External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are

skikibobski

I've been trying to connect my old router to gain wifi capabilities, and I've hit a snag. As far as I know, I've put the router into AP mode i.e disabled DHCP etc. Connected LAN to LAN on router and pfSense box, configured IP addresses. pfSense is detecting all devices connected to the router but not the router itself. I cannot access the router webui while connected to pfSense, but I can access the pfSense webui (on the router subnet) while connected wirelessly to the router. Router has been assigned a static IP.

pfSense
Subnet: 192.168.1.0/24
IP: 192.168.1.1

Router
Subnet: 192.168.2.0/24
IP: 192.168.2.2
pfSense IP: 192.168.2.1

What am I missing?

viragomann

@skikibobski said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

pfSense is detecting all devices connected to the router but not the router itself.

What do you mean with "detecting"?

Do you try to access the router from another device within the routers subnet or from a device on a different pfSense interface?

skikibobski

@viragomann said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

@skikibobski said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

pfSense is detecting all devices connected to the router but not the router itself.

What do you mean with "detecting"?

Do you try to access the router from another device within the routers subnet or from a device on a different pfSense interface?

I'm connected to pfSense via ethernet. Right now I assign an IP in the routers subnet to my desktop to access the router via WiFi.
All devices connected to the router shows up in pfSense and I can access all of them. I have for instance an unraid server running Plex which works fine. I just can't access the router while I'm connected via ethernet.

Edit: Yes, my desktop and the router are connected to two separate interfaces in pfSense

viragomann

@skikibobski said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

Yes, my desktop and the router are connected to two separate interfaces in pfSense

So they are in different subnets.
Probably the router is blocking outside access. Maybe you can add a filter rule to it to allow it.

skikibobski

@viragomann said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

@skikibobski said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

Yes, my desktop and the router are connected to two separate interfaces in pfSense

So they are in different subnets.
Probably the router is blocking outside access. Maybe you can add a filter rule to it to allow it.

And how would I do that? What am I filtrering? I have a firewall rule i can set
Source IP range
Destination IP range
Protocol & port range

There's also website filtering and port forwarding. Those are the only settings I can think of.

The router is a Dlink DIR-X1860, by the way. If that helps.

viragomann

@skikibobski
I don't know this router. I said, maybe there is an option to allow outside access.
If not, you can NAT the access on pfSense.

To do so, you have to add an outbound NAT rule for the router.
Firewall > NAT > Outbound
Switch to hybrid mode and save this first. Then add a rule:
interface: that one the router is connected to
source: any (or a specific subnet)
destination: select "Network" and enter the routers IP and /32 mask
You may also state the WebGUI port to limit the rule just for this purpose
translation: interface address

skikibobski

@viragomann said in External router not assigned IP, but connected devices are:

@skikibobski
I don't know this router. I said, maybe there is an option to allow outside access.
If not, you can NAT the access on pfSense.

To do so, you have to add an outbound NAT rule for the router.
Firewall > NAT > Outbound
Switch to hybrid mode and save this first. Then add a rule:
interface: that one the router is connected to
source: any (or a specific subnet)
destination: select "Network" and enter the routers IP and /32 mask
You may also state the WebGUI port to limit the rule just for this purpose
translation: interface address

That did it!
NAT rule on pfSense fixed it, I now have access to both webui via ethernet.

Thanks so much for your very quick help!