pfSense is a powerful and open-source network security solution based on FreeBSD. It provides users the authority to change firewall settings for the router to make the network more secure. Ideally, it’s the best alternative for expensive commercial firewall solutions that provide the same features. It also includes additional software packages adding extra advantage in developing a robust security system. Further, it uses the web interface for all components configuration, removing the need for using a command-line terminal or any UNIX knowledge.
The main question is whether pfSense runs on Raspberry Pi or not? This article will provide you with the answer to some solutions.
Can pfSense run on Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is an excellent tool that can set up Firewall settings on your network connection to make it more secure. Using pfSense on Raspberry Pi would be an ideal option, but the developers only include an amd64 version for pfSense. The Raspberry Pi uses the arm64 version and you won’t be able to run pfSense on Raspberry Pi. The main reason is that the BSD kernel isn’t ideally stable for the arm64 version. Thus, the developers don’t bother creating a version of pfSense for Raspberry Pi until the kernel fully supports the arm64 environment.
If you are still finding a way to set up firewall settings on your Raspberry Pi, you can find many other alternatives similar to pfSense and some of these are given below:
1: OpenWart
OpenWart is a good alternative for pfSense that can work on Raspberry Pi. It’s Linux-based customizable operating system primarily used for embedded devices allowing users the platform to route network traffic. You can install OpenWart on your Raspberry Pi through its image file. You can configure OpenWart on your Raspberry Pi through command-line terminal or web interface and it includes several packages that help you in setting up firewall settings and provides you the freedom to change these settings on your own. For guidance, you can refer to the OpenWart website.
2: IPFire
IPFire is another versatile open-source firewall solution for Raspberry Pi users. It includes a firewall engine to set up router settings. Also, it has some additional features such as an intrusion detection system to help tackle malicious activities on your network, multiple add ons, including VPN, and a proxy to hide your real identity. It also includes a web management tool that helps you manage your network setting right onto your browser tab. You can install it easily on your Raspberry Pi by loading its image on your SD card. You can get further help by visiting the IPFire website.
Software to Setup Firewall on Raspberry Pi
In case, if you are using Raspberry Pi OS and looking for an easiest solution to setup Firewall on Raspberry Pi, you can use different Firewall tools such as Fail2ban, VPN and Ad Blocker as this will help you in securing your system as much as they can.
Hardware to Setup Firewall on Raspberry Pi
You can also utilize hardware services to set up a firewall on Raspberry Pi. However, with a single Ethernet port option, you won’t be able to turn your device into a home router. For that reason, you must acquire a converter that will provide you the option to use two ethernet ports at once or you can go for purchasing a Raspberry Pi HAT that includes multiple Ethernet port options.
Conclusion
pfSense is a perfect network security solution that turns your device into a more robust home router. However, it only works on devices that support amd64 architecture; thus, it won’t be able to run on a Raspberry Pi device that includes arm64 architecture. Still, you may try out other alternatives to pfSense, or you can use different software and hardware to turn your Raspberry Pi device into a router with Firewall support.
