about m0n0wall

m0n0wall is an embedded firewall distribution of FreeBSD, one of the BSD operating system descendants.

It provides a small image which can be put on Compact Flash cards as well as on CD-ROMs and hard disks. It runs on a number of embedded platforms and generic PCs. The PC version can be run with just a Live CD and a floppy disk to store configuration data, or on a single Compact Flash card (with an IDE adapter). This eliminates the need for a hard drive, which reduces noise and heat levels.

On February 15, 2015 it was announced the "m0n0wall project has officially ended. No development will be done anymore, and there will be no further releases". The pfSense project, which forked from the m0n0wall project in 2004 is still actively maintained. However, the founder Manuel Kasper recommends pfSense or OPNsense, (which forked from pfSense) in February 2015 as an alternative.

Features

m0n0wall provides for a web-based configuration and uses PHP exclusively for the GUI and bootup configuration. Additionally, it adopts a single XML file for configuration parameters.

Some functions of m0n0wall are:

• Stateful packet filter firewall
• IPsec and PPTP VPNs
• Inbound and Outbound Network Address Translation
• Captive portal
• Traffic shaper
• Inbound and Outbound port filtering
• Support for 802.1q compatible VLANs
• Multiple IP addresses on LAN and WAN ports
• IPS
• Replacement for commercial router

Hardware

m0n0wall is installed on embedded hardware designed and manufactured by some companies.

Inclusion in commercial products

m0n0wall is used in some commercial hardware platforms, including Netgate and Logic Supply.

Derivatives

Similar hardware requirements:

• t1n1wall : 2015 fork of m0n0wall after it was discontinued.
• SmallWall: Another 2015 fork of m0n0wall after its end-of-life.
• m0n0wall mod: Original m0n0wall with additional features (DHCP+PPTP, DHCP+PPPoE, static+PPPoE, L2TP, WAN eth interface), no activities since 2013.

Extended hardware requirements:

• pfSense: Builds off of m0n0wall but focused towards full PC installations rather than the embedded hardware focus of m0n0wall.
• OPNsense: Forked from pfSense with modern Bootstrap based GUI;.

Other usages (not a firewall):

• AskoziaPBX: An embedded telephone system.
• NAS4Free: NAS Network-attached storage distro using FreeBSD, use portions of m0n0wall web GUI.