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= Netgate (Rubicon Communications LLC) =
{{Stub}}
'''Netgate''', officially Rubicon Communications (LLC), is an American technology company based in Austin, Texas. It is the owner and developer of the '''pfSense''' firewall project and other networking products.
{{CompanyCargo
{{InfoboxCompany
|Description=
| Name = Netgate, Rubicon Communications (LLC)
|Founded=2004
| Type = Private
|Industry=Computing, Networking
| Founded = 2004
|Logo=Netgate logo.webp
| Industry = Computer Hardware, Computer Software, Networking Equipment, Firewalls
|ParentCompany=
| Official Website = https://www.netgate.com
|Type=Private
| Logo = QuestionMark.svg
|Website=https://www.netgate.com
}}
}}


== Consumer impact summary ==
'''Netgate''', officially '''Rubicon Communications LLC''', is an American technology company based in Austin, Texas. It is the owner and developer of the {{Wplink|PfSense|pfSense}} firewall project and other networking products.


=== Relationship with the Open-Source Community ===
==Consumer impact summary==
While Netgate has contributed to BSD, the operating system on which its firewall '''pfSense''' is based on, the company has been criticized in recent years for its stance toward the open-source community.
{{Ph-C-CIS}}


==== Consumer and Licensing Changes ====
==Incidents==
In a controversial decision, Netgate discontinued free access to pfSense '''Home+ Lab'''<ref>https://www.netgate.com/blog/addressing-changes-to-pfsense-plus-homelab</ref>, a version previously available at no cost, requiring users to migrate to CE or a paid model. This change was made without prior notice, leading to criticism from the community.
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].


==== Security Concerns with WireGuard Implementation ====
===Targeting other projects===
In 2021, '''Jason Donenfeld''', the creator of '''WireGuard''', reviewed pfSense’s WireGuard implementation and identified multiple security flaws<ref>https://www.netgate.com/blog/wireguard-removed-from-pfsense-ce-and-pfsense-plus-software</ref>. His review was highly critical, highlighting serious vulnerabilities that raised concerns about the security of Netgate's implementation.
Netgate's co-founder, Jamie Thompson, has publicly criticized competing projects including OPNsense, a fork of pfSense.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} OPNsense, which is endorsed by the developers of m0n0wall (the project from which pfSense originated), was also the target of a parody website<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=OPNSense |url=https://www.opnsense.com/ |website=OPNsense.com |date=
|access-date=22 Mar 2025 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314132836/https://www.opnsense.com/ |archive-date=14 Mar 2016}}</ref> created by Netgate. OPNsense had to file a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to gain control of the disputed domain.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Netgate / pfSense acts in bad faith |url=https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/ |website=OPNSense.org |date=24 Nov 2017 |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250321054706/https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/ |archive-date=21 Mar 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barbero |first=Luca |title=WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2017-1828 |url=https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/text/2017/d2017-1828.html |website=WIPO |date=12 Nov 2017 |access-date=1 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122545/https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/text/2017/d2017-1828.html |archive-date=7 Feb 2018}}</ref>


==== Targeting other projects ====
===Security concerns with WireGuard implementation (''2021'')===
Netgate's co-founder has publicly criticized competing projects, including '''OPNsense''', a fork of pfSense. OPNsense, which is endorsed by the developers of '''m0n0wall''' (the project from which pfSense originated), was also the target of a parody website<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160314132836/http://www.opnsense.com/</ref> allegedly created by Netgate. OPNsense had to file a complaint with the '''World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)''' to gain control of the disputed domain<ref>https://opnsense.org/opnsense-com/</ref>.
In 2021, Jason Donenfeld, the creator of WireGuard, reviewed pfSense's WireGuard implementation and identified multiple security flaws. His review was highly critical, highlighting serious vulnerabilities that raised concerns about the security of Netgate's implementation.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} Following this, Netgate removed WireGuard from its pfSense software on 18 March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Jim |title=WireGuard Removed from pfSense® CE and pfSense® Plus Software |url=https://www.netgate.com/blog/wireguard-removed-from-pfsense-ce-and-pfsense-plus-software |website=Netgate |date=18 Mar 2021 |access-date=1 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251114232326/https://www.netgate.com/blog/wireguard-removed-from-pfsense-ce-and-pfsense-plus-software |archive-date=14 Nov 2025}}</ref> Over a month later, on 5 May 2021, WireGuard was re-added after changes had been made.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Scott |title=pfSense: WireGuard returns as an Experimental Package |url=https://www.netgate.com/blog/pfsense-wireguard-returns-as-an-experimental-package |website=Netgate |date=5 May 2021 |access-date=1 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707201313/https://www.netgate.com/blog/pfsense-wireguard-returns-as-an-experimental-package |archive-date=7 Jul 2021}}</ref>
<references responsive="0">https://www.netgate.com/blog/addressing-changes-to-pfsense-plus-homelab</references>
 
===Consumer and licensing changes (''2023'')===
In a controversial decision on 26 October 2023, Netgate discontinued free access to pfSense Home+ Lab,<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Addressing Changes to pfSense Plus Home+Lab |url=https://www.netgate.com/blog/addressing-changes-to-pfsense-plus-homelab |website=Netgate |date=26 Oct 2023 |access-date=1 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251115093349/https://www.netgate.com/blog/addressing-changes-to-pfsense-plus-homelab |archive-date=15 Nov 2025}}</ref> a version previously available at no cost, requiring users to migrate to CE or a paid model. This change was made without prior notice, leading to criticism from the community.
 
==Products==
Netgate's notable product line is pfSense. It offers both free and paid support tiers for its pfSense software, which runs as an operating system and is installed using an ISO like any other OS. It also offers bespoke hardware appliances with pfSense pre-installed, with varying levels of power and capability.
 
==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Companies]]
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