Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by Adams
How pfsense hardware works?
If you are not a technical person then this is something which you need to know. PfSense is free and open-source software that turns a computer into a functional firewall or router. The computer that uses pfSense is usually recommended to be old computer.
That is because the computer becomes fully dedicated to that purpose. There are a number of reasons that prove how it is different than a router and why you should pick pfsense instead of a traditional router.
However, we have already discussed that. Now we will answer how this hardware works? Let’s discuss all the reasons as to how does hardware work with pfsense.
It is simple that every software needs a set of hardware to operate. The same goes for pfSense. It requires specific hardware that provides support and helps run the open-source software on a computer. PfSense on its own is just software and requires support from appliances to work.
Although it has the security protocols of a router, it still lacks in the security department. Most of the such hardware comes with its own security features, which make your internet usage safer and secure.
The hardware forms direct connection with the pfSense software and serves as the backbone. This hardware come with their processors that allow particular data processing speed.
The newer models come with quad-core or better processors which make the data-handling speed of your pfSense faster.
Also, the RAM allows the software to configure and run at a faster speed. The recommended CPU of this kind of hardware is 1GHz, while the recommended RAM is 1GB. An appliance below these specifications will work, however, it will have slower data speed.
The Ethernet ports available in an appliance provide direct connection, while some devices do come with wireless kits, which allow wireless connections. Although it is preferred by some people to have the wireless options, many still use the Ethernet connectivity as it is considered to provide more stability. Another type of port that is available in this hardware is USB port.
You may think what use does a USB port have? USB ports allow you to connect a storage device or create a cloud online storage.
Moreover, it allows you to connect a printer that is shareable with all the users in a network. USB ports provide a number of uses that is why it is recommended that your pfsense routing appliance must have a 3.0 USB port.
With all the hardware working out of the way, let’s discuss the hardware requirement that you need for pfsense.
AES-NI (AES – New Instructions) support
Network Card Selection (NICs)
Processor of the hardware must be powerful enough to support pfSense (preferably 1 GHz dual-core or more)
64-bit Intel or AMD CPU is required
RAM should be at least 1GB or more to support pfSense
These are the entire hardware requirement that you need in order to make pfSense work. We have mentioned all the working and requirement related to the hardware supporting pfSense.
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