pfSense Hardware Setup - Flowchart

DanielDavis

Junior Member
Nov 16, 2013
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I am new to pfSense but have been through the Cisco CCNA classes, so hopefully am not a complete idiota here.

My equipment:

1) SMC DOCSIS 3.0 Commercial Cable Modem - Comcast
2) Cisco SG 300 Managed Switch - 10 port
3) Network Appliance - AMD Quad Core, 8 GB DDR-3 RAM, 1 TB WD Green HDD
4) 2 Intel Gigabit NIC's + onboard NIC - I plan to use only the 2 PCI-e Intel NIC's, not the onboard NIC

I assume I should connect;

1) CAT-7 ethernet cable from Comcast modem to one of the NIC's
2) Ethernet out the other NIC to the Cisco Managed Switch --> 5 computers and file server

Point of confusion: Since I have ethernet out the DOCSIS modem (MDI/MDIX ports), I don't have a serial connection per se, so that would obviate the need for a WAN connection?

Note: I do not intend to set up VLAN's now. Just want to get started with pfSense firewall and NAT, then will add modules later (SNORT, etc.)
 
Feb 25, 2011
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Why would you need a serial connection?

The connection from the modem to the pfsense box is your WAN connection.
 

DanielDavis

Junior Member
Nov 16, 2013
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Correct. Further reading of the pfSense manual revealed just how silly my question was. Thank you for taking time to school me on the obvious. Also, I must apologize for not responding sooner - have had a serious middle-ear infection that is only now beginning to go away.

Since I am such a newbie with pfSense, I believe it's probably wise for me to set up the router and firewall first and then do the VLAN configuration later. Agree?

Also, I think the VLAN's should be configured on the pfSense Network Appliance and not on the Cisco Switch which is a Layer 3 switch and thus capable of elementary routing. I think it's just better to keep things all together on the network appliance.