Switched to pfSense and accidentally exposed my entire network to the internet

Nick Lewis, How-To Geek editor, recounts a cautionary tale about moving to pfSense from a consumer router. PfSense is a full network operating system that handles routing, NAT, VPNs, and add‑ons for IDS and IPS, not a plug‑and‑play device. Lewis notes his home setup includes Proxmox, Jellyfin, Airsonic, various game servers, NextCloud, and Windows VMs, all self‑hosted behind the firewall. While pfSense promises granular control and enhanced security, its complexity creates new risks if not properly configured. The article frames his experience as a reminder that professional firewalls can inadvertently expose a network when default assumptions are left unchecked. The piece emphasizes testing configurations in a safe environment, enabling only necessary services, and maintaining segmentation between guest, IoT, and trusted devices. It also discusses the role of DNS filtering tools such as Pi‑hole in reducing attack surfaces by blocking ads and trackers at the network level. Additionally, it recommends documenting network topology, testing rules in a controlled environment, using VPNs for remote access, and maintaining regular backups to recover from misconfigurations.