Install pfsense 2.4.x on xen (Ubuntu 16.04)

pfsense 2.4.x is not available as nano-image, so you have to install pfsense as xen-Guest via vnc.

Download pfsense

Download pfsense from https://www.pfsense.org/download/ (AMD64, CD Image (ISO) Installer)

Configure Xen

You have to create a LV or another device to install.

builder     = 'hvm'
vcpus       = '4'
memory      = '2048'
 
disk        = [
                  'phy:/dev/xenvg/pfsense-disk,hda,w',
                  'file:/root/pfSense-CE-2.4.2-RELEASE-amd64.iso,hdc:cdrom,r'
              ]
 
serial      = 'pty'
 
vnc         = 1
vnclisten   = '0.0.0.0'
 
boot        = 'd'
 
name        = 'pfsense'
 
vif         = [
                'ip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,bridge=xenbr0',
                'ip=yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy,bridge=xenbr1',
                'ip=zzz.zzz.zzz.zzz,bridge=xenbr2',
              ]

Installing pfsense

Create Guest (xl create) and connect with your vncviewer (https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/)

(Remark: We had to add internal route / tunnel to access webgui via browser)

After installing pfsense

After installing remove lines for booting and vnc:

builder     = 'hvm'
vcpus       = '4'
memory      = '2048'
 
disk        = [
                  'phy:/dev/xenvg/pfsense-disk,hda,w'
              ]
 
serial      = 'pty'
 
name        = 'pfsense'
 
vif         = [
                'ip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,bridge=xenbr0',
                'ip=yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy,bridge=xenbr1',
                'ip=zzz.zzz.zzz.zzz,bridge=xenbr2',
              ]

Important Network-settings

Under https://<your_host>/system_advanced_network.php you have to check following options (check to disable):

Hardware Checksum Offloading
Hardware TCP Segmentation Offloading
Hardware Large Receive Offloading

Systems

Server