pfSense Services - DHCP, DNS, Dynamic DNS, and NTP

pfSense includes a comprehensive set of built-in network services that handle automatic IP address allocation, domain name resolution, DNS record updates for dynamic external addresses, and system time synchronization. All services are managed through the Services section of the web interface and support per-interface configuration. Proper setup of these services forms the foundation for stable operation of other infrastructure components - firewall rules, VPN tunnels, and inter-segment routing all depend on reliable DHCP and DNS.

Section Contents

• DHCP Server - DHCP server configuration, address pools, MAC-to-IP static mappings, DHCP Relay, additional options, and DNS integration
• DNS (Resolver and Forwarder) - Unbound DNS Resolver, DNS Forwarder (dnsmasq), host and domain overrides, DNSSEC, and DNS over TLS
• Dynamic DNS - automatic DNS record updates when the WAN address changes, support for popular providers and custom APIs
• NTP Server - time synchronization for network devices, server configuration, and access restrictions

Related Sections

• Firewall Rules - controlling access to network services
• VLAN Setup - network segmentation with separate service configuration per VLAN
• Multi-WAN Failover - impact of link failover on DHCP and DNS operations