How to Install pfSense on VirtualBox

In this article, I will explain how you can install pfSense in Virtual Box. Before this following this guide, download Virtual Box and pfSense latest version. Once downloaded, run the virtual box to set up a virtual machine. 

Install pfSense on VirtualBox

On the virtual box, click on the machine and then click on New to start the process to create a new virtual machine.

Name the machine and select the type as Linux and version as Other Linux (64-bit) and click Next

Allot the RAM that you want to assign to your virtual machine. In this case, I am assigning it to 1GB or 1024 MD, you can assign it based on your requirement and click Next.

Select Create a virtual hard disk now and click on Create.

This will open a virtual harddisk creation wizard, select VHD and click Next

You can create a fixed size disk or Dynamically allocated. Select dynamically allocated so that your virtual disk doesn’t go out of space during any operation and click next.

Assing the initial size and location of the disk and click create.

Once done, your virtual machine is set up. Now click on the Settings icon the VirtualBox.

On the left side of the options, click on Storage, and then click on Empty to attach the pfSense ISO file. Click on the CD icon and select Choose a disk file.

Select the pfSense ISO and click OK.

Now click on the Start icon in VM Virtual Box Manager to start the VM. It will ask you to select the startup disk. For the 1st time, select the disk which contains pfSense ISO and click start.

On the startup screen, press A to accept the notification.

On the next screen, press I and then O to start the installation process of pfSense.

Select your Keymap or continue with the default keymap. Press enter to continue.

For partitioning, chose Auto (UFS) and hit enter.

This will start the disk partitioning process and installation of pfSense.

Once the setup will be completed, it will ask you for manual configuration, Select No.

Now reboot the virtual machine.

Now shut down the machine and go to machine setting and remove CD by clicking Remove Disk from Virtual Drive.

Once the machine gets booted, Press 2 to set the interface IP address.

After the IP assignment, you can access your pfSense web configuration interface to start using and setting up the firewall.