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    Installing Pfsense in Vm on Laptop - Newbie Questions

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
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    • A Offline
      ar_chai
      last edited by

      Hi folks -

      Due to limited living space at present, I want to install pfsense on a vm on my laptop. This actually may be the best first step for me to learn it anyway, then later put it on a small dedicated machine.

      I found a guide online that explained how to install pfsense in a vm using microsoft loopback adapter. Question: - is there any security/privacy benefit whatsoever to installing it that way? Even if not, the learning may be worth it, but if it provides some additional security, all the better.

      Anyway - I installed pfsense in a vm, completed. I used two network adapters in the vm - bridged A-points to my real wireless adapter; bridged B-points to the microsoft loopback adapter.

      In pfsense setup, I ensured that the wan vlan matched the adapter pointing to real wireless adapter/ made sure that the lan vlan pointed to the microsoft loopback.

      I could get internet this way, by unchecking the tcp/ip protocol in the properties of the wireless adapter, leaving the microsoft loopback adapter protocol enabled. But if I reset the loopback adapter, I couldn't get internet again.

      I am not too good with networking - I have a basic home server, can do a few things, but pfsense is a bit advanced I am thinking..

      At this stage I am just trying to get things running, I will have many questions… This though is going to be some interesting workings  :o

      Have I approached the basic setup the wrong/right way?

      Thanks for any advices

      Edit: should I be doing any configuration in my router for pfsense? I have a linksys running ddwrt (repeater mode)

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