btw : all this is just my opinion of course. I'm just another pfSense user.

tomashk

@mikeisfly said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

Now the sad truth is pfSense GUI. On a mobile device like your phone it's unusable with half the menu options not working cause I can't navigate to them. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy note 20 Ultra and I can't make simple changes with my phone. Don't matter if my phone is in landscape or portrait mode. OpnSense's GUI on the other hand worked flawlessly on my phone.

I had the same problem with accessing some menu items on mobile. Please try this option in General Setup:

Scrolls with page works for me. Fixed works only on Desktop... at least for me.

mikeisfly

@tomashk said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

@mikeisfly said in I gave Opn Sense another look, here are my thoughts:

Now the sad truth is pfSense GUI. On a mobile device like your phone it's unusable with half the menu options not working cause I can't navigate to them. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy note 20 Ultra and I can't make simple changes with my phone. Don't matter if my phone is in landscape or portrait mode. OpnSense's GUI on the other hand worked flawlessly on my phone.

I had the same problem with accessing some menu items on mobile. Please try this option in General Setup:

Scrolls with page works for me. Fixed works only on Desktop... at least for me.

Ok I will try that, I keep the top navigation fixed because most of my work is done on my computer, I really only use the phone when I'm trying to do something quick and dirty and don't feel like getting up and getting my computer. For me its a nice to have but not a mandatory thing. I just think that it can be done better and I know the team will make it better I was just giving some observations. I been a supporter of the pfSense project, since almost the beginning as a convert from M0n0wall.