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In this blog, we will look at how you can install PfSense on an ESXi hypervisor. After
the installation, we will spin up some clients on the LAN side, test connectivity to the
internet, and check which path it is taking to get there.
Table of Contents
1 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
We will be using a single ESXi host in this lab connected to a physical switch
connected to the internet.
• In Esxi host, I have a single standard switch vSwitch0 at the moment that carries
the ESXi management traffic.
• We will configure another virtual switch called WAN with an uplink connected to
the internet and a second link connected to the PfSense WAN interface.
• We will also create another virtual switch called PfSense_LAN without any uplink
which will be shared by the VM’s and the PfSense LAN interface.
We are using version 2.6.0 community edition in this lab. When downloading the file,
you need to ensure that you choose the Architecture: AMD64, Installer: DVD
Image(ISO) Installer.
2 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
3 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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Name: WAN.
Uplink1: Choose the uplink that goes to the internet service provider or the link
where you have internet access.
Click on Add.
4 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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Name: WAN.
VLAN ID: 40
Virtual Switch: You need to choose the WAN virtual switch we created earlier.
Click on Add.
Note: Here I am tagging my WAN port group with VLAN 40 because that’s what I am
using on my physical switch to connect to the internet. so if your physical switch and
the ESXi are configured with trunk and you have configured VLAN to separate the
internet traffic, you may use the tagging here. Else not required.
5 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
In the Pop-up.
Name: PfSense-FW.
Compatibility: ESXi 7.0 U2 virtual machine.
Guest OS Family: Other.
Guest OS version: FreeBSD 12(64bit)
6 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
Note: You might be using an older version of ESXi, so you must choose your version
as Compatibility, and in the Guest OS version, if you don’t see freeBSD12, you may
select FreeBSD 11 or lower.
Do not choose FreeBSD 13. The installation will not proceed if you do so.
CPU: 2
The PfSense should work fine with a single CPU; however, it is best to keep 2 CPUs at
least.
7 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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Memory: 2048 – I have run PfSense with 1Gig of ram in the past with no issues;
however, if you have enough RAM, provide 2GB else, you may stick with 1GB itself.
Hard disk: 50 – You can leave the default 8GB of storage. If you plan to collect logs
on the PfSense itself, you will have to have more storage hence I chose 50GB. It is
recommended to send the logs to a Syslog server instead of using the PfSense box.
Network Adapter1: WAN – The first adapter on the PfSense should connect to the
WAN port group on the ESXi, hence choose that.
CD/DVD Drive 1 – I have already uploaded the PfSense iso files to my ESXi datastore,
I will have to point my virtual CD Drive to use that location.
In the drop-down, choose the Datastore ISO file. Choose the PfSense ISO file that we
have uploaded.
8 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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You will get a summary of the virtual machine. Click on the finish here.
After a few seconds, the PfSense will boot and proceed with the installation.
• Choose Install.
• Install.
• Stripe- we are not providing any redundancy for the storage, hence choosing
Stripe. If you would like to choose a different option, you can do that here.
9 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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• Choose the disk da0 using the space bar and hit Ok.
• You will be asked whether you want to format the virtual hard disk or not, you
may choose yes here.
• After the installation, you may go ahead and reboot the PfSense firewall.
10 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
It will ask you whether you want to create a VLAN or not. Since we already have two
different networks, we don’t require VLAN at this moment, hence say no.
If you plan to use VLAN within PfSense, I have covered how you can create and manage
different networks using PfSense VLAN here.
Next, you will be required to define the WAN and the Lan interfaces of the PfSense
firewall. For the WAN interface, we will use vmx0 and the LAN vmx1; hence configure
them accordingly.
If you have DHCP enabled on the WAN side of the firewall, you will see the WAN side
configured with the DHCP IP and the LAN side configured with the default
192.168.1.0/24 subnet.
I don’t have DHCP enabled on the WAN side; hence I see only the LAN side with the
11 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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Let’s go ahead and configure the WAN side IP address manually by pressing number
2. If you already have a DHCP address, you may skip this option.
Maybe you are using a PPPoE connection from your ISP on the WAN side, and you
are wondering how to configure PPPoE on the PfSense WAN side. You may check out
the article here.
• Enter the number of the interface you wish to configure: type 1 which represents
WAN link.
• Enter the new WAN IPv4 address: Due to security reason I am masking my public
IP, you can also use a private IP if the pfsense is behind a NAT device.
12 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
After a few seconds, you will see that WAN and LAN are configured and ready to use.
To test internet access, From the PfSense firewall type 7, do a ping test to the
internet. As you can see, I can reach the internet just fine.
13 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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As per our diagram, we have two virtual machines, one is the Windows 11 machine,
and another is the Ubuntu server, To connect these machines to the PfSense LAN
side, you will have to connect them to the port group that we defined earlier, which is
PfSense_LAN.
14 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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As you can see on the windows 11 machine, I got the IP address 192.168.1.100, and I
can reach the internet as well.
15 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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It is the same case with the Ubuntu server, which got an IP address 192.168.1.101, the
second one from the DHCP lease. it can reach the internet as well.
Open a web browser in any VM and type https://192.168.1.1, the LAN side IP address
of PfSense.
Since I don’t have GUI installed on Ubuntu, I can access the GUI from the windows 11
box.
Ignore the security warning, and on the login prompt, enter the username as admin
and the password as PfSense and click on Sign in.
16 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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You will be presented with the initial setup wizard. Click on next.
In case you would like to make any modifications, you may do so here. For example,
if you are using a private IP address on the WAN side of the PfSense, you will have to
uncheck the Block Private networks from entering via the WAN option on Step4.
I don’t have to uncheck this option as I am using the public IP address on the WAN
side.
During the initial setup wizard, you should also change the default password to
something else.
After you finish the initial setup wizard, you should be good to go.
17 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
How to Install PfSense on VMware ESXi? – Step by Step Guide. – Get... https://getlabsdone.com/how-to-install-pfsense-on-esxi-step-by-step-guide/
As you can see, you have two IP addresses assigned to each VM.
18 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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Conclusion.
We have successfully installed the PfSense firewall on an ESXi box, and all the traffic
that goes out will be via the PfSense firewall. If you are using this set up in your home
network, you could further extend the LAN side of the network to the switch using
VLAN and connect to your access point. That will be for another blog article.
19 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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By Saifudheen Sidheeq
ESXi, pfSense
20 of 21 8/4/2023, 8:24 PM
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