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PF: The OpenBSD Packet Filter

Table of Contents

• Basic Configuration
  • Getting Started
  • Lists and Macros
  • Tables
  • Packet Filtering
  • Network Address Translation
  • Traffic Redirection (Port Forwarding)
  • Shortcuts For Creating Rulesets
• Advanced Configuration
  • Runtime Options
  • Scrub (Packet Normalization)
  • Anchors and Named (Sub) Rulesets
  • Packet Queueing and Prioritization
  • Address Pools and Load Balancing
  • Packet Tagging
• Additional Topics
  • Logging
  • Performance
  • Issues with FTP
  • Authpf: User Shell for Authenticating Gateways
• Example Rulesets
  • Example #1: Firewall for Home or Small Office

Packet Filter (from here on referred to as PF) is OpenBSD's system for filtering TCP/IP traffic and doing Network Address Translation. PF is also capable of normalizing and conditioning TCP/IP traffic and providing bandwidth control and packet prioritization. PF has been a part of the GENERIC OpenBSD kernel since OpenBSD 3.0. Previous OpenBSD releases used a different firewall/NAT package which is no longer supported.

PF was originally developed by Daniel Hartmeier and is now maintained and developed by Daniel and the rest of the OpenBSD team.

This set of documents is intended as a general introduction to the PF system as run on OpenBSD. It is intended to be used as a supplement to the man pages, not as a replacement for them. This document covers all of PF's major features. For a complete and in-depth view of what PF can do, please start by reading the pf(4) man page.

As with the rest of the FAQ, this document is focused on users of OpenBSD 3.4. As PF is always growing and developing, there are changes and enhancements between the 3.4-release version and the version in OpenBSD-current. The reader is advised to see the man pages for the version of OpenBSD they are currently working with.

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