pfSense Sales Training Material

pfSense Sales Training Material

https://chatgpt.com/share/67c82515-7074-800e-b29c-0df75f5492f3

1. Introduction

• Objective: Provide a clear, layman-friendly explanation of what a firewall is, why pfSense is a powerful solution, and how its key features protect networks.
• Audience: Sales teams who need to explain the technology to potential customers (non-technical decision-makers, IT managers, SMB owners).

2. Network Basics

• Definition: Networking is the ability to connect computers and systems together. It occurs when more than one device communicates with another device or group of devices.

• Networking Disciplines:

  • ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering):
    • Focuses on how electronic devices work and on designing/building network hardware from basic components.
    • In the Philippines, a PRC ECE license is required to sign off plans for CCTV installations—the only legally mandated network designs (CCTV and phone lines).
    • Sales Note: Clients needing custom electronic solutions (for automation or high-security requirements) will require ECE expertise.
  • IT (Information Technology):
    • Specializes in deploying and integrating off-the-shelf networking equipment.
    • Advanced configurations improve reliability, scalability (hundreds to thousands of users), and automation for convenience.
    • Sales Note: Larger-scale deployments and convenience features command higher-level IT skills and corresponding investment.

• Networking Functions:

  • WAN (Wide Area Network): Connects the facility to external networks (Internet or other sites).
  • LAN (Local Area Network): Connects devices within the facility for internal communications.
  • High Availability: Builds redundancy and resilience so services stay online despite failures.
  • User Management: Implements captive portals, LDAP, RADIUS to organize users by roles and privileges and control access.
  • Security: Establishes hardened systems using DMZs (buffer zones), proxy servers (middlemen), and data hygiene practices.
  • Wireless: Deploys mesh or enterprise Wi-Fi for convenient, flexible connectivity.
  • Wired: Provides high-bandwidth, low-latency connections for critical systems.

3. Why pfSense?

• Open Source: No recurring feature licenses; you pay only for support and updates. When support lapses, pfSense continues to work—only security updates stop.
• Enterprise Features:
  • LAN/WAN routing and segmentation
  • VPN (remote access and site-to-site)
  • IDS/IPS (intrusion detection and prevention)
  • High Availability & Load Balancing
  • DHCP, DNS, and user Authentication
• Competitor Critique: Other vendors “rent” features that expire with licenses. pfSense features remain available indefinitely.

4. Core Functions

5. Secondary Features

• Authentication: Integrates with Active Directory, LDAP, RADIUS for user-based firewall policies.
• DHCP: Assigns IP addresses automatically to devices on the network.
• DNS: Acts as resolver or forwarder to improve name lookup speed and security.
• Load Balancer / HA: Distributes traffic across multiple WAN links or appliances and provides failover.

6. Dispelling Key Misunderstandings

1. "Anyone doesn’t need a firewall"
   • Reality: Anyone hosting servers (web, NAS, ERP, AI apps) or running remote networks needs a firewall to block attacks and manage user access.
2. "Firewalls only block traffic"
   • Reality: They also segment networks, prioritize critical traffic (e.g., video calls), and enable secure VPN connections.
3. "Hardware firewalls exist"
   • Reality: All firewalls are computers running software—performance scales by upgrading NICs (100 Mbps → 1 Gbps → 10 Gbps → 100 Gbps).
4. "Competitors offer better out-of-the-box"
   • Reality: Competitors lock features behind licenses that expire. pfSense provides full features without license lock-in—only updates and support require payment.

7. Sizing & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Sizing Guidelines

Example: Makati Office (200 Users) - Hardware Cost: 2×4200 MAX for HA → 120,000 PHP (one-time) - Annual Costs: - License Renewal: 7,500 PHP × 2 = 15,000 PHP/year - TAC Support: 45,000 PHP/year (one needed in HA) - Snort Subscription: 24,000 PHP × 2 = 48,000 PHP/year - Total Annual: ~84,000 PHP/year

Competitor Comparison: Fortinet equivalent: 150k PHP hardware + 200k PHP/year support → pfSense is more cost-effective.

8. Selling Process & Key Observations

• Footprint:
  • Small office (<10 users), medium/large office (>100 users), or multi-building campus.
  • Determine how many locations must operate as a single network to size solutions and costs.
• Value of Data & Communication:
  • Quantify by manpower cost to change processes—high communication workloads indicate greater impact.
• Pain Points:
  • Losses from unreliable or insecure networks: downtime, lost sales, and productivity hits.
• Process Steps:
  1. Discovery: Gather requirements (users, bandwidth, locations).
  2. Footprint Assessment: Map office layout and device count.
  3. Prioritize: Identify critical applications and data flows.
  4. Risk Analysis: Pinpoint security and availability concerns.
  5. Tailored Proposal: Match pfSense functions to customer needs.

9. Next Steps for Sales

1. Select the right appliance (6100 vs 4200 MAX vs higher models).
2. Prepare TCO comparison (pfSense vs competitor).
3. Send proposal template and service brochure.

9. Resources & References

• Setup Services: https://www.comfac-it.com/services/netgate-pfsense-setup
• UTM Deep Dive: https://www.comfac-it.com/blog-post/making-sense-of-unified-threat-management-utm
• Netgate Product Info: https://www.pfsense.org/products/

End of pfSense Sales Training Materials