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    PfSense on Win XP host / vmware server

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Virtualization
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    • L
      lks
      last edited by

      I would like to run pfSense on a Win XP host / vmware server virtual machine.  The Win XP host has both a LAN NIC and a WAN NIC.

      If possible, I would like to set it up so that the Win XP host (which serves as a LAN fileserver) ignores all packets on the WAN NIC, and only gets its packets from the LAN side (or WAN packets forwarded from the pfSense virtual machine to the LAN).

      Can I do this, and if so, how?

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      • D
        densleonis
        last edited by

        Hello
        you can do so, just bridge your cards:

        On your host, give 192.168.70.1 mask 255.255.255.0 to the Wan card and 192.168.0.2 mask 255.255.255.0 to your lan card.
        then in vmware server exclude both cards from automatic bridging, then assign each card to a vmnet.

        when you create your virtual machine, add at least two network card and assign each card to a vmnet (the last one will be the LAN, the first one the WAN for example, you assigned your LAN card to Vmnet2 and your wan card to Vmnet3
        create your vm with two cards and assign Vmnet3 to the first one and Vmnet2 to the second one.

        When you install pfsense, the first card will be WAN so give an IP compatible with your wan the second card wil have an ip compatible with LAN (192.168.0.1 mask 255.255.255.0 for example)

        tell me  if it works…

        D

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        • P
          Pootle
          last edited by

          I'm running pfsense under vmware server on Windows server 2003 (64 bit).

          I have 1 nic which is the internal network - and pfsense does DHCP on this network,

          second NIC which in Windows server is disconnected from everything except vmware bridge protocol, and directly connected to the modem / router to my first ISP

          3rd NIC is just like the second NIC.

          Running pfsense 1.0.1-SNAPSHOT-02-02-2007, with load balancing and failover.

          This setup is nice 'cos I can put up a new version of pfsense in another VM and easily switch between them without using switches for the WAN side connections.

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          • B
            BaNZ
            last edited by

            Running it under vmware server should eliminate driver issues problem right? I currently got a XP host connected to four different subnet. I'm worried that pfsense will not be able to detect all the network cards as some of them are very very old.

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            • P
              Pootle
              last edited by

              @BaNZ:

              Running it under vmware server should eliminate driver issues problem right?

              As long as Windows can drive it you should be OK, although you might bump into some issues if the windows drivers are at all flakey.

              Make sure you turn off all services except VMWare bridge protocol on Nics that connect to modems / routers.

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              • L
                lks
                last edited by

                @Pootle:

                Make sure you turn off all services except VMWare bridge protocol on Nics that connect to modems / routers.

                Thanks for the Wiki.  I wasn't 100% sure how to do this before seeing the Wiki…

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                • P
                  Pootle
                  last edited by

                  @lks:

                  What are the exact steps you do to accomplish this?  Thanks.

                  In the Properties for the NIC you should have only VMWare bridge protocol turned on for the external connections like in this piccy from the the wiki:

                  http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Image:PfsensediagVMWin2.png

                  Here's the whole detail: http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Installation_With_VMWare_under_Windows#Configuring_second_network_connection

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                  • L
                    lks
                    last edited by

                    Thanks!  Great Wiki.

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