Pfsense functions like a router and firewall.
Pfsense functions like a router and firewall.
Someone else pointed out it doesn't really fit dedicating a PC solely for that purpose. But if you have a PC in that spot that stays on all the time (and is connected directly, not just via Wi-Fi), then any Linux, BSD or Windows machine can serve as a software switch.
FreeBSD offers decent performance for networking, but it may not match Linux in speed or efficiency. pfSense might struggle with drivers for such high-speed cards. Linux seems more suitable, though handling software bridging at those rates would be challenging.
I think you're referring to using the 40Gbps and 10Gbps ports on your pfSense firewall for data transfer, not just moving large file sizes. Since pfSense doesn't handle hardware switching, performance will be limited. Unless your device is extremely powerful, achieving 10Gbps through it won't be feasible, let alone 40Gbps.
Hey, I tried to make it work but ended up choosing 10 gig instead.