pfSense

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pfSense
Pfsense logo.png
PfSense 2.3.2.jpg
Developer Rubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate)
OS family FreeBSD (11.1-RELEASE)
Working state Current
Source model Open source
Platforms x86-64, ARM
Kernel type Monolithic kernel
License Apache License 2.0[1]
Official website www.pfsense.org

pfSense is an open source firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD.[2][3][4] It is installed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network.[5] It can be configured and upgraded through a web-based interface, and requires no knowledge of the underlying FreeBSD system to manage.[2][6] pfSense is commonly deployed as a perimeter firewall, router, wireless access point, DHCP server, DNS server, and as a VPN endpoint. pfSense supports installation of third-party packages like Snort or Squid through its Package Manager.

History[edit]

The pfSense project started in 2004 as a fork of the m0n0wall project by Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich and the first release was in 2006.[7] The name was derived from the fact that the software uses the packet-filtering tool, PF.[8]

In 2014 pfSense was acquired by Electric Sheep Fencing LLC (ESF)[9] and the pfSense project licence terms changed.[10] Subsequently, in order to get further access to the pfSense build repositories, an appropriate ESF Contributor License Agreement had to be signed by developers.[11]

pfSense version 2.2 was released January 23, 2015.[12] Version 2.3 was released on April 12, 2016.[13] Since July 2016,[citation needed] pfSense is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 and since 2004 it is copyrighted, with the current copyright owner being Rubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate).[14]

In November 2017, a World Intellectual Property Organization panel found that Netgate had been using the domain opnsense.com in bad faith to discredit OPNsense, and compelled Netgate to transfer the domain to Deciso, the developer of OPNsense.[15] (OPNsense, launched in January 2015,[16] is a fork and competitor of pfSense, which in turn was forked from m0n0wall, which was built on FreeBSD).[17]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "pfSense moves to Apache License". Retrieved 15 June 2016. 
  2. ^ a b "You should be running a pfSense firewall". InfoWorld. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2015. 
  3. ^ "Enterprises cut costs with open-source routers". Network World. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2015. 
  4. ^ "Multiple Vulnerabilities Patched in pfSense". Security Week. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015. 
  5. ^ Danen, Vincent (December 7, 2009). "DIY pfSense firewall system beats others for features, reliability, and security". TechRepublic. 
  6. ^ Miller, Sloan (June 26, 2008). "Configure a professional firewall using pfSense". Free Software Magazine (22). 
  7. ^ Fields, Robert (October 28, 2016). "Happy 10th Anniversary to pfSense Open Source Software". Netgate Blog. 
  8. ^ Buechler, Chris (June 21, 2007). "So what does pfSense stand for/mean, anyway?". pfSense Digest. 
  9. ^ "Electric Sheep Fencing". Electric Sheep Fencing. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2016. 
  10. ^ "The pfSense® software usage terms have changed". Yawarra Tiny Computers. Retrieved 21 November 2016. 
  11. ^ "License Agreement Form". Electric Sheep Fencing LLC. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2016. 
  12. ^ "DistroWatch.com: pfSense". 
  13. ^ Buechler, Chris (April 12, 2016). "2.3-RELEASE Now available!". pfSense Digest. Retrieved 12 April 2016. 
  14. ^ "Take A Tour of pfSense - Legal, License". Rubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate). Retrieved 21 November 2016. 
  15. ^ "WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2017-1828". WIPO. November 12, 2017. 
  16. ^ "Press release: Deciso Launches OPNsense, a New Open Source Firewall Initiative". Deciso via PRNewsWire. January 2, 2015. 
  17. ^ Yegulalp, Serdar (August 16, 2016). "Review: 6 slick open source routers". Infoworld via CIO. 

Further reading[edit]

  • pfSense: The Definitive Guide to the Open Source Firewall and Router Distribution. Reed Media Services, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9790342-8-2. By Christopher M. Buechler and Jim Pingle.
  • pfSense 2 Cookbook. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-1849514866. By Matt Williamson.

External links[edit]

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