Planning to implement as firewall

gmb07 · Mar 28, 2016, 5:53 AM

Hi Guys,

I have a question. I'm planning to use my pfsense as a firewall. My plan is to connect my PFsense to a Router where my ISP modem is connected, then to the switch. I have existing Winserver DHCP so my pfsense will act only as firewall.

My Plan:
ISP Modem –> Router --> PFsense --> Switch --> (Local network)

However in my first attempt, I wasn't be able to have an internet connection. So I switch it back to my current setup, which you can check in the image of diagram below as a reference.

Now, after I switch back to the old setup, I noticed that the firewall is working to my mobile in my current setup. I have a Squid proxy installed on my pfsense which I think miraculously works sadly only on my mobile. Now my question is this:

Is it possible to setup the pfsense as a firewall in my current network setup?

Now if not, can you guys help me how to setup the pfsense according to my plan? :)
Hope you can help me guys, I'm just new to pfsense. TIA. :)

johnpoz · Mar 28, 2016, 11:36 AM

That is not how I would set it up.. You only have 1 connection to pfsense? So you setup vlans? If you want to use pfsense as firewall between internet and your network.. It should be inline..

Pfsense "wan" can be either public IP from your isp or private space, as long as it doesn't conflict with the rfc1918 space your using on pfsense "lan" In your setup pfsense just seems to be a host on your network with 1 interface? While you could use it as a proxy in this setup as a hairpin/one arm bandit sort of setup. I don't get why, if you wanted to use pfsense as actual firewall then you would need wan/lan setup on that 1 interface with vlans.

In your setup what are you pointing to for your machines for their gateway?

gmb07 · Mar 29, 2016, 9:20 AM

Hi johnpoz,

Thanks for your reply. I don't have vlans setup in my network. All I wanted to do is use my pfsense as my firewall to monitor the network and to establish web filtering. However, I already found out how did the pfsense worked in my current setup. I added my pfsense LAN IP to my Windows DHCP server's gateway.

By the way I forgot to draw a connection between the ISP modem to pfsense WAN. :)

Now my problem is this. If I connect my pfsense WAN to the router, my network will be unable to connect to the internet. Can you give me a checklist of what I need to check to make my internet work? Thanks!

johnpoz · Mar 29, 2016, 12:03 PM

Here is the checklist

Install pfsense
Have internet.

This really is clickity clickity.. IF you change the device connected to your cable modem, you need to reboot the cable modem.
If its a nat router and not a modem and handing out rfc1918, then your wan and lan on pfsense have to be different.

Your drawing is all wrong.. Pfsense replaces a router, or sits behind a router. it doesn't go in parallel to a router.