What is our primary use case?
We have internet limitations here in Sudan. The financial institutions that I am working with do not have a lot of services on the internet.
It is difficult but at the same time, we are safer and are not faced with any kind of compromised data.
This solution is suitable for small businesses and charity organizations. Security is not just about the firewall, you need policies and procedures in place.
What is most valuable?
The developers of pfSense follow the principles of open-source.
They keep it simple. It's simple and good.
What needs improvement?
The problem with open-source is that no one can take responsibility.
It needs to be more secure. Security needs improvement.
It's always better to have an agreement, an SLA regarding security. You should outsource your security to another company.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using pfSense in my home environment since 2010. I have a small lab, a small environment.
We have also deployed it in my workplace.
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Netgate pfSense
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
pfSense is scalable.
At our peak time, we have reached more than 5,000 concurrent connections.
How are customer service and support?
I do not have experience with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am also using IPFire. It's also open-source.
It's very stable, and it meets my business needs.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
If you have solid knowledge and experience in IP tables, then it will be easy for you to deal with this product or any firewall. For example, Palo Alto or Fortinet. It's the same concept.
Depending on your activities, it can take a long time to deploy if you are new to this solution. For me, it takes less than one hour.
You have to understand the network technology and you have to understand what you are going to protect, and what service are you looking to protect. If you address these questions correctly, the installation is just a matter of a couple of clicks.
What about the implementation team?
I completed the implementation myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are using the open-source version, not the commercial one.
It's very affordable.
What other advice do I have?
I would continue to use pfSense if the decision was mine, but it is out of my area. It depends on the CIO.
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
pfSense will not cost you any money.
It depends on your business needs. You have to address your business needs correctly.
I would say to go with pfSense. If you feel that it is not compatible, you have other purchase options such as Palo Alto.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.