VyOS

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

VyOS is an open-source network operating system built on Debian Linux. It runs on bare metal or as a VM, and is configured via a CLI with a commit/rollback model similar to Juniper JunOS. Configuration changes are staged and only take effect when you explicitly commit — there is no live-editing a running config and hoping nothing breaks.

It ships FRRouting (FRR) as the routing engine, giving it native support for BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and other protocols. This is its main distinction from OPNsense for homelab use: OPNsense is a firewall appliance that can do some routing; VyOS is a routing OS that can also do firewall.

Configuration model

vyos@router# set interfaces ethernet eth0 address '192.168.1.254/24'
vyos@router# set protocols bgp system-as '65001'
vyos@router# commit
vyos@router# save

configure enters configuration mode. set stages a change. commit applies it. save persists it to disk. rollback reverts to the last committed state if something goes wrong. The separation between staging and applying is genuinely useful when changing routing configuration remotely.

Key features

Feature	Notes
BGP	Via FRRouting; full eBGP/iBGP support
OSPF / IS-IS	Also via FRR
Static routing	Standard
VLAN	802.1Q trunking
NAT	Source and destination NAT
Firewall	Zone-based, stateful
WireGuard	Built-in
OpenVPN	Built-in
DHCP server	Built-in
VXLAN	Supported

VyOS vs OPNsense

VyOS is the right choice when you want a dedicated BGP peer or a router VM with a clean CLI config model. OPNsense is the right choice when you want a full gateway appliance with a web UI.

Automation

VyOS is designed to be automated — the commit/rollback model maps cleanly onto infrastructure-as-code workflows.

REST API — built-in HTTP API for retrieving and applying configuration programmatically. Useful for scripting config changes without SSH.

Ansible — official vyos.vyos collection on Ansible Galaxy. Modules for interfaces, BGP, firewall rules, and more. Changes go through the normal commit/rollback cycle.

Terraform — community provider available. Less mature than the Ansible collection but usable for provisioning router config alongside other infrastructure.

VyOS documentation
VyOS REST API
VyOS Ansible collection
VyOS rolling release downloads
BGP — protocol background
OPNsense — the complementary edge gateway
VyOS + BGP in the homelab — the actual setup

Vm on Backend Engineering Strategy Tools

VyOS

Configuration model

Key features

VyOS vs OPNsense

Automation

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