Introduction:


pfSense is a versatile and powerful open-source firewall and router distribution. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of installing pfSense 2.7.x on VMware ESXi, configuring two virtual network interfaces (vNic), and creating two virtual switches (“LAN” and “WAN”) with corresponding port groups (“Main Network” and “WAN PG”).

Prerequisites:

  1. A VMware ESXi host with the necessary hardware requirements including at least two 1Gb NICs.
  2. pfSense 2.7.x ISO image, available for download from the official pfSense website.
  3. Basic knowledge of VMware ESXi and networking concepts.

Step 1: Download pfSense 2.7 ISO:
Visit the official pfSense website and download the latest version of the pfSense ISO image.

Step 2: Create Virtual Switches (‘LAN’ and ‘WAN’):

  1. In the VMware vSphere Client, navigate to the “Networking” section.
  2. Select the ESXi host where you intend to deploy the pfSense VM.
  3. Click on the “Actions” button and choose “New vSwitch.”
  4. Name the first vSwitch as ‘LAN’ and click “Finish.”
  5. Repeat the process to create another vSwitch, naming it ‘WAN.’
  6. With the ‘LAN’ vSwitch selected, click on the “Actions” button and choose “New Port Group.”
  7. Name the port group as ‘Main Network’ and click “Finish.”
  8. Similarly, create a port group for the ‘WAN’ vSwitch named ‘WAN PG.’

Step 3: Create a New Virtual Machine on ESXi:

  1. Open the VMware vSphere Client and connect to your ESXi host.
  2. Create a new virtual machine (VM).
  3. During the VM creation process, select the pfSense 2.7 ISO as the installation source.

Step 4: Configure Virtual Hardware:

  1. Assign an appropriate name for the VM.
  2. Set the guest operating system to “Linux” and select “Other Linux 64-bit.”
  3. Assign an adequate amount of RAM and CPU cores to the VM based on your requirements.
  4. Create two virtual network adapters (vNic):
    • Connect the first vNic to the “LAN” vSwitch and assign it to the “Main Network” port group.
    • Connect the second vNic to the “WAN” vSwitch and assign it to the “WAN PG” port group.
  5. Attach the pfSense 2.7 ISO to the CD/DVD drive of the VM.
    • In the VM hardware settings, navigate to the “CD/DVD Drive” section.
    • Choose “Datastore ISO File” and upload / select the uploaded pfSense 2.7 ISO from the datastore.

Step 5: Install pfSense:

  1. Power on the VM and proceed with the pfSense installation process.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure the WAN and LAN interfaces during the installation.
  3. Set the LAN IP address and subnet.

Step 6: Complete Initial Configuration:

  1. After installation, the VM will reboot into pfSense. Access the pfSense web interface by entering the LAN IP address in a web browser.
  2. Log in with the default credentials (admin/pfsense).
  3. Follow the initial setup wizard to configure additional settings, such as the WAN interface and DHCP.

Step 7: Testing Connectivity:

  1. Connect a device to the “Main Network” and ensure it can access the internet through the pfSense firewall.
  2. Verify the connectivity of the “WAN” interface.

Congratulations! You have successfully deployed pfSense 2.7 on VMware ESXi with dual vNic configuration, creating two virtual switches (“LAN” and “WAN”) and their corresponding port groups. This setup allows you to effectively manage and secure network traffic within your virtualized environment.