2020.04.24 – Install Firewall pfSense Virtual on VMWare Fusion

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A big part of solution I take from here: Pfsense: How to install Firewall Pfsense Virtual on VMWare

Phots for practice are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wWtMoRRcuJjTuoxM9

Other part from my blog 2020.04.1 – Building a VMware vSphere Virtual Lab with VMware Fusion – Part 2: Deploy and Configure a pfSense VM

Overview

This article is about creating a virtual machine firewall pfSense on VMWare Fusion virtualisation environment.

PfSense is Firewall open source, free for everyone. PfSense acts a firewall device and has full routing functionality as a high-end device

Prepare pfSense virtual machine installation file

Download pfSense.iso in pfSense homepage:  https://www.pfsense.org/download/

My Hardware and Software I already using or I will use next:

  • I am using MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016):
    • macOS Catalina version 10.15.3
    • Processor 2,9 GHs Quad-Core Intel
    • Memory 16 GB 2133 MHsLPDDR3 (of RAM)
  • Installed and use VMware Fusion PRO Version 11.5.3: this allows the hardware assisted virtualisation feature of the CPU to be used in a virtual machine.
  • I will install pfSense-CE-2.4.5-RELEASE-amd64.iso

Instructions for installing pfSense on VMWare Fusion

  • Open VMWare Fusion software and choose + > New...
  • Leave the set Install from disc or image and click Continue

If needed click Use another disk or disc image… -> then search and click pfSense-CE-2.4.5-RELEASE-amd64.iso -> then click Open -> then click Continue

  • Let Legacy Bios and click Continue
  • Click Customise Settings
  • Chose your name into your already create folder. I save as pfSense.vmwarevm and select pfSense folder and click Save
  • Before powering on verify and configure what is needed
  • Verify the Disk size and modify if needed. I left is default!
  • Verify the CD/DVD Drive. It is there already
  • Focus to open and configure Network Adapter. Open the existing Network Adapter. It is already set to Share with my Mac. Click Add Devices…
  • Click Network Adapter and Add…
  • Select the needed Network for Internet access. I use vSphere network. Click Show all
  • Finished the starting external starting configuration. Close the Virtual Machine Settings…
  • Power-on pfSense
  • Click Accept
  • Click OK to install Pfsense
  • Click Select to continue
  • Select Guided Disk Setup then click OK
  • The pfSense installation process is started….
  • Click NO and reboot
  • Choose option 2 to configure
  • Enter 2 to configuring for LAN -> set IP Address according to your needs. I use 10.1.1.251/24
  • In IPv6 section I do not need to configure anything. Click Enter

As everything is configured correctly, try to ping the LAN address from the Mac host.

Last login: Fri Apr 24 06:38:32 on ttys000
murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping 10.1.1.251
PING 10.1.1.251 (10.1.1.251): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.251: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.270 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.251: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.390 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.251: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.346 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.251: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.307 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.251: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.320 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.251 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.270/0.327/0.390/0.040 ms

All is ready to login to the firewall and do the final configuration steps.

  • Type the LAN address (10.1.1.251) into a web browser then enter the following login credentials:
Username: admin 
Password: pfsense
  • Click SIGN IN.
  • Click the Change the password in the User Manager link.
  • Provide a new strong password, 2 times, scroll to the bottom and click Save
  • Click System and General Setup
  • I enter pfSense for the hostname and silvique.ro for the Domain, scroll to the bottom and click Save.
  • Click Accept

All is correct

It is possible to ping an external website like Google from existing EVE-PRO

Phots for practice are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wWtMoRRcuJjTuoxM9