Open source firewall implementation : replacing traditional firewall with open source

Abstract

The prime focus of thesis is to substitute a real life solution of a router-based firewall with an open source solution having an easy, manageable, and centralized GUI and integrated built-in network extensions. The thesis compares three popular open source firewalls, namely Untangle, pfSense and Zeroshell, in order to meet security requirements. These three firewalls were installed in a VMware environment and tested for installation, stability, built-in components, security level, GUI interface administration, and resource consumption.

In conclusion, among the three mentioned firewalls, pfSense was found to be a financially effective solution because of its easy upgradability, simple web configurator, and its wide range of extension and features.