Export / Import: CE to Netgate 2100

nasheayahu

CE
2.7.2-RELEASE (amd64)
built on Fri Dec 8 13:55:00 MST 2023
FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT

to

Netgate 2100
23.09.1-RELEASE (arm64)
built on Wed Dec 6 13:22:00 MST 2023
FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT

Want to use my Netgate 2100 as a backup connection to the internet when my CE Build breaks down for some reason. I've read both "Is ther a way to copy firewall rules from one interface to another" and "How to export pfSense firewall rules to a .CSV file or other".

I also notice Restore Backup there is a option to import areas into pfSense, will this work importing from the CE Build? If not, will I have to edit the exported config file and make changes as:

export both config files, extract from CE and past into Netgate 2100?
make changes
then import

I've just read this "Restoring a Configuration File to a Different Version" and not clear is this means what I'm trying to do, but assuming just importing the CE will work?

or

I just have to do everything by hand to mirror the CE Build?

NollipfSense

@nasheayahu said in Export / Import: CE to Netgate 2100:

Netgate 2100
23.09.1-RELEASE (arm64)

Why wouldn't you leave it in its natural state and use as your backup?

bmeeks

@nasheayahu:
The SG-2100 has an internal switch that is part of its architecture. Only pfSense Plus images have the code to configure that switch.

With that said, if you try to export something from CE and "paste" it (or rather import it) directly into the SG-2100, you may have some things not work correctly (or at least not the same way as they did on the CE build hardware).

Here is a link describing the internal switch architecture of the SG-2100: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/netgate-2100/switch-overview.html. Once you import the basic configuration from the CE build box, you may then need to tweak the internal switch setup of the SG-2100.

stephenw10

Although the 2100 has a switch you don't need to have any config for it. By default it uses the two NICs (mvneta0/1) for WAN and LAN and without any specific switch config the switch just acts as a 5 port unmanaged switch on LAN. So if you only have two interfaces in your CE config you can import that to the 2100 and just reassign them. The same is true for the 3100. It is not true of the 1100 which requires the switch to be configured.
If you have more than two interfaces though you would need to configure the switch to separate the ports.

Steve