After completing the fiber optic internet setup in all eight lobbies of our property, I thought the hardest part was over. But then I realized, simply having internet in every lobby isn’t enough. As the IT for The Residences at Commonwealth, my job doesn’t stop at connectivity; I also need to manage bandwidth, secure the network, and monitor system usage across multiple offices.

This brought me to my next big task: setting up a server for network control and monitoring.

Why Just Internet Isn’t Enough

When you’re working in property management IT, especially for a large development, internet access alone doesn’t solve everything. Here’s why:

• Some offices download large files that slow down the entire network.
• We can’t track or limit who uses how much bandwidth.
• We need logs and traffic control to prevent abuse.
• And we want better security between departments.

I needed a centralized solution that didn’t just provide internet but allowed me to manage and secure the whole network, at a low cost.

Why We Chose pfSense

A fellow IT from another CPMI-managed property suggested pfSense. I’ve heard of it before, but never had a chance to try it on a live network. When I dug deeper, I found it perfect for our use case. Here’s why:

• pfSense is free and open-source, so it’s budget-friendly.
• It offers advanced features like firewall management, bandwidth control, VPN, DHCP, and DNS.
• It works well even on older or mid-range hardware.
• It has strong community support and plenty of tutorials online.

I’m so happy because it’s a perfect fit for our setup.

I presented this to our property admin, and after a short discussion, they approved the purchase of a new dedicated PC to be used as our pfSense server.

Hardware Specs: You Don’t Need an Expensive Server

Many think you need high-end equipment to run a firewall or network server. But pfSense is very lightweight. We bought a new PC specifically for this task, with the following specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i3 4th Gen
• RAM: 8GB DDR3
• Storage: 240GB SSD
• NIC: Dual LAN ports (Intel-based recommended)

Believe it or not, this is more than enough for managing dozens of connected computers and IP phones across our property.

If you’re working in IT on a tight budget, this kind of affordable server setup using pfSense is highly recommended

The Setup Process

Here’s how I did the pfSense setup:

1. Download pfSense ISO from the official site.
2. Create a bootable USB using Rufus.
3. Boot the PC from USB and follow the installation steps.
4. Assigned WAN and LAN interfaces.
5. Logged in to the pfSense web GUI (default: 192.168.1.1).
6. Configured the local IP range and enabled DHCP.

After that, I connected our main internet line (from PLDT Enterprise 500 Mbps) to the WAN port, and the LAN port to a switch going out to all offices.

During setup, I also enabled:

• Firewall rules to block suspicious IPs.
• Bandwidth limiter for shared office PCs.

Medyo nakaka-pressure kasi this is the first time I’m doing it for a live working environment, but it worked well!

Connecting All Office Computers

I made sure every office, Admin, Accounting, Engineering, Concierge, was routed through the pfSense server. Using our previously installed fiber optic lines, I was able to:

• Verify each lobby’s switch and media converter was connected properly.
• Set static IPs for important workstations and printers.
• Check internet speed per tower using iperf and browser-based tools.
• Confirm that no one was bypassing the network (isang importanteng bagay sa security!)

Monitoring & Managing the Network

Now that pfSense is live and running, I can:

• See which devices are online at any time.
• Monitor how much bandwidth each department is consuming.
• Get alerts when something suspicious happens.
• Implement future plans for content filtering and site blocking (hello YouTube during office hours haha!).

The dashboard view is amazing, clear, detailed, and real-time. Sobrang helpful sa isang one-man IT team like me.

Final Thoughts

It took around two months to complete the full project, setting up 8 lobbies with fiber optic internet, installing switches, laying LAN cables, and finally configuring a working pfSense server.

Yes, we had delays (kulang sa materials, waiting for deliveries), but the results were worth the wait.

Now, we have a centralized, secure, and optimized network across the entire property.

What’s Next?

In my next blog, I’ll guide you through:

• How to set static IP addresses in pfSense
• Setting up a custom DNS server
• Tips on firewall rules and bandwidth throttling per department

If you’re in property management IT or just looking for a budget-friendly firewall and server solution, pfSense is worth trying. Thanks for reading, and I hope this helped!