After you finish with pfSense installation, it is time to change the default password and initialize your pfSense to suit your needs.

Assuming you follow my previous tutorial, you should have your computer connected to the LAN network of the pfSense and it is accessible on 172.31.50.1. Open up a browser and go to https://172.31.50.1/

This is a warning you get if you use Mozilla Firefox browser. If you see this warning that is a good sign. It means you are connected to secure web interface of the pfSense. Right now we will have to ignore this warning until we can implement a SSL certificate signed by a trusted Certificate Authority. Click "Advanced" button.

Then click "Add Exception" button.

It is up to you if you want to add permanent exception. If you do, you would not get the same warning the next time you access the same address using the same browser as long as it uses the same SSL certificate. You can untik "Permanently store this exception" if you don't want to add permanent exception. Click "Confirm Security Exception".

At the Login to pfSense prompt, use the default credential. Username is admin, password is pfSense. Click "Login" button after you enter the username and password.

The pfSense Setup wizard will start because this is the first time we access the pfSense web configurator. Click "Next" when you are ready.

Read the advertisement, then click Next.

In the General Information, in this tutorial I will name my pfSense as pfSense.fauzilab.local, where pfSense is the hostname and the domain (local, not Internet) is called fauzilab.local. I put that information into the respective fields. I know that since my WAN is using DHCP the DNS server will be provided by the DHCP server. I leave the Primary DNS Server and Secondary DNS Server empty and tick Override DNS. Next.

For the time synchronization using NTP, since I live in Sydney I pick Australia branch of open NTP server at au.pool.ntp.org and set my timezone as Australia/Sydney. Next.

Since I am using DHCP for my WAN connection, the correct connection type is already selected. If you use PPPoE for example change that SelectedType to PPPoE, scroll down until you see PPPoE configuration section and enter your PPPoE authentication into the fields. See next picture for example where to find it.

Then scroll all the way to the bottom to find the Next button.

If the WAN interface is directly connected to the Internet you can leave "Block RFC1918 Private Networks" ticked. If it is behind a network you control and you are using private IP addresses (such as in this tutorial), you can untick it. Leave "Block bogon networks" ticked. Hit Next.

The LAN interface is already configured correctly. Hit Next.

This is crucial part. Change the pfSense password to something secure. Go to http://passwordsgenerator.net/ if you need to create a random secure one and don't forget to memorize it or keep it in secure location. Next.

That was the last the question. Hit Reload to reload the pfSense with the new configuration.

Wait whilst the pfSense is reloading.

When it is completed you will see something like this. Click the lower link (Click here to continue on pfSense webConfigurator).

 

Then you will see the Dashboard. Try to browse the Internet from your computer and check if all outgoing connections are working.You can see that it retrieves the DNS information from DHCP.

Next, we will configure firewall rules to filter outgoing connection.