pfSense in Front of a Sonicwall - Need Help

[allen001]

I am new to networking, although I have a Sonicwall firewall, their tech suspport mostly helped me set that up long time ago.

 

I installed Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 64bit with VMware and Installed pfSense 2.1 64bit inside of it.

 

Having a difficult time figuring out how to set it up though, the 2 NIC cards and the WAN/LAN settings in pfSense.

 

I wanted to use pfSense for GEO-IP Blocking / Snort(IPS/ids) / squid-dansguardian / antivirus.

 

I wanted to use sonicwall TZ 210 for NAT/ rules, since its already setup for it.

 

From what I have read, I would need to set up pfSense in Transparent Mode ??

 

I am guesing I would need to disable NAT in the pfSense firewall?

 

A setup like this: Comcast Business SMC Modem > pfSense Box > Sonicwall -  with the pfSense box having a static ip for GUI login

 

 

 

The Comcast SMC modem settings:

1-to1 NAT > Disable all

Disable firewall for true static ip subnet only

Disable Gateway smart packet detection

 

The static ip block is: 171.7.45.246/29

The WAN Internet IP Address is: 171.7.45.246

The SMC modem has an assigned static ip, and I have 5 others for use, One is assigned to the Sonicwall: 171.7.45.245

 

 

The Sonicwall x1 WAN ip address is: 171.7.45.245

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.248

 

Would like the pfSense box to have static ip of: 171.7.45.244 so I can access the GUI from there.

 

Not sure what to set the two VMware Network Adapter Settings(WAN and LAN)? Bridged, NAT, Host-only ? or what ip's to assign them.

 

Setting up the LAN/WAN interface ip's in pfSense: 

 

Config the ipv4 address WAN interface for DHCP? y/n

Enter the new WAN ipv4 address:

Enter the new WAN ipv4 subnet bit count:

Enter the new WAN ipv4 gateway address:

 

Just to say, the sonicwall TZ 210 will have no paid security services on it, but I still want to keep it in there.

 

 

 

Please Help

 

 

[+BudMan MVC]

"y services on it, but I still want to keep it in there."

Why - completely and utterly pointless to double nat. Why would you think you need pfsense even if in transparent mode with sonicwall there.. Pick One and move forward you don't need both.

"I wanted to use pfSense for GEO-IP Blocking / Snort(IPS/ids) / squid-dansguardian / antivirus."

So your going to do all this fancy stuff, but a couple port forwards/NATs are beyond your scope? How many services do you have running behind sonicwall now? That you have Nats setup. Do you serve your own email, web, what? What Nats do you have in place currently? It should be all of click click to get those working on pfsense.

"nstalled pfSense 2.1 64bit inside of it."

Why 64bit? Does your VM have more than 4GB of ram given to it? Wby do you think your router needs more than 4GB if it does? Are you going to be running squid and such for hundreds of users?

If you want to use pfsense - great, love the product. If you want to run it as VM, great I do the same thing lots of advantages this way. But it is pointless to double nat, it is pointless to use 64bit unless your over 4GB of ram, and actually have a need for that much ram? If you read the pfsense forums, I assure you the 64bit version has way more issues with it than the 32bit ;)

So I would suggest you pull sonicwall out, or just don't use pfsense at all. And if you want to go with it then unless you have a great reason for that much ram on a VM, I would go 32bit..

[allen001]

One of the main reasons I wanted pfsense was for the country ip blocking.  The sonicwall only has geo-ip blocking for paid services.  I do not want to sit at a keyboard and enter in 100 thousand ip ranges to block and have to update them regularly.  pfsense has a country ip blocking package.  

 

I said I was new to networking.  Why 64bit.. Why 4gb ram for VM..  That's just the way I configured it and I had enough ram for it.

 

Why can't I set it up like I explained and disable nat within pfsense? then there would be no double nat.

 

This is the only free thing I could come up with.  I am not going to use some peerblock or software junk on every computer I have and have to still enter an endless amount of ip ranges.

 

Is there a way to configure it using both pfsense and sonicwall?

[fusi0n]

Why not just use pfSense for everything?

