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PNpfSense: Network Security and Firewall ManagementpfSense from install to VLANs, firewall rules, packages, IDS/IPS, VPNs and backups
#pfsense#firewall#vpn#vlans#network security#udemy course

Courses & Learning · Course review · Updated 17 October 2026

pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management reviewpfSense from install to VLANs, firewall rules, packages, IDS/IPS, VPNs and backups

4.4

Excellent

Brent score, out of 5

The strongest of the instructor's firewall courses: a well-structured, practical walkthrough of pfSense from virtual and physical installs through VLANs, rules, NAT, packages, IDS/IPS, OpenVPN and backups. It has the best rating of the set at 4.6 out of 5 from 94 students. High availability clustering is not part of the published lectures, and it was last updated in February 2025.

  • Level

    All levels · 5h 35m

  • Instructor

    Amjid Ali on Udemy

  • Best for

    IT admins deploying pfSense for a small business

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Best for

  • IT admins deploying pfSense for a small business
  • Homelab users who want VLANs, ad blocking and a VPN
  • Students and junior network engineers building practical skills
  • Anyone moving from a consumer router to an open-source firewall

Skip it if

  • Engineers who need CARP high availability or multi-WAN labs
  • Learners who want exam-focused certification prep
  • Teams already running pfSense at an advanced level

You have outgrown your ISP router. You want to separate guest and IoT devices, block ads and malware at the network edge, and give staff a secure VPN, but pfSense's menus are dense and forum advice is scattered across a decade of versions.

This Udemy course lays out pfSense in order: install it in a VM or on hardware, set up DHCP and DNS, build VLANs, write firewall rules, add packages like DNS blocklists and Zenarmor, configure OpenVPN and keep backups. It is taught by Amjid Ali, who founded this site, so our view is not independent and we lean on Udemy's numbers.

Here is what the 50 lectures cover and the few areas you will need to learn elsewhere.

What is pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management?

A self-paced Udemy course marked All Levels, with 12 sections, 50 lectures and 5 hours 35 minutes of video. Sections cover networking fundamentals, deploying pfSense in virtual environments and on physical appliances, network configuration (DHCP, DNS, dynamic DNS), VLANs, firewall configuration, packages, advanced security and threat protection, VPNs, backup and troubleshooting, and advanced configurations such as an Nginx reverse proxy and PXE boot. It requires basic computer and networking knowledge, plus VirtualBox or similar.

Pros and cons

What we like

  • Covers both virtual (VirtualBox) and physical appliance deployments
  • Clear sections on DHCP, DNS, dynamic DNS and VLANs with diagrams
  • Firewall rules with aliases and schedules, plus NAT and port forwarding
  • Packages including DNS blocklists (DNSBL), Zenarmor and IDS/IPS
  • OpenVPN remote access, captive portal and backup and restore
  • Rated 4.6/5 by 94 students, with 6,724 enrolled

What could be better

  • No high availability (CARP) clustering in the published lectures
  • Last updated in February 2025, so newer pfSense releases may look slightly different
  • Several lectures focus on a commercial VPN provider (Private Internet Access)
  • IDS/IPS gets a single lecture rather than a full section
4.4

Overall
Excellent

  • Content depth4.3
  • Practicality4.6
  • Value4.5
  • Up to date4.0

What the course covers

What you’ll learn

  • Install pfSense in a virtual machine and on physical hardware
  • Configure DHCP, static mappings, DNS and dynamic DNS
  • Segment networks with VLANs
  • Write firewall rules with aliases and schedules, plus NAT and port forwarding
  • Add DNS blocklists, Zenarmor and IDS/IPS for threat protection
  • Set up OpenVPN remote access and a captive portal
  • Back up, restore and troubleshoot pfSense
01

Virtual and physical installs

Install pfSense in VirtualBox to learn safely, then on a dedicated appliance. Both console and web configurator setup are shown.

02

DHCP, DNS and VLANs

Configure DHCP with static mappings, DNS resolver settings and dynamic DNS, then segment your network with VLANs and inter-VLAN rules.

03

Firewall rules and NAT

Build rules from scratch, simplify them with aliases, apply schedules and set up NAT and port forwarding.

04

Security packages

Add DNS blocklists (DNSBL) with safe search, Zenarmor and intrusion detection and prevention to harden the edge.

05

VPN and captive portal

Set up OpenVPN for remote access, route traffic through a commercial VPN provider, and manage guest access with a captive portal.

06

Backup and advanced setups

Back up and restore configurations, and explore extras like an Nginx reverse proxy and PXE boot with iVentoy.

Udemy prices change often and courses are frequently on sale, so check today's price on the course page; Udemy says eligible courses can be refunded within 30 days of purchase, subject to its refund policy.

Who gets the most from it

Small office edge firewall

An IT generalist installs pfSense on a small appliance, separates staff, guest and printer VLANs, and gives remote staff OpenVPN access.

Family network protection

A homelab owner adds DNS blocking with safe search and scheduled rules so children's devices are filtered at the network level.

Self-hosting web apps

A developer uses NAT and the Nginx reverse proxy lessons to publish internal web apps securely through pfSense.

How to get the most from it

  1. 1

    Install VirtualBox and watch the free preview

  2. 2

    Enroll and build pfSense in a VM following the deployment section

  3. 3

    Set up DHCP, DNS and one VLAN in your lab

  4. 4

    Write rules with aliases and add DNS blocklists or Zenarmor

  5. 5

    Configure OpenVPN and take your first configuration backup

Enroll on Udemy

pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management alternatives

ProductChoose it when
pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management 4.4IT admins deploying pfSense for a small business
Mastering pfSense (book)4.2Choose the book for a written reference that goes alongside the video course.
OPNsense Firewall Training4.0Choose the OPNsense course if you prefer OPNsense's interface and release model.
Netgate official documentationUse Netgate's free docs for HA (CARP), multi-WAN and other advanced topics the course does not cover.

pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management: frequently asked questions

How long is the pfSense course?+

It has 12 sections and 50 lectures, totaling 5 hours 35 minutes of video.

Do I need pfSense experience?+

No prior pfSense experience is needed. You should be comfortable installing software and know basic networking terms like IP addresses.

Does it cover VPNs?+

Yes. It covers OpenVPN for remote access and using a commercial VPN provider through pfSense.

Does it cover high availability?+

High availability (CARP) clustering is not part of the published lectures. Netgate's documentation is a good next step for that.

Who teaches it?+

Amjid Ali, the founder of this site. He has a 4.4 instructor rating on Udemy across his courses.

Can I get a refund?+

Udemy says eligible courses can be refunded within 30 days of purchase, subject to its refund policy.

Final verdict

4.4

Is pfSense: Network Security and Firewall Management worth it?

If you want a firewall you control and understand, this course takes you from a blank VM to segmented VLANs, DNS filtering, IDS/IPS and a working VPN. Watch the free preview, build along in VirtualBox, and enroll at today's Udemy price.

Enroll on Udemy

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AA

Reviewed by

Amjid Ali, Founder and editor

Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.

Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review

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