What is OPNsense?
OPNsense is a free, open source firewall and router that runs on ordinary hardware or in a virtual machine. It sits between a business network and the internet and decides which traffic is allowed through.
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What it is
OPNsense does the firewall's job in software, so a business is not tied to one vendor's hardware or to a yearly license for basic features. It is built on the FreeBSD operating system and is managed through a web page.
Besides blocking and allowing traffic, it handles routing, address assignment, VPN connections and traffic reporting. The code is open for anyone to review, and the project publishes regular updates.
What businesses use it for
- Perimeter protection: rules control what can enter or leave the network, and logs show what was blocked.
- Network segmentation: VLANs split staff, guests, cameras and servers into separate zones that cannot freely reach each other.
- VPN access: remote staff and other offices reach company resources over an encrypted connection.
- Multiple internet lines: traffic can use more than one connection, so an outage on one line need not stop work.
How KawaConnect uses OPNsense
We deploy OPNsense firewalls in high-availability pairs, meaning two firewalls where the second takes over automatically if the first fails. We use them for network segmentation with VLANs, site-to-site VPN and Tailscale remote access.
OPNsense works alongside access points and switches from Ubiquiti UniFi. Our firewall work is described on the networking and firewalls page. Segmentation, VPN and access controls are on the network security page.
Related services
Networking and firewalls
OPNsense pairs, VLANs and Wi-Fi for business sites.
Network security
VPN, segmentation and access controls with someone watching.
Endpoint security
Protection for the computers that sit behind the firewall.
Learn more
- OPNsense on WikipediaBackground on the project, its origins, and its main features.
- OPNsense project websiteDownloads, release notes, and news from the project.
- OPNsense documentationThe manual for firewall rules, VPNs, high availability, and plugins.
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