Port forwarding is used to allow external access to specific services running inside a private network. Since most home and lab networks use NAT (Network Address Translation), external devices cannot directly communicate with internal services unless port forwarding is configured.
Using VPN with pfSense allows you to route traffic securely through a VPN tunnel, improving privacy and security.
This guide outlines the process of configuring an OpenVPN server on pfSense to enable secure remote access to internal resources. The setup supports scenarios such as connecting back to a homelab network or routing all internet traffic through a trusted connection.