VCF Lab Series - Part 2 - Netgear pfSense Firewall & Pi-Hole DNS Setup

Configuring a pfSense Netgear 8200 Firewall and Pi-Hole DNS for VMware VCF Private Cloud

In Part 2 of our VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Home Lab Series, I walk you through the detailed setup and configuration of two critical foundational services: the pfSense Netgate 8200 firewall and Pi-hole DNS servers with Unbound.

You'll see how I:

🛠️ Configure the pfSense firewall for WAN and LAN access, NAT, and outbound hybrid rules
🛠️ Set up link aggregation (LAGG) on dual 10GbE links
🛠️ Deploy and configure Pi-hole as a local DNS and ad-blocking solution for the home lab
🛠️ Create A and PTR DNS records for critical components like vCenter, NSX-T Managers, ESXi hosts, and Cloud Builder
🛠️ Build DNS redundancy by deploying a second Pi-hole server and syncing records manually
🛠️ Prepare the network for future VCF 5.2.1 deployment across Dell R630 servers

This video is ideal for anyone looking to build a robust, enterprise-grade home lab that mirrors real-world data center topologies using Cisco Nexus, VMware, pfSense, and Pi-hole technologies.

Whether you’re a home lab enthusiast, VCDX candidate, or cloud architect, this series provides practical, step-by-step guidance to level up your infrastructure game.

📺 Watch the full series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpKr4_0p0jFYOCYotnBQBhayJ1xGtgoB

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✅ Drop a comment with your thoughts or questions about the project.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:54 pfSense Configuration
2:59 Cisco Switch Config Review
4:13 ESXi vSphere 7 Bootstrap Host
4:52 Create VM for Pi-Hole DNS Server
6:29 Installing Ubuntu OS 24.04 LTS
12:19 Update Ubuntu OS
16:40 Create VM for 2nd Pi-Hole DNS Server
20:30 Installing Pi-Hole on NS1
23:28 Configure NS1 Pi-Hold UI
39:44 Update NS2 OS
56:12 Summary

#VMware #HomeLab #VCF #CloudFoundation #PiHole #pfSense #vSphere #NSXT #vCenter #CiscoNexus #DNS #Netgate8200 #EnterpriseArchitecture #CloudBuilder #VirtualElephant

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