Great devices
What do you like best about the product?
Netgate's pfsense devices are robust being based on FreeBSD. And if for some reason something goes wrong you have a rapid netgate support department to help turn things to the better.
What do you dislike about the product?
I don't see any major downsides. If one, I liked the metal casings of their smaller models better.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Secure access while still having a simple firewall setup you can explain to any first line of support employee
Great Firewall with plenty of options
What do you like best about the product?
The UIS is easy touse and has tons of options.
What do you dislike about the product?
There is 2 option that is missing and would be greate to have
- 2FA
- UDP proxy (for NTP and DNS)
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Cost and easy to use, IPSec and normal VPN
Robust hardware with state-of-the-art software
What do you like best about the product?
Fast, reliable hardware with always up-to-date feature rich software.
What do you dislike about the product?
not widely promoted or available in my region (to be specific in Malaysia/South East Asia).
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Over the years I have used various open source softwares with PC and Server hardware but was disappointed with difficult to learn software, not enough community support, lack of features and updates. Until I discovered Netgate pfsense by watching Tom's videos on Youtube (Lawrence Systems). I was influenced by Tom and how he reviewed the product, so I searched and found a local vendor selling the product.
I replaced my old hardware and software with Netgate 6100 appliance, I use it in a multi WAN enviornment supporting about 30+ users on LAN.
Netgate always provides timely updates and support is top notch.
Great product, great support
What do you like best about the product?
As MSP, we rely on pfSense and Netgate in many scenarios. Of all the pfSense deployments we have, we are maybe 50-50 on the Netgate Hardware vs. our own phisical/virtual appliances. It is just so versatile and we can deploy it easily in any oocasion, on demand. Software and its capabilities is no doubt one of the biggest reasons we stick with it but Netgate's amazing support is definitely the reason we keep coming back. I don't think I had a ticket wait more than one hour for a response even for devices without valid support contracts. I also rarely need to exchange messages with the support more than twice per incident. I am truly amazed by their knowledge of the product(s) they are supporting.
What do you dislike about the product?
Centralized management and high availability could get tricky at times.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Remote access. site to site connectivity
Most functions are readily available, and additional features can be obtained by downloading and installing plugins
What is our primary use case?
I have used Netgate pfSense for a range of purposes. Initially, I employed it for VPN connections, mainly for personal and professional use. I also relied on it to maintain network equipment in a professional context. In the professional sphere, I have experience with both pfSense and Juniper, but eventually, I decided to phase out Juniper due to its high costs, especially for updates and the addition of new functionalities. pfSense's cost-effectiveness and the flexibility to transition to new hardware while retaining configurations made it a preferred choice. pfSense also stands out in terms of its rapid algorithm evolution compared to competitors like Juniper. Its scalability is another advantage, where adding a new box or reconfiguring can boost the firewall's capacity.
On a personal note, I use Netgate pfSense to connect to my equipment at the data center. Currently, I have a highly available installation that requires two instances of pfSense. While I considered pfSense for this setup, I had to assess whether OpenSense might offer better features for future requirements before delving deeper into pfSense.
What is most valuable?
It's worth noting that Netgate pfSense's performance is independent of the hardware it runs on. As I mentioned earlier, its scalability is a strong point. Most functions are readily available, and additional features can be obtained by downloading and installing plugins, which are generally free. When you compare this to the alternative of purchasing a firewall from a different supplier, you'll find that the latter option typically doubles the cost of the firewall itself. This cost increase is often attributed to additional licenses for deep inspection and similar functionalities. While configuring pfSense may require more time and effort upfront, the long-term cost savings make it a more cost-effective choice.
What needs improvement?
