Lorene Melone
How To Install pfSense on Proxmox: A Step-by-Step Guide – Part 3
This walkthrough might seem straightforward, but trust me, there’s always a tiny hiccup or something that doesn’t go as planned. Setting up pfSense in Proxmox isn’t super complicated, but, yeah, a little patience helps. This is kinda how it went down for me when I first tried—got stuck a couple times but figured it out. So here’s what I did, step by step.
Prerequisites
Before jumping into it, make sure you’ve got:
- A fully running Proxmox server (obvious, but hey, worth mentioning). Check with pveversion in terminal to confirm.
- The pfSense ISO image downloaded. Make sure it’s the right architecture—amd64 for most hardware.
- Basic understanding of Proxmox web interface. You’ll need to create VMs and tweak some settings.
- Access to the Proxmox web console or SSH into your server for some commands.
Step 1: Start the pfSense Virtual Machine
Log into your Proxmox web UI. Find where you want to throw this pfSense VM, then:
- Click Create VM but don’t go too fast — just enough to get it created. Or if you already have a VM shell, you can skip ahead.
- Upload the pfSense ISO via the storage tab—usually under local > ISO Images. If you haven’t, upload it here. Right-click VM > Edit > set CD/DVD to ISO and pick your image.
- Make sure your VM has decent RAM (say 2GB minimum) and CPU cores.
- Double-check that the network device is set to virtio or Intel E1000 (depending on compatibility). Because of course, Windows has to make it harder than it needs to be.
Step 2: Boot and Install pfSense
Now, actually boot the VM. Watch the console:
- Start the VM, then click Console.
- Hit Enter to get to the pfSense boot menu, then choose Install. The menu is somewhat primitive, but just select the default options unless you know what you’re doing.
- On some setups, the ISO might not boot properly on the first try. If that happens, double-check ISO mounted properly and that Secure Boot is disabled in the VM options.
Step 3: Keyboard Layout & Partitioning
This is usually simple:
- If you use the US layout, it’s usually pre-selected. Otherwise, select your layout with arrow keys, hit Space to select, then Enter.
- If you’re not sure, stick with default (ZFS). You might wanna partition differently if you’re a power user, but default works for most.
Step 4: Confirm & Install
When prompted to wipe the disk, highlight Yes and hit Enter. The installer will then fetch files—may take some time depending on your network connection. On one setup it worked the first time, on another, had to reboot once or twice.
Once done, it will say something like “Installation complete” — then hit Reboot or Enter to restart.
Extra tips & gotchas
If things seem off post-installation, here’s where to look:
- Check your VM’s network settings in Proxmox (Hardware > Network Device), make sure it’s connected to the right bridge—like vmbr0.
- Sometimes you gotta manually assign IP addresses inside pfSense if DHCP isn’t working or you’ve misconfigured network interfaces.
- If the VM fails to boot from ISO or hangs on “Loading kernel,” try switching the CD-ROM bus from IDE to SATA in VM options. Weird, but it helps on some hardware.
After the install—what’s next?
Once you’re in, head over to the pfSense web interface—default IP is usually 192.168.1.1. Use a browser, navigate there, and set up your admin password. From here, you can do all the fun stuff like configuring WAN/LAN, setting up VPN, firewalls, whatever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pfSense?
It’s basically free, open-source firewall/router software based on FreeBSD. Super solid, and widely used for SMBs or home labs.
Can it run in a VM?
Yup, no problem. Just make sure your VM has the right network settings and enough resources. Some people say it’s a little picky on network drivers, but overall pretty reliable.
How do I access it after setup?
Type in http://192.168.1.1 in your browser after it’s installed. Log in with the default admin password, then start customizing.
Summary
- Make sure ISO is happy and mounted properly.
- Set VM NIC to the right mode and bridge.
- Follow the installer prompts—defaults are usually safe.
- Double-check network configs if things don’t seem right.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Lazy, but it works—at least most of the time.