Really genral question
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Hello guys I'm kinda new at this pfsense and I got interested in it and i want to learn how to use it and setup a pfsesnse box base on my understanding it somehow aggregate the bandwidth of your internet connecton and has features like proxy, vpn, dhcp, failover and uses dual wan.
1. Can I use a desktop pc and install a vmware in that vmware it holds the software pfsense?
2. I want to use a dual wan, a motherboard has already one network card how can I acheive dual wan with that do I need to buy another network card?
3. What specifications do I need if I would be setting up pfsense with dual wan, fail over, lucsa, and 51-200mbps throughtput?
Thank you in advanced guys!:)
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1. Yes People have done it although I have not.
2. If you only have one NIC then you are going to have to use VLANs and have a switch that is VLAN capable.
3. I would check out this http://www.pfsense.com/index.php@option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=49.htmlIf you are new to PfSense and networking I would not start with virtualization. If possible I would get a standalone box and start there. Get comfortable with the product and networking technologies. It's my opinion that virtualization is more for advanced users. Not saying that you don't have experience with virtualization. I would love to hear everyone else's opinion on that though.
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1. Can I use a desktop pc and install a vmware in that vmware it holds the software pfsense?
Yes, provided the CPU of the PC has virtualization support and adequate RAM.
2. I want to use a dual wan, a motherboard has already one network card how can I acheive dual wan with that do I need to buy another network card?
Well you need at least two interfaces for the WAN devices. Will you use a virtual interface to a virtual switch as the pfSense LAN interface? It is possible to use a VLAN capable switch as a port multiplier and configure VLANs to give the multiple interfaces. But it should be possible to pick up a good expansion card NIC for quite bit less than the cost of a VLAN capable switch.
3. What specifications do I need if I would be setting up pfsense with dual wan, fail over, lucsa, and 51-200mbps throughtput?
Since you asked earlier about vmware I presume you are asking about an environment in which pfSense is running in a VM competing with other VMs for CPU cycles. If so, the answer would depend on what the other VMs are doing.
I second @mikeisfly:
If you are new to PfSense and networking I would not start with virtualization. If possible I would get a standalone box and start there. Get comfortable with the product and networking technologies.
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If this is a computer that hasn't been built yet, I'd avoid Openbox or VMplayer and go with ESXi.
This way you won't be limited to using only internal VMs as clients. -
I have studied cisco 1-4 at my college days so I know basic to intermediate networking, my knowledge on virtualization is only limited I only know that you can install another OS virtually on a single machine. Thanks for the replies and help, my question number one is answered and I clearly get that, for my number two question a switch with vlan capabilities is costly so I will just add another NIC.
I wilk try to research and use that kejianshi.
For the third question If I were to use that virtual machine to run a linux OS and pfsense softwarewith only one computer is connected or if 2-5 compters where to share internet connection what specifications of computer should I be running with a dual wan, one isp is 2mbps and the other is 1-2mbps
Appreciated the feedback and help mikeisfly, wallabybob and kejianshi:)
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Well the total RAM, HDD and CPU in the VM Host should be equal to what would be required by each machine if it were running on separate hardware. You can oversubscribe all of those (Except HDD) some what, assuming that all the machines would not be maxing out its resources at the same time.
The more OSes you pile onto a single drive, the laggier things will get. Better to have seperate drives if lots of demand will be placed on them.Basically, you will need to install the VMs and monitor their resource usage to get a clear idea which ones need more and which ones can use less to balance it. I've found that Windows on hardware is a resource pig, but when I installed it as a VM and limited its RAM/CPU/Memory it runs just fine. Weird. My Centos VM, which holds chat server, SIP etc required more than advertised… Just have to add/subtract til you strike a balance.
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Well the total RAM, HDD and CPU in the VM Host should be equal to what would be required by each machine if it were running on separate hardware. You can oversubscribe all of those (Except HDD) some what, assuming that all the machines would not be maxing out its resources at the same time.
The more OSes you pile onto a single drive, the laggier things will get. Better to have seperate drives if lots of demand will be placed on them.Basically, you will need to install the VMs and monitor their resource usage to get a clear idea which ones need more and which ones can use less to balance it. I've found that Windows on hardware is a resource pig, but when I installed it as a VM and limited its RAM/CPU/Memory it runs just fine. Weird. My Centos VM, which holds chat server, SIP etc required more than advertised… Just have to add/subtract til you strike a balance.
Thanks! Okay now I really get it ;D