Set up a Full Network using OPNsense (Part 1: Overview)

Welcome to part 1 of a video series describing how to set up a full network using OPNsense!

In Part 1, I am going to describe the hardware I will be using in my example network and showing how everything will be physically connected.

For visual learners or for those who would like a video companion for my written guide, I hope you find the information beneficial in building your own home networks!

EP08

[jellevanburen]

What a bonus! Looking forward to the series! Great to have visual support on top of your article!

[TheWoodad]

This entire series is absolutely priceless. Thank you so much for putting together such a detailed wealth of easy-to-follow, step-by-step information! For years I've enjoyed building my own systems and just recently built-out a small home-lab and wanted to tackle a more complex network set-up. This guide is, imo, the best intermediate starting-point to help provide a road-map on navigating the vast landscape of setting-up and configuring the hardware and software for a home-office/small business/homelab network environment. I love tinkering with this stuff! Thank you again!

[ryana.]

You're awesome, still stumbling throuugh OPNSENSE with like 10% networking knowledge, thanks for the detailed walk through!

[ryanc]

Just wanted to say thank you and eagerly awaiting video part 2

[harrison]

This video was great! Thank you so much for explaining the whole setup start to finish.

[BrownBoiTech]

This made my day 🎉legit, thanks a bunch @JasonLabs for the kind gesture of sending this equipment through. It's great to be putting a face to the name behind all these amazing written guides in simple and easy to understand language for the masses. Really stoked for this series, will be looking forward to it. Just a wee request, at the part when you get to the firewall rule configuration, to keep it simple just the way your guides are. Learning a lot from you everyday with the guides. Loadz love n support from New Zealand mate. Cheers!

[infiniti]

wow, i never thought about load balancing traffic, I'm going to copy how you are doing this. thank you for this awesome content!

[panosangel]

Great content! I'm reading your guides again and again while I'm waiting for the mini-pc to arrive.

[Ankush-Arya]

Great stuff, I feel understand networking better now

[dbungfitz]

great video for beginners trying to understand networking. thanks for taking the time to do this for us. will link to people trying to learn

[janiel]

I realize u have a very lovely slogan above your computer. It makes smile so hard 😂😂😂

[JasonsLabVideos]

HAppy Wife - Happy Life !! LOL !! i have this same sign !! Good video man !!

[cpn]

I have exactly that PC tower under your desk on my old i7-2600k music studio build. Great roomy case.

[cnkosm]

Thank you for the video, showing the physical connections between the devices is really helpful for beginners like me.
In my case, the ISP's modem/router is also providing VoIP telephony, so I need to keep it. Right now my connections are FTTH > ONT (box that converts fiber to ethernet) > ISP's modem/router > Switch.
So what is the best way to add a OPNsense router (PC with 2 NICs, one for WAN and one for LAN)?
If I put ISP's modem/router in bridge mode I loose VoIP, so I have to enable PPPoE passthrough (my ISP allows multiple PPPoE calls).
But I cannot understand how the physical connections should be, I would be grateful if you could help!
Should I just put the switch right after the ONT and connect everything on it (WAN + LAN of OPNsense PC, WAN of my ISP's modem/router just for VoIP and all of my other devices)?
OR should I go for ONT > WAN of ISP's modem/router > WAN of OPNsense and then LAN of OPNsense > switch
OR maybe ONT > WAN of OPNsense and then LAN of OPNsense > switch along with ISP's WAN + all other devices?

As you can see I'm very confused!

[InsaiyanTech]

So if I wanted to return my router from my isp and all I have is there ont and a opnsense router can I just plug it straight to the Ont? And follow this setup

[muchjpop]

Im curious as to how I could make a homemade Wi-Fi 7 mesh network. Preferably quad band so i can have a dedicated back haul while having a separate band for 2.4, 5 and 6ghz. And Wi-Fi 7 switches to the best node available instead of holding onto dear life to the crappy node it was on before

[samjones]

Hey thanks a lot for showing us how to setup a basic home network using the firewall appliance! I know it's a thousand ways to wire your topology but it's refreshing for someone to show a basic setup without getting too fancy!😆 You now have a new subscriber and I look forward to more of your content! Cheers!!

[jalcomlinux]

Hi there, I have 2 ISP's with a TPLINK LoadBalancer, how can add a opnsense appliance from the tplink to my network passing through the opnsense appliance???

[escape]

I just want stable internet in my house for gaming/streaming. This is so much work lol

[toodarkpark]

Suggesting that VLAN 1 be used for anything at all is problematic. The security issues that he described would not be a thing if VLAN1 were not used.