Standby server in VM

[xunda]

Hi!
I am a newbie on OPNsense, I managed to install in the past on a mini pc (qotom) and set up with a simple config so that everything that I want is running fine (I need very few firewall, nat or port forwarding rules).
Now, I also have a proxmox server that I would like to make a VM for running a new OPNsense instance. My idea is to export the config from the main server and import in the VM, and so that I can:
- Play around with it (but leaving the LAN and WAN interfaces physically disconnected)
- Also leaving the VM as a standby solution (if I have a problem in the qotom, I want to connect the cables to the server and power on the VM)

I do not intend to have a live HA kinda solution (overkill to what I want).

Now, since I do not want to have 2 router running at all times (huge problems on DHCP, and IP conflicts), I had the idea of having the OPT1 interface as the "management" interface, so that this can be connected on the VM, and I can connect on the HTTP interface and play around (the LAN will not be reachable).

I thought about having a separate IP range for the OPT1, but then I may have to add some routes to be able to reach it from my PC (which only as the main IP). I tried doing it but did not succeed.

Maybe there is a cleaner way to do it..

Any ideas or inputs?

Thank you a lot!
Eddie

[liceo]

That's possible, but when you isolate the firewall, what you can play around then? It's easier (if the qotom e.g. has 192.168.0.1 on LAN) just assign the 192.168.0.2 (or any other free IP address in your network) to your VM after apply the config. Now you can easily play around, just giving your PC/Client the x.2 as the default gateway.

If the qotom dies, just assign the x.1 to the VM...

That's the way i would do it.