How to install this thing without formatting and erasing data

Alpha Radke

I BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER INTERNET FOR A DETAILED OPTION ON THAT WHILE INSTALLING BUT ALL USE AUTO INSTALL METHOD................

KOM

Sorry, what?

Alpha Radke

@KOM said in How to install this thing without formatting and erasing data:

Sorry, what?

Oh great

Alpha Radke

@KOM do you know how do I install pfsense on my hard disk without erasing all my data or how do I choose an empty disk I created specially to install it on

KOM

What is the actual problem that you are really trying to solve? Did you have a disk crash or some other major corruption issue you're trying to fix?

Alpha Radke

@KOM No I am just trying to install pfsense but can't continue since there's a message saying it will erase data and I can't lose my files

So I have created an empty disk to install it on but manual partitioning doesn't work it keeps giving me errors so I have no other options but the auto install which will delete everything

johnpoz

just pull the disks other then the one you want to install to.. But yeah pfsense will wipe the disk it installs too.

jimp

pfSense is a stand-alone operating system that cannot run alongside another operating system. There is no safe way to run it on the same hardware as another OS with existing data.

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz bull? disks are on the same HDD

johnpoz

then that is not a disk is it - that is a partition.

If you want to install pfsense on a box you have some other OS running - then do so via your fav vm software.

Alpha Radke

@jimp Oh I thought it's just a custom firewall

jimp

It is a firewall operating system, it is not a software firewall you run on another OS like windows or Linux. It's meant to be a stand-alone firewall appliance.

johnpoz

Its not a software firewall.. Its a highly modified version of freebsd to be firewall/router.

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz Wait so all my network configurations are not active anymore when I open windows? but since when?? I want to use it to edit my internet connection more freely for my windows activities

Or is everything saved on my router ?

johnpoz

What?? Dude I don't think you understand what pfsense actually is.. Its a firewall/router distro.. You can run it on any hardware you have or as a VM..

It has ZERO to do with anything on your windows machine - ZERO!!!

Maybe you should just stick to the box your isp gave you.. Pfsense is meant to replace your isp router, or the router you got from the computer store like linksys or belkin, dlink, netgear, etc..

Or go in front of your isp device.. It doesn't replace anything on your windows machine..

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz said in How to install this thing without formatting and erasing data:

Pfsense is meant to replace your isp router

That's why i want to install it on my machine to edit my network while using windows on same machine

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz Ok let's say im installing pfsense on a different hard drive to config my network. Will my configuration be still active on the network used by windows on my other hard drive?

johnpoz

its has NOTHING to do with your network on windows..

It would be your GATEWAY... Ie if you look on your windows machine and you see the gateway IP... That would be pfsense! It would be running on some box... Or as a VM... It has ZERO to do with anything on your windows machine - other than being the gateway your windows machine would point to.

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz yes that's what im trying to know: windows network now will be under a firewall called pfsense lol which means configurations are done on my router (pfsense) and will be used by windows through the gateway

johnpoz

Dude I really think you are wanting to jump into the deep end of the pool.. But you don't even know how to dog paddle... And don't even know what the word swim means..

What router do you have now? What is the make and model of it?

stephenw10

If you somehow managed to get pfSense installed to your machine without accidentally wiping Windows when you boot pfSense that machine will just be pfSense. Windows will not be running anywhere.

If you need to do this on the same hardware you should install pfSense in a VM under HyperV or Virtual Box. Doing that is a lot more complex that using separate hardware but it will allow you to experiment with it.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/virtualization/virtualizing-pfsense-with-hyper-v.html

Steve

Alpha Radke

@stephenw10 @johnpoz

I have a https://www.tp-link.com/no/service-provider/dsl-router/td-w8951nd/

I installed pfsense on usb drive and my first boot isn't nice

Now Im stuck on a interfaces configuration loop.
It says done on each interface and then goes back to asking for choosing interfaces, auto detection, and vlan installation

Also it only uses wan to install, shows that it is up but can't detect or install lan and says it's down.

stephenw10

What NICs does it give as choices? Some don't work well with the autodetect, try just assigning it manually.

Steve

Alpha Radke

@stephenw10 Yes I assigned it manually the only one available is re0 for WAN interface then after saying no to vlan and continuing installation it goes back to the start

stephenw10

Would you like to assign VLANs should be the first question. Then enter re0 for the WAN. Then just hit enter to finish.

You will only have a single interface but you can investigate why it didn't detect the other NIC once it's booted.

Steve

Alpha Radke

@stephenw10 yes I know I just didn't write in order.
I have redone it now after restarting my PC same problem after clicking enter to finish it asks "do you want to proceed [yln]?" and I click enter again and it goes back to "should vlan be set up now [yln]?".... Am I in a critical situation rn XD

Alpha Radke

This post is deleted!

stephenw10

Hmm, hard to know what might cause that. I can only imagine that happening if the interface it just assigned is lost for some reason or it's unable to save the config created.

I assume you are seeing this after booting from USB and installing successfully?

Steve

Alpha Radke

@stephenw10 yes it gives some unusual messages ig:

warning: configuration references interfaces that do not exist: em0 em1

network interface mismatch -- running interface assignment option

Mismatch?

I have rebooted from the pfsense USB installer after installing successfully to the USB pfsense installed on

Alpha Radke

Oh my USB is just 8gb is that enough for pfsense ?

Alpha Radke

Oh looks like re0 for WAN is (down).....

But it's the only interface under "valide interfaces are"

And it lets me assign it normally for WAN

stephenw10

The fact it's still referencing em0 and em1 means it's still trying to use the default config.

The installer itself will fit on 1GB. Did you boot from one USB stick and install onto a different USB stick?

It seems like it's possibly still booting at least partially from the installer which might be why it's using the default config.

Steve

johnpoz

So now your trying to install it on your PC via a usb stick as its drive What do you think that is going to get you?

If you want to play with it - install it on a VM!!!

Alpha Radke

@stephenw10 I made sure it's installing from the USB not the USB installer by removing it still showing em0 and em1

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz what's the difference if I'm keeping the USB connected or closing the vm after configurating the network? Back to my first question about configuration activity lol

johnpoz

OMG dude you don't get what psfsense does if you think you can just close it down once you have "configured" something..

See that router you linked too - that is what pfsense does... If you turned off your router could you get to the internet??

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz oh so I have to keep VM running... That's not good for my core i5 lol

johnpoz

What exactly are you wanting to accomplish exactly... Cuz you clearly do not understand what pfsense even is.

Alpha Radke

@johnpoz if I don't understand what pfsense is then why would I be trying to install it XD I just didn't understand how it basically works and you made it clear to me

johnpoz

Please what did you think pfsense was going to do for you "exactly"...