selfhosted-apps-docker/opnsense

OPNsense

guide-by-example

Purpose

Firewall, router, dhcp server, recursive DNS, VPN, traffic monitoring.

• Official site
• GitHub
• Subreddits

Opensource.
Backend is FreeBSD with its packet filter pf and configd for managing daemons, services and templates.
For web gui frontend it uses lighttpd web server, PHP/Phalcon framework and custom services built in Python.

Can be installed on a physical server or in a virtual machine.

VMware ESXi

This setup is running on the free version of ESXi 7.0 U3

Network setup

Two physical network cards - NICs

• the default vSwitch0 will be used for LAN side
• create new virtual switch - vSwitch1-WAN
• create new port group - WAN Network, assign to it vSwitch1-WAN

Virtual machine creation

• Guest OS family - Other
• Guest OS version - FreeBSD 13 or later versions (64-bit)
• CPU - 2 cores
• RAM - 2GB, for basic functionality, later can assign more
• SCSI Controller 0 - LSI Logic SAS
• VM Options > Boot Options > Firmware - EFI

Afterwards, edit the VM, add network adapter connected to WAN Network

Download the latest opnsense - amd64, dvd, extract iso, upload to ESXi datastore, mount it in to the VMs dvd, check connect on boot

OPNsense installation in VM

Disconnect your current router and plug stuff in to the ESXi host.

• let it boot up
• login root/opnsense
• set interfaces, in ESXi VM overview you can see networks and MAC addresses
• set IPs, wan is usually left alone with dhcp,
  static ip for LAN and enable dhcp server running and give it range
• afterwards you should be able to access web gui
• log out
• log in as installer/opnsense
• click through installation leaving stuff at default except for password
• done

First login and basic setup

• at the LAN ip login
• click through wizzard, use 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1 for DNS

Update

Backup and restore

Backup

Restore