Verifying the donwload

[foxint]

Hi Patrick

I did not know about - https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=29507.0

I just went to the download page and then I got confused.

Perhaps there needs to be a windows page for windows and another page for idiots like me.

I think this linxus thing confuses me. I have a lot of windows PC's and thought a firewall would be good. Perhaps there is a good windows one.

Well the next thing is trying to get this onto a windows box.

In the meantime I was trying to flash the img to a USB. I failed with Rufus, failed with ImageUSB. But finally Win32 Disk Imager worked - I suppose it is a windows programme, is the reason it worked.

But thanks for the help.

All I am doing is trying to put up a firewall with VPN. I do not want anything else, just safety. Ad blocking would be good...but I do not need anything fancy.

Thanks
D

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You cannot install this on a windows system. OPNsense is a firewall appliance to be installed on a dedicated separate piece of hardware. It routes/protects an entire network replacing (in many cases) your router.

Rufus generally works great but you probably need to uncompress the image first. I'd google "windows 10 bzip2" to find a suitable program for that.

[foxint]

Hi Patrick,

Thank you for our comments.

You have now totally stumped me.

I thought one could install OPNsense on a windows box. I have an old HP 340Ah Small Form Factor with i5 650. So, I need a Mac or something else??

I connect my internet modem to the HP and this to my switch….or have I got the whole thing totally wrong???

Now I am really confused.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Ah ... misunderstanding in both directions

You can probably install OPNsense on that PC. It's just not a Windows box anymore afterwards. Installing OPNsense means completely wiping the disk/SSD and replacing whatever was installed (Windows) with the OPNsense software. OPNsense brings its own operating system.

I read "installing on Windows box" as "installing on top of a running Windows like application software". That does not work.

An Intel/AMD based PC is not a "Windows box". It's a PC. Windows is only one of several operating system options.

What model exactly? Searching for "HP 340Ah" only lead me to notebooks.

[cookiemonster]

Well, I had also misunderstood the ask. I thought too that he was trying to convert a machine to OPN.
Thanks for continuing there Patrick.

[foxint]

Hi Patrick,

Thank you for clarifying the situation. Yes, I have a PC Compaq HP that is all on the box. All I know is the MB is a 340Ah with i5 650 and 6GB of ram. 2 of the RAM slots are not working so I am stuck with 2. It is a small form factor black box

To confirm, the Win OS will go, and the PC will run OPNsense and that is all?? I think I am OK with this. Am I??

I keep reading the posts and I am beginning to realise that you guys can do so much with this programme and all I want to do is protect myself form the outside world. I have 4 PC in my home network and Kaspersky VPN.

There is talk of very strange IP addresses and alike. I am happy with 192.168.1.1…it took me a long time to come to terms with this number. All my PC’s have static IP addresses and I like it that way as I know what they are and what they do.

I have physical boxes that I can touch and just want a remarkably simple setup. I do not need to know my traffic. As I said an adblocker would be on my Wishlist. But it is so complicated.

Thanks
Dan

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Looks like that box is good to go, then. Keep in mind that you need two network interfaces. If that requirement is satisfied you will probably be ok.

[foxint]

Hi Patrick

Thank you.

Just to confirm, and the jargon sometimes confused me. I need 2 Gigabit R45 plugs/cards in the PC. I have a spare network card that plug into a PCIE slot…???

Is there a cutdown set-up guide for the basic of the basics. No unreal PC’s all boxes that exist in the real world. The only traffic I want in is email, web browsing, VPN and adblocker…I think?

Dan

Ps...my next BIG step it putting it on the PC.....that will be interesting.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Yes, probably just put the network card into an empty slot. Only after installation will we be able to see if OPNsense recognises both interfaces and everything is fine.

As for the basics: they are already set by default. Connect PC to LAN interface, OPNsense will have 192.168.1.1 IP address, configure WAN --> email, browsing, all set.

VPN and ad blocking are add-ons that need to be explicitly set up. But first things first.