Intro

For this project, it’s essential to have a highly configurable firewall and gateway that supports advanced networking features. Specifically, the lab requires:

• VLAN support for network segmentation

• Advanced routing and NAT rules

• Internal DNS resolution

• Traffic filtering and monitoring capabilities

There are many firewalls that meet these criteria, including OPNsense, VyOS, and enterprise-grade hardware solutions. However, I’m most familiar with pfSense, a mature and feature-rich open-source firewall built on FreeBSD. It offers a robust web interface, extensive community support, and deep configuration options.

Why Build This?

When I started building alexbakertech.com, I wanted more than just a digital business card. I needed a site that could grow with me — something that could:

• Showcase technical projects in depth
• Document infrastructure and automation work
• Provide a lightweight, low-maintenance publishing system
• Align with the branding and tone of the alexbakertech identity

It had to be fast, markdown-friendly, customizable, and hosted for free.

Choosing the Stack

After weighing the options, I chose:

This is my first post using Hugo + GitHub only!