One concern I have with Netgate pfSense is related to packet filtering. Specifically, issues can arise with certain functionalities like GP, and, at times, there may be bugs. When creating IP lists, I've noticed that synchronization doesn't always function correctly. While it's not entirely dysfunctional, troubleshooting these synchronization problems can be quite challenging.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Netgate pfSense since 2015-16.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've experienced certain issues with Netgate pfSense in the past, particularly with the previous version, which was 2.5. It posed several problems. However, the current version appears to be more stable. Nonetheless, I still encounter troubleshooting challenges. For instance, there is an issue where it initially blocks an IP range but releases it after ten minutes. This behavior is somewhat peculiar, and it pertains to IP filtering.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Netgate pfSense mainly comes from online forums. These forums are populated by a significant number of individuals who are knowledgeable in pfSense and its related areas, making it a valuable resource.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The choice of whether to use Netgate pfSense often depends on the company's preferences. In some cases, particularly in Switzerland, there is a strong preference for open source solutions. This choice is sometimes motivated by the desire for open source alternatives and can also be related to cost considerations.
How was the initial setup?
The Initial setup is very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Netgate pfSense is a cost-effective option. If you're not using a VPN, you can acquire a decent embedded PC for around a hundred dollars and install pfSense on it, effectively creating a robust firewall solution. With this setup, you can achieve a throughput of two hundred to three hundred megabits per second without any issues, provided you're handling relatively simple rules. The level of performance depends on the specific requirements and tasks.
What other advice do I have?
If you're considering using Netgate pfSense for the first time, I would recommend giving it a try. It's relatively easy to set up and use, especially if you have some prior knowledge of network and IT work. The user manual provides helpful guidance, and the basic configuration is straightforward. Just ensure you pay attention to the hardware requirements to make the most of it.
It can be rated as an eight for simplicity. However, as you progress and introduce complexities, such as enabling deep packet inspection, adding extra features, or installing multiple plugins, the configuration can become more intricate. I encountered some issues with iOS in version 2.5, but they are expected to be resolved or have been resolved.
Opensource software, professional support
What do you like best about the product?
Pfsense is easy to use and includes everything a network engineer needs.
What do you dislike about the product?
Tutorials and guides can be out of date but are usually sufficient to figure out what needs to be done.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
provides a uniform interface to manage multiple sites firewalls.
Ecstatic and grateful for support received!!
What do you like best about the product?
Extremely knowledgeable with product. My support tech took time to listen and understand what we were attempting to accomplish while explaining the steps he took to accomplish the task at hand.
What do you dislike about the product?
The email support / easy to trigger disconnect and frustration if you are experiencing a "mission critical" situation.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Restoring configuration of a 4100 firewall
Netgate Stands By Their Products
What do you like best about the product?
The best thing about pfSense is the support team. I am a small business and manage my own tech, and the willingness of the support team to communicate with and educate someone in my postion is noteworthy.
What do you dislike about the product?
I have not experienced any downside.It may seem overwhelming to a non tech end user but that is my fault not the product.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
There were three instances I can remember that Netgate customer service solved for me.
1.There were mulitple power outages and the multiple cylces stopped my 3100 from working and requried a highly technical work around that customer service walked me through and solved.
2. The unit was dropped and the plastic cover was damaged and I was shippped a new cover no charge.
3. I was setting up a port forward so that I could view my surveillence NVR on the road. My ISP was blocking all traffic and even though there were no issues with the 3100 Netgate support helped me find a work around.
Solid Network Devices with Great Security and Pricing
What do you like best about the product?
We're able to feel confident about the security and performance of our network. We know pfSense defaults to secure configuration and know exactly what we've configured.
What do you dislike about the product?
There is no central management at this time. While not a big lift for our team, we do have to deploy changes to 11 locations individually.
The lack of layer 7 filtering sometimes makes it challenging to block unwanted traffic, but PfBlocker does most of what we need.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We're able to connect our locations securely and in a high performing fashion. We use Netgate pfSense as our firewall, router and DHCP server.
Very powerful product!
What do you like best about the product?
pfSense is just chock-full of incredible features and the GUI interface makes it pretty easy to implement them.
What do you dislike about the product?
All of the power and features of pfSense may seem overwhelming for network-newbies, but there is a lot of documentation, community support, and other postings to help you discover best practices and methods.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We really needed some site-to-site VPNs and the WireGuard package is a great solution. We also needed much better control and protection than so-called business ISPs provide - and pfSense does that wonderfully!
