Navigating to Buy pfSense +

chigh09

They need to take a look at XCP-ng and Xen Orchestra's play book on communication and transparency. They post everything about where they are headed and where they want to go. All the way down to what colors they want to use for their front end software. I remember a time where netgate used to post things like this. One example that comes to mind is the requirement for AES-NI on their upcoming latest version of pfSense and everyone lost their mind over it. But you know what? Netgate took the criticism and didn't make it a requirement because they saw it wasn't sitting well with the community and lose their precious support base for furthering the product.

I'd also like to mention that the most recent "error after upgrade to HAProxy 0.62_1" incident that nbproc is no longer supported in the config file... I was the one who submitted that bug report! An individual who had the plus version on a whitebox and no TAC license. I don't know by how much, but I can see a decline in quality going down if we don't have the ability to use the plus edition and file bug reports.

Don't get me wrong, I want them to make money and I'd gladly pay a reasonable fee to run pfSense at home/Lab. They have to stop this knee jerk reaction and "we will tell you later" nonsense and I think the community would take to more bad news if they had better transparency. companies will always have it backwards though. Companies always think they are the ones who made their company, but the community is who has made them.

andrzejls

@AMG-A35
Moving op OPENsense. Netgate wants to create "revenue stream" using home users, not this user. Netgate promised and broke their promise. No loyalty from me to "Indian givers".

adam.lantos

I'm finding myself frequently moving my pfSense+ install at home between VMs, adding/removing interfaces, etc. In the past I was relying on being able to just grab a new activation token; but that seems to be no longer the option. Are existing "subscribers" of the Home/Lab license with valid NDI getting the option to transfer the subscription to a new NDI seamlessly (ideally from the UI, without bothering Netgate support)?

I know at this point I should just look into erm; alternatives from other vendors (or just downgrading to CE; which I don't think would work since I think 23.09 is no longer compatible with 2.7 configs); but it would be nice not to have to do it immediately.

GPz1100

@adam-lantos So long as you're keeping the quantity of nics the same, reusing the same macs will satisfy the token.

chudak

I see that in general people expressed their opinions about the latest "ideas" by Netgate.

My 2c.

The plan to charge home users $399 a year is plain stupid. (sorry for being blunt)

If Netgate does not reverse this decision, it will mean that they fight not pirates who install and resell illigaly pfSense, but they fight us, the community, home users. This may and will cause some users (maybe myself included) to move from pfSense. As a result, Netgate will lose contributors, testers, enthusiasts etc. and that will make

I pay voluntarily €105/year for Proxmox PVE as I really want to support its product.
Why can't pfSense offer a similar (I asked about it BTW)

Like one guy said recently - don't!

NollipfSense

@wgstarks said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

Netgate has made an official announcement.

They presented their case very well..they're not against home/lab users...it's the misconduct of others who, it seems, desperate for money abusing the kindness of open source to align their pockets...not cool

NollipfSense

@chudak said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

The plan to charge home users $399 a year

That's not their plan...that's for the TAC pro. They haven't determine the price yet, it seems they're seriously thinking about home/lab users and most likely will priced to encourage continued engagement with the community.

@chudak said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

I pay voluntarily €105/year for Proxmox PVE

I plan to do that also soon, it's highly resilient...

stephenw10

@chudak said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

I pay voluntarily €105/year for Proxmox PVE

As do I.

michmoor

@stephenw10
Figured you a XCP NG guy…

stephenw10

@michmoor said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

Figured you a XCP NG guy…

Ha, nope.

chudak

@stephenw10

Why then don't you guys follow up a good path instead of risking all?!

Darkk

@stephenw10 said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

@chudak said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

I pay voluntarily €105/year for Proxmox PVE

As do I.

Same here. ProxMox is a great product worthy of continued support. Pfsense is also another worthy product that we'd love to keep supporting it by contributing to ideas and money if possible (not $399).

eracerxrs

Why not $399 for a perpetual license, it'd be like buying one of netgate's boxes just not being constrained to the small selection of hardware.

HuskerDu

The company failed on delivering their past statement, and can no longer be trusted, and that is including the security point of view. If they lied on licences, they can lie on everything.

This fail is not due to the real home users, using Plus in good faith for years like myself, but to their inability to do their homework before their prior statement. I can understand their willingness to address abuse of the system... which should have been real harder with a good Risk Analysis (back to the point they cannot be trusted from the security point of view).

This is immediate end for me as a professional adviser of Netgate appliance. And a busy weekend from the personal point fo view.

HorstZimmermann

@HuskerDu nailed it...

NollipfSense

@HuskerDu said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

can no longer be trusted, and that is including the security point of view. If they lied on licences, they can lie on everything.

Netgate didn't lied...that's too extreme...had you read their official statement? Put yourself in their shoes...if you discovered a massive abuse, wouldn't you immediate pull the product?

Rest assured that Netgate is thing about home/lad users and will price Plus accordingly to meet the needs of the community while firewalling the abuse/abusers; however, your position on not trusting as a security point of view is too extreme...stay in the center.

HuskerDu

@NollipfSense said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

Netgate didn't lied...that's too extreme...had you read their official statement? Put yourself in their shoes...if you discovered a massive abuse, wouldn't you immediate pull the product?

That is a cultural point of view. As we say in french (google translated)

The word is as good as the man

They made a past statement, they are deciding to come back on that commitment. They are no longer trustable at all, on all subject. Full stop.

And I've then highlighted the fact that the mistake is in the original statement from 2021/2, not the current one, but that is not changing my opinion above. I understand, but I cannot give back any kind of confidence on anything related to Netgate, saying that for a product I am cherishing for a decade will be harsh on myself.

NollipfSense

@HuskerDu said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

the mistake is in the original statement from 2021/2,

But, that statement was made in ignorance that others would abuse the kindness of open source...so, you should forgive Netgate...they never intended to misled anyone.

@HuskerDu said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

saying that for a product I am cherishing for a decade will be harsh on myself.

Yes, I understand and why I am appealing to you to be easy on yourself.

Amodin

@NollipfSense said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

@HuskerDu said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

can no longer be trusted, and that is including the security point of view. If they lied on licences, they can lie on everything.

Netgate didn't lied...that's too extreme...had you read their official statement? Put yourself in their shoes...if you discovered a massive abuse, wouldn't you immediate pull the product?

Rest assured that Netgate is thing about home/lad users and will price Plus accordingly to meet the needs of the community while firewalling the abuse/abusers; however, your position on not trusting as a security point of view is too extreme...stay in the center.

No, what you do is act like a responsible security company and have license management in place to prevent the very thing you are defending them against - laziness. There's no other way to put it. Even their presence on Reddit, they are asking the USERS how to handle the situation.

Sophos has license management in place. As does every other responsible company out there licensing software. The fact that they are taking the lazy road and making everyone suffer for their misgivings says a lot about how they proceed. Do you really think that this action they are taking is going to fix their problem? No, it's going to cause them grief, all because they won't be proactive and continue to be lazy.

@NollipfSense said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

@HuskerDu said in Navigating to Buy pfSense +:

the mistake is in the original statement from 2021/2,

But, that statement was made in ignorance that others would abuse the kindness of open source...so, you should forgive Netgate...they never intended to misled anyone.

Just... my God. Your arms must be tired from all that armor shining.

chudak

I wonder where are @netgate guys in this discussion???

Hiding behind githib :)

Say something, don't let people hang high and dry!