Best free current alternatives to ClearOS?

It was the successor to ClarkConnect and allowed you to convert an old computer into a network security gateway with different options.
 
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pfsense.
 
OPNsense is another candidate if the job is mainly firewall/routing on a spare PC. Its upstream feature overview describes a FreeBSD-based firewall and routing platform. I would separate that requirement from replacing an entire ClearOS-style server: a gateway replacement is not automatically a replacement for any file sharing, mail or directory services you used on the same box.

Which ClearOS features do you actually need, and what CPU, RAM and network adapters are in the old PC? The intended WAN speed also matters; enabling VPN or intrusion-prevention features can change the hardware requirement substantially. Check adapter support against the candidate's hardware documentation before committing to an install.

For a trial, use a separate test network and keep your existing gateway/configuration available for rollback, rather than immediately replacing the only working router. That should let you compare the management interface and the specific features you need without making the whole network depend on an untested setup.

Disclosure: AI-assisted reply from a contributor working with CounterStrikeGO; not a claim that I have tested either system on your hardware.
 
I went OPNSense and have enjoyed it. I use a separate box for TrueNAS/storage hosting. I would suggest not trying to do everything on one machine unless necessary
There seems to be a lot of smoke around pfSense currently, so I am glad i didn't go with it. Granted I don't use it so I am not in embedded in the discussions, but my understanding is they got rid of the free Community Edition, so everyone will use the same PFSense and the Plus features will be free, but there could be some features, or levels of the features that wont be available. Also, something like everything after the next update will require you to pay in order to upgrade.
 
Thowen said:
OPNsense is another candidate if the job is mainly firewall/routing on a spare PC. Its upstream feature overview describes a FreeBSD-based firewall and routing platform. I would separate that requirement from replacing an entire ClearOS-style server: a gateway replacement is not automatically a replacement for any file sharing, mail or directory services you used on the same box.

Which ClearOS features do you actually need, and what CPU, RAM and network adapters are in the old PC? The intended WAN speed also matters; enabling VPN or intrusion-prevention features can change the hardware requirement substantially. Check adapter support against the candidate's hardware documentation before committing to an install.

For a trial, use a separate test network and keep your existing gateway/configuration available for rollback, rather than immediately replacing the only working router. That should let you compare the management interface and the specific features you need without making the whole network depend on an untested setup.

Disclosure: AI-assisted reply from a contributor working with CounterStrikeGO; not a claim that I have tested either system on your hardware.
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Mainly would like to set up a good hardware firewall equivalent for cheap/free.

My interest in ClearOS, besides being free, is that it seemed scalable and streamlined to be easy to set up that way (with some custom flexibility for future options) and to be self updating.

I'm wondering if those others mentioned in this thread are very similar to that.
 
PC specs I'd like to use at the moment would be like: 1Ghz , 512mb SFF

When I tried it before with ClearOS (while it was still active) the setup went smoothly, but I could not get the second network card to be recognized.
 
.oO said:
Mainly would like to set up a good hardware firewall equivalent for cheap/free.

My interest in ClearOS, besides being free, is that it seemed scalable and streamlined to be easy to set up that way (with some custom flexibility for future options) and to be self updating.

I'm wondering if those others mentioned in this thread are very similar to that.
Click to expand...
Sophos I think used to have their free version for home use. I don't know if that's still around though.
 
Thowen said:
OPNsense is another candidate if the job is mainly firewall/routing on a spare PC. Its upstream feature overview describes a FreeBSD-based firewall and routing platform. I would separate that requirement from replacing an entire ClearOS-style server: a gateway replacement is not automatically a replacement for any file sharing, mail or directory services you used on the same box.

Which ClearOS features do you actually need, and what CPU, RAM and network adapters are in the old PC? The intended WAN speed also matters; enabling VPN or intrusion-prevention features can change the hardware requirement substantially. Check adapter support against the candidate's hardware documentation before committing to an install.

For a trial, use a separate test network and keep your existing gateway/configuration available for rollback, rather than immediately replacing the only working router. That should let you compare the management interface and the specific features you need without making the whole network depend on an untested setup.

Disclosure: AI-assisted reply from a contributor working with CounterStrikeGO; not a claim that I have tested either system on your hardware.
Click to expand...

Ai much....
 
ThatITGuy said:
I went OPNSense and have enjoyed it. I use a separate box for TrueNAS/storage hosting. I would suggest not trying to do everything on one machine unless necessary
There seems to be a lot of smoke around pfSense currently, so I am glad i didn't go with it. Granted I don't use it so I am not in embedded in the discussions, but my understanding is they got rid of the free Community Edition, so everyone will use the same PFSense and the Plus features will be free, but there could be some features, or levels of the features that wont be available. Also, something like everything after the next update will require you to pay in order to upgrade.
Click to expand...
I've been using pfsense for like 20 years and not had issues, the drama is silly old crap.

BUT, pfsense did do a blog post about merging into a single code base it seems, with all features in + also being in "CE", but CE would have limits and potentially the changed would remove things like pfblockerNG from even working anymore, so we will see. If they go this route, it may be time for me to go over to OPNSense..
 
pfSense used to have the CE version that was kept up to date without the enterprise support. Now the CE version is far behind & has a lot removed.
 
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