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Netgate Installer
Installation images can be downloaded from the Netgate Store athttps://shop.netgate.com/products/netgate-installer using a Netgate Store Account.
Note
The installer is free but uses the Netgate Store to handle the downloadprocess.
There are three installation images to support different types of hardware:
AMD64 Memstick (Serial and VGA) for installing via USB media
AMD64 ISO image for installing via IPMI or optical drive
AARCH64 Memstick for installing on 64-bit ARM devices from Netgate, such asthe Netgate 1100 and Netgate 2100.
Note
Customers who have purchased firewalls pre-loaded with pfSense® Plussoftware from the Netgate Store already have a Netgate Store Account and access tothe Netgate Installer. The Netgate Product Manuals contain specificinstructions for each model.
Some Netgate devices can also run Community Edition, but pfSense® Plussoftware offers the best user experience.
For other hardware, continue reading.
Navigate to the Netgate Store in a web browser on a client device.
Login using the Netgate Store Account
Navigate to https://shop.netgate.com/products/netgate-installer
Select an Installation Image:
- AMD64 Memstick USB:
For 64-bit x86-64 Intel or AMD hardware to install via USB. This is thecorrect choice for most Netgate hardware and most third party hardware. Thisinstaller works with both serial and VGA consoles. Automatically detectsknown hardware which uses alternate serial console ports (e.g. Netgate 4200,ADI devices).
- AMD64 ISO:
For 64-bit x86-64 Intel or AMD hardware to install via physical or virtualoptical drive. This image works well for installing via IPMI and for virtualmachines. This installer works with both serial and VGA consoles and likethe memstick image, automatically adjusts the console settings to matchknown devices.
- AARCH64 Memstick ARM:
For 64-bit ARM devices from Netgate, such as the Netgate 1100 and Netgate2100.
Click Add To Cart
See AlsopfSense to NetGear VPN TutorialThe installer is free, but uses the checkout process for delivery.
Click Enter Cart
Complete the checkout process and download the installation image.
Warning
Be aware that Safari on macOS will, by default, automatically decompressdownloaded files. This will make validating the integrity of the downloadedfile impossible as the hashes are made against the compressed versions ofthe files. Disable this feature before proceeding or use an alternativebrowser.
See also
Verifying the integrity of the download¶
The integrity of the installer image can be verified by comparing a computedhash value of the original downloaded compressed file against a hash computed byNetgate when the files were created. The current hashes use SHA-256.
The pfSense Plus Installer Checksums page contains the SHA-256 sum of eachcurrent installer image. This is isolated from the image download for extrasecurity. This file is plain text and can be opened in a text editor or viewedin a web browser.
Use the accompanying SHA-256 sum from the checksums page to verify that thedownload successfully completed and is an official release of pfSense software.
Warning
The SHA-256 sums are computed against the compressed versions of thedownloaded files. Compare the hash before decompressing the file.
Safari on macOS will decompress files when downloading by default, makingthis validation impossible. Disable this feature before downloading or use analternative browser.
Hash calculation programs vary by operating system, some common examplesinclude:
PowerShell has a built-in cmdlet Get-FileHash which can compute filehashes easily without needing to install additional software.
Example:
PS> Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\netgate-installer-amd64.img.gzAlgorithm Hash [...]--------- ----SHA256 0FEC506A48DE95A698F4DFE531018E1D7F847E440DA64E5482A6EEAC965F6B40
The SHA256 hash in the output can be compared with the value in thecontents of the pfSense Plus Installer Checksums page.
Note
It is also possible to use the Linux sha256sum command withinWindows Subsystem for Linux, Cygwin, or similar mechanisms.
Alternately, use a GUI-based hash calculation program such asOpenHashTab to compare the value against the provided hash. WithOpenHashTab installed, right click on the downloaded file to access theFile Hashes tab containing the SHA256 hash, among others.
Tip
If a SHA256 hash is not displayed, right click in the hash view andclick Settings, then check the box for SHA256 and click OK.
