All posts
-
OPNsense vs pfSense for Homelab: Which Firewall OS Wins in 2026?
A practitioner's comparison of OPNsense and pfSense for homelab use — update cadence, licensing, IDS/IPS, VPN support, and when to pick each.
-
OPNsense Multi-WAN Failover with Gateway Groups
Configure two ISP uplinks on OPNsense with gateway groups for automatic failover or load balancing: monitoring, NAT, DNS, and pitfalls that break it.
-
Zenarmor (Sensei) on OPNsense: Free NGFW Setup and Tuning
Install and configure Zenarmor (formerly Sensei) on OPNsense for application-aware filtering, web category blocking, and live traffic analytics — what the
-
HAProxy Reverse Proxy on OPNsense with Let's Encrypt
Use the os-haproxy and os-acme-client plugins to put one HTTPS front end in front of all your homelab services on OPNsense — real backends, SNI host
-
OPNsense WireGuard Road Warrior: Remote Access Setup
Configure WireGuard on OPNsense for secure remote access — create the Instance, add Peers with the built-in generator, assign the interface, write
-
OPNsense vs pfSense: Which Fits Your Use Case in 2026
An OPNsense-leaning but honest comparison — release cadence, the open-source model, the GUI, plugins vs packages, and the specific use cases where each
-
OPNsense Initial Setup: Complete Installation Guide (2026)
Step-by-step walkthrough for installing OPNsense on a Protectli vault or mini-PC, covering installer options, interface assignment, WAN/LAN configuration
-
OPNsense VLAN Configuration: Segment IoT, Guest, and Trusted
How to create and enforce VLANs on OPNsense to isolate IoT devices, guest Wi-Fi, and your trusted LAN — with firewall rules that block inter-VLAN traffic
-
OPNsense Suricata IDS/IPS: Installation and Tuning Guide
Set up Suricata as an inline IPS on OPNsense — install the plugin, enable ET Open or ET Pro rulesets, configure alert actions, and tune to reduce false
-
Best Hardware for OPNsense in 2026: Protectli, Netgate, Mini-PCs
Tested hardware recommendations for running OPNsense: fanless Protectli vaults, refurbished mini-PCs, and purpose-built appliances — with throughput data
-
OPNsense High Availability with CARP: Active-Passive Failover
Configure OPNsense HA using CARP virtual IPs and pfsync state synchronization for sub-second firewall failover — step-by-step for a two-node homelab or