Once you have decided to add a pfSense system to your network, you need to consider how it is going to be deployed on your network. pfSense is suitable for a variety of networks, from small to large ones, and can be employed in a variety of deployment scenarios. In this section, we will cover the following possible uses for pfSense:
- Perimeter firewall
- Router
- Switch
- Wireless router/wireless access point
As this book is aimed at beginner pfSense users, we will mainly focus on the first two items, as these are the most common uses of a pfSense device. We will, however, briefly discuss the latter two items.
The most common way to add pfSense to your network is to use it as a perimeter firewall. In this scenario, your internet connection is connected to one port on the pfSense system, and your local network is connected to another port on the...