[+BudMan MVC]

I use the pfblocker package in pfsense as well - it is very simple, click and pick the countries you dont want, etc.

Yes you can setup pfsense as transparent firewall - but WHY?? If you are tired of paying for sonicwall features, then dump it. There is just no point in running 2, there just is not. Be it you don't nat on one of them or not.

I would suggest you go to the pfsense forums for help on setting it up transparent. I am there quite a bit, and prob will help you set it up.. But it is the wrong direction.

Pfsense is great product, and used in enterprises all the time. And you wanting to go with it is great, but why are you trying to hold on to sonicwall -- for a couple of nats? That is just nuts!

[allen001]

I would like to use both.  Not everybody wants the same thing, nor does everybody agree with the same thing, nor does something somebody wants have to make sense to everybody else.  Everybody is different and wants what they want. Thats just people.  I want to be different and make no sense at all  :)

[fusi0n]

There is a difference in being different and being smart. 

[allen001]

I can be crazy too and have a convoluted setup.  Just so it works.

[fusi0n]

To each their own I guess.. 

[allen001]

btw.  I did post on the pfsense forums  but nobody responded in 5 days so I went here.

[episode]

Why - completely and utterly pointless to double nat. Why would you think you need pfsense even if in transparent mode with sonicwall there.. Pick One and move forward you don't need both.

 

Triple NAT really. The SMC modem/router from Comcast does one too.

 

My other piece of advice is to make sure you reboot the SMC after you make any changes. Sometimes they don't 'take' until a reboot on those things. They are real pieces of ######.

[+BudMan MVC]

^ good point. He says his netblock is

"The static ip block is: 171.7.45.246/29"

Which is just wrong from the getgo.. That is not a valid subnet boundary so clearly that is a host address. Which would fall in the block 171.7.45.240/29 which I doubt is his actual address block anyway.. Since that is owned by

3BB Broadband Internet service provider in Thailand

So he says his sonicwall wan has .245? So is the smc have the 246 address? On its wan or lan inteface? Sounds like he already has a convoluted mess and is just trying to make it more of a mess.

Didn't notice this before

" VMware Network Adapter Settings(WAN and LAN)? Bridged, NAT, Host-only"

So your wanting to run your pfsense on workstation or player? Is this a production setup? You have business connection and sonicwall that is not cheap.

I am all for being different and freedom to express yourself.. You can do that at burning man every year ;) This is a Network!! Not an art project made of trash ;)

I am more than willing to help you setup a network to the best of my ability so that it is stable, easy to understand and troubleshoot and works!! But I just don't have any desire to help someone make a mess for the sake of personal expression. But have fun!

BTW you want to run squid on a transparent bridge? Uhhh -- are you wanting squid be implicit or transparent as well? Or you going to point it at the bridge address from behind a NAT that your sonicwall is doing? Going to make it hard to filter or set policy based on ip, since your behind a nat, etc.

The point of a network is to work and be stable and perform that best it can while providing the features you require, not be a convoluted nightmare to keep up, troubleshoot or repair when there are issues...

[allen001]

Obviously I chose the wrong forum to ask for help in doing what I asked.  You people have been nothing but rude to me. I wish the same back at ya you scum.

[+BudMan MVC]

Scum?? Really? Sorry you feel that way, your concept of rude seems to be as far fetched as your idea of how to correctly setup a network.

Have fun and good luck..

"I did post on the pfsense forums but nobody responded in 5 days so I went here."

I am on the pfsense forums pretty much every single day, what section did you put your post in. I don't recall any sort of thread like this over there. I will take a look to see how it was worded, you do understand this is a holiday week and people are most likely busy with family and such.

edit:

Ok found your thread

http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,69613.0.html

Its in the general question for starters, why would you have not put it installation help or Virtualization?

Its badly worded, and sounds like a bunch of rambling nonsense to be honest. From reading that thread, it does seem clear your over your head.. I would really suggest you rethink what your wanting to accomplish here.

[JJ_]

I don't think you will last here very long with that sort of attitude. BudMan has given you the best possible advice.

 

"A wise man can learn more from a fool than a fool can learn from a wise man."