pfSense
pfSense is an open source firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD. It is installed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network. It can be configured and upgraded through a web-based interface, and requires no knowledge of the underlying FreeBSD system to manage.[4][5]
A version of the FreeBSD operating system | |
Developer | Rubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate) |
---|---|
OS family | FreeBSD |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Open source |
Latest release | 2.4.5-p1 (amd64) / June 9, 2020[1] |
Latest preview | 2.5.0[2] / October 17, 2019 |
Repository | |
Platforms | 32-bit (discontinued in 2.4.x); 64-bit Intel / AMD |
Default user interface | Web |
License | Apache License 2.0[3] |
Official website | www |
Support status | |
Supported by the community |
History
The pfSense project started in 2004 as a fork of the m0n0wall project by Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich and the first release was in 2006.[6] The name was derived from the fact that the software uses the packet-filtering tool, PF.[7]
In 2014, a competing open source firewall and routing software project, OPNsense, was forked from pfsense, with the first official release in Jan 2015.[8] Both pfsense and OPNsense are under active development, while the original m0n0wall project has been discontinued.
References
- "Releases — Versions of pfSense and FreeBSD". netgate.com. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- pfSense Snapshot Release
- "pfSense adopts Apache 2.0 License". Serve The Home (Loyolan Ventures, LLC). 19 June 2016.
- "You should be running a pfSense firewall". InfoWorld. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- Miller, Sloan (26 June 2008). "Configure a professional firewall using pfSense". Free Software Magazine (22). Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
- Fields, Robert (28 October 2016). "Happy 10th Anniversary to pfSense Open Source Software". Netgate Blog.
- Mobily, Tony (14 August 2007). "Interview with Jeff Starkweather, Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich". Free Software Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- "About OPNsense". January 2, 2015.
Further reading
- Mastering pfSense, Second Edition Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing, 2018. ISBN 978-1788993173. By David Zientra.
- Security: Manage Network Security With pfSense Firewall [Video] Birmingham, UK: Packt, 2018. ISBN 978-1789538991. By Manuj Aggarwal.