Back and Restore pfSense Configuration

blaytrail · Oct 22, 2022, 7:33 PM

Team,

Good Afternoon.

I'm in the process of getting a new pfSense appliance. I will be going from a Netgate 1100 to a 6100. I plan to back up the 1100 configs using the XML file. Can I perform a restore on the 6100 using the 1100 configs? I was unsure if there would be a conflict between devices.

Thanks.

bingo600 · Oct 22, 2022, 8:01 PM

@blaytrail
I think you would need some xml changing, for the internal switch part.
But i'm quite sure that Netgate will do it for free

@stephenw10
Can help you further.

/Bingo

blaytrail · Oct 22, 2022, 8:11 PM

Thanks for the update. I can enter all the settings again. My goal is to start using Suricata, which needs more horsepower. I just turned on the ntopng, which is amazing. I'm able to troubleshoot so much stuff.

I'm still trying to decide if I should build a PC or use another appliance. The 6100 appears to have everything I need. I will get the SSD as well.

SteveITS · Oct 22, 2022, 10:04 PM

@blaytrail Netgate will help convert configs on request. However I'm pretty confident going the direction of switch to not-switch it's just a restore and you assign the interfaces as normal. Going the other way is the problematic scenario because the not-switch config doesn't have anything to restore for the switch. It comes up every few months here and I tend to forget. :)

The 1100 may not have enough memory for packages, and ntopng is on the list of "requires SSD." But its CPU depends on the bandwidth and rules used...we've run Suricata/Snort on 2100 which is the same CPU. It works fine though it gets CPU-limited around 400 Mbps give or take. The 1100 would be less than that because of its one-switch-VLANs design.

blaytrail · Oct 22, 2022, 10:13 PM

Thanks for the information. I'm going to order the 6100 today. I'm so excited to see the difference in performance. I've been using the Netgate 1100 appliance for the last four years.

It's time for me to move up. :) There are so many goodies in the package manager list. I want to take advantage of the tools and continue educating myself on pfSense.

stephenw10 · Oct 25, 2022, 1:00 AM

We can convert that for you but you should be able to import it into the 6100 directly. It will ask you re-assign the interfaces from the VLAN on mvneta0 in the 1100 to whatever NICs you want to use the 6100 and then reboot to that.
If you have additional VLANs you need or PPPoE interfaces etc it's usually easier to modify the config in advance.

Steve