Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    wifi deco doesnt work any more, need help

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    13 Posts 3 Posters 1.5k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • T
      tjabas
      last edited by tjabas

      Hi!

      recently i invested alot of time and money to get new hardware for my pfsense setup, i bought a new router hardware and deco x50 routers to cover my hole house, i spent alot of time setting both pfsense and decos up, and it worked without any issues at all.
      i also run domoticz home automation on a rasperry pi, this has been running for many years,.
      so yesterday i noticed that the automation didnt work as it should so i reinstalled a backup sdcard, and when i turned that on, the decos went red, and there where no wifi signal at all.
      then i looked in pfsense and it all looked good, i got a ip from my isp, and all the wired computers had connection.
      So i tried to reinstall the decos, but they wont just turn green, just red, meaning that they dont have internet.
      if im connected with my phone or laptop to the wifi, the wifi says "no internet"
      I have also reinstalled a backup of pfsense, but still no internet connection to the decos.
      I also installed my old asus mesh routers again,and used them as accespoints, but also they dont broadcast any internet, it just says "connected but with no internet".

      I got tired of this and plugged the isp router i got, and connected the decos to that one, and it worked emediatly, the decos turned green.
      Today i tried with the pfsense router again and it doesnt work, the decos are red , and dont broadcast any internet.

      so i dont understand what happened, and why cant i get my decos to broadcast the internet from my pfsense router?

      if you know where i should start or even look, please help.

      stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @tjabas
        last edited by

        @tjabas said in wifi deco doesnt work any more, need help:

        i reinstalled a backup sdcard, and when i turned that on, the decos went red

        I assume "went red" indicates they are not seeing other access point? Internet?

        But that sounds like whatever you restored on that backup card created a conflict of some sort. I'd look for an IP conflict with whatever the Deco APs were trying to reach.

        Steve

        T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • T
          tjabas @stephenw10
          last edited by

          @stephenw10
          thanks for your answer.
          but even if i use the old sdcard that wasnt the problem, or even if i turn the raspberry pi off, the deco wont connect to the internet, if i check the arp table in pfsense, i can see that the deco device is connected.

          i cant understand whats wrong.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            Hmm, well then maybe whatever caused the automation system to stop working. Really seems like there must be a conflict there somewhere.
            Do you know what the Decos are actually checking for?

            T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • T
              tjabas @stephenw10
              last edited by

              @stephenw10
              no i dont know what the decos are looking for, im using them in access point mode, before i got the decos i had 3 asus routers with aimesh, these where also conected in access point mode, but even when i connected them yesterday they also didnt work , they all broadcast a wifi, but with no internet connection.

              i dont know where to look.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                If they are really acting as layer 2 devices then pfSense is not forwarding the traffic, or actively blocking. Or potentially clients on that subnet are not being passed a default gateway/route.

                Do clients get an IP address from pfSense via DHCP?

                T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • T
                  tjabas @stephenw10
                  last edited by

                  @stephenw10
                  yes the wired clients gets an ip, but not the wirelsess.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Then they are not acting as layer 2 devices. Assuming pfSense is still running a DHCP server on that interface. Do you see any requests arriving in pfSense? Do you see any traffic arriving?

                    T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • T
                      tjabas @stephenw10
                      last edited by

                      @stephenw10
                      today i tried once again to get this working, but now i cant even get an external ip on the wan connection in pfsense dashboard.
                      and i have connected it as always in the incomming fibre box(the one that converts fibre to cat cable) .

                      the ip i get in pfsense wan is 192.168.1.231, that one is an internal ip, not external, i honestly dont understand anything now.
                      i also took my old pfsense router and plugged it in , and that one also doesnt get an external ip .
                      Can the isp made any changes so i only can use they own router?

                      i have never experienced someyhing like this, and i have been using pfsense for over 10 years now.

                      im about to leave this pfsense and go with the isp router even though it sucks.

                      R 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • R
                        rcoleman-netgate Netgate @tjabas
                        last edited by

                        @tjabas said in wifi deco doesnt work any more, need help:

                        the ip i get in pfsense wan is 192.168.1.231, that one is an internal ip, not external, i honestly dont understand anything now.

                        I think you need to put together a drawing showing your network, the places things are landed, etc.

                        draw.io is a free service for basic Visio-style drawings.

                        Ryan
                        Repeat, after me: MESH IS THE DEVIL! MESH IS THE DEVIL!
                        Requesting firmware for your Netgate device? https://go.netgate.com
                        Switching: Mikrotik, Netgear, Extreme
                        Wireless: Aruba, Ubiquiti

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          Mmm, if it's getting an internal IP via DHCP then either there's a link between WAN and LAN or something else in your network is still running as a DHCP server.

                          T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • T
                            tjabas @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10

                            yea it must be a link , but it is impossible, there is nothing between the fibre box and the pfsense router, so i dont get it.
                            im going to call the isp tomorrow and ask if they can see why its like that.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              Check the pfSense DHCP status or logs. If there's a link there it can be handing a lease to itself.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • First post
                                Last post
                              Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.