When managing a pfSense firewall, whether it’s running on official Netgate hardware, a white-box server, or a virtual machine, administrators often find themselves searching for one specific piece of data: .
There are three primary methods to locate this information, depending on whether you have physical access to the device and your level of system access.
You can find your pfSense serial number using the web user interface, the command-line interface, or by inspecting the physical device. Method 1: Find the Serial Number via the pfSense WebGUI
: Locate the System Information widget on your dashboard. The Serial Number and Netgate Device ID (NDI) are typically listed there.
“Impossible,” she whispered, typing the command into the shell. pfsense serial number
For those running the pfSense Plus software, the serial number and the Netgate Device ID (NDI) are required for software registration. This process, performed under , activates features on pfSense Plus installations, including those on non-Netgate hardware that have purchased a subscription. For hardware purchased directly from Netgate, registration is usually automatic and free, utilizing the device's serial number. If an older Netgate device is not recognized, you can contact Netgate TAC with the device's serial number and NDI to complete the registration.
If you need help using your serial number, please let me know:
You can find the serial number of your pfSense device through the web interface, the command line, or physical labels on the hardware. 1. pfSense Dashboard (WebGUI)
If you are connected via an SSH session or a physical serial console cable, you can retrieve the serial number using specific shell commands. Open the shell (Option 8 in the pfSense console menu) and run: When managing a pfSense firewall, whether it’s running
If you are upgrading from pfSense CE to pfSense Plus, or renewing a Netgate support contract, support agents will explicitly ask for your rather than the physical sticker serial number. Troubleshooting Missing Serial Numbers
Some users have encountered a situation where after a factory restore and configuration XML restoration, the System > Register page is missing even though the device shows the serial number and NDI. In such cases, this is expected behavior—the Register page only appears on Community Edition (CE) installations, not on pfSense Plus.
A unique string generated based on your hardware's characteristics. This is often used for pfSense Plus subscriptions and software registration. You can find this at the top of the Dashboard or under System > Register . Why do you need it?
field will display the unique hardware ID assigned at the factory. Generic Hardware: Method 1: Find the Serial Number via the
When purchasing a pfSense Plus subscription for a custom-built computer or virtual machine, Netgate uses the NDI to tie the software license to your specific hardware. 3. How to Find the Serial Number on DIY or Virtual Hardware
dmidecode -s system-serial-number
When managing a pfSense firewall, the "serial number" can refer to two different things: the (relevant for appliances like Netgate SG-1100, SG-3100, etc.) or the software license serial number (relevant for pfSense Plus).