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    cyberstudent with basic questions about interface configurations

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • C
      cyberstudentnewbie @JKnott
      last edited by cyberstudentnewbie

      @JKnott
      okay so what do i set the WAN to so that pfsense will be my DHCP server?
      or do i not want to do that?๐Ÿค”

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

        That's not a setting on WAN. You would enable it on internal interfaces from Services > DHCP Server as required.

        https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/services/dhcp/ipv4.html

        It's enabled on LAN by default.

        C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • C
          cyberstudentnewbie @stephenw10
          last edited by

          @stephenw10
          okay so just leave it on WAN as DHCP and the go to services and enable them independently in the services section for each interface?

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

            Yes, exactly. Assuming you want the WAN to pull it's IP address via DHCP from some upstream server that is. ๐Ÿ˜‰

            C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • C
              cyberstudentnewbie @stephenw10
              last edited by cyberstudentnewbie

              @stephenw10
              ahhh... so that setting on WAN gives me my public IP address from my ISP...
              Then each one of my interfaces which i just enabled dhcp on, will hand out the ip addresses from the cooresponding address pools i have just configured....
              Okay now im getting it..

              you guys are awesome!

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • GertjanG
                Gertjan @cyberstudentnewbie
                last edited by Gertjan

                @cyberstudentnewbie said in cyberstudent with basic questions about interface configurations:

                DHCP

                See it like this :
                @home, you have a program called 'a browser'. For example : Edge. Edge connects to a server (there are many server, you as a human, you have to chose a server).
                This is what is called a client and server concept.
                For "DHCP", it's somewhat identical.
                The interface that you've declared as "WAN" is used by a DHCP program ( its process name is dhcpc from DHCP Client) and it sends out over the WAN interface - it actually broadcasts - a request : "Is there a DHCP server out there, as I want to a 'lease').
                It's your ISP router, or some other router, more far away, that has a DHCP server, and this server will give your dhcpc process a DHCP lease => an IP, a DNS, a gateway, and network info.
                Now, pfSense is happy, it obtained an IP on it LAN.

                Now, lets go one step back. Your pfSense LAN. Most devices, PC's phones, printers, doorbells, etc have a build in DHCP Client.
                So it's the same story all over again.
                But this time, it is the DHCP Server, that runs on your pfSense LAN (it listens all the time, ready to answer a request coming in from one of your LAN devices) that will hand over a lease to this device, and all other LAN devices.

                So, pfSense can use a DHCP client on it's WAN and a DCHP server on its LAN.
                They do the same 'related' things. But are opposite in functionality.

                Btw : both aren't strictly needed.
                You can set up your WAN with static "hard coded" IP settings (network, IP DNS, gateway).
                Same thing on your LAN : stop the DHCP server, and "hard" hand code all your devices with static IP settings (IP, network, DNS, gateway).
                This will work just fine.

                No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                Edit : and where are the logs ??

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • JKnottJ
                  JKnott @cyberstudentnewbie
                  last edited by

                  @cyberstudentnewbie said in cyberstudent with basic questions about interface configurations:

                  @JKnott
                  okay so what do i set the WAN to so that pfsense will be my DHCP server?
                  or do i not want to do that?

                  It should already do that. Check Services / DHCP Server.

                  PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                  i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                  UniFi AC-Lite access point

                  I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • JKnottJ
                    JKnott @JonathanLee
                    last edited by

                    @JonathanLee

                    No such thing as collision domains with token ring. No collisions!

                    PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                    i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                    UniFi AC-Lite access point

                    I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                    JonathanLeeJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • JonathanLeeJ
                      JonathanLee @JKnott
                      last edited by

                      @JKnott in the 90s it was all about the HUB they would blink different colors for collisions.

                      Make sure to upvote

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

                        It was all 10base2 for me. I only dreamt of a hub. ๐Ÿ˜‰

                        JKnottJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • JKnottJ
                          JKnott @JonathanLee
                          last edited by

                          @JonathanLee

                          That photo you posted a while back is for a token ring MAU. As I mentioned, there are no collisions on token ring. If you have lights that flash with collisions, you are on Ethernet.

                          PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                          i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                          UniFi AC-Lite access point

                          I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • JKnottJ
                            JKnott @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10

                            In my work, my first Ethernet experience was 10base5 DECNet, connecting VAX 11/780 computers. However my first LAN experience goes all the way back to early 1978 with a proprietary LAN connecting Collins computers in the Air Canada reservation system. That network used time division multiplexing (TDM) instead of frames or packets. There were 2 versions, the low speed ran at 2 Mb/s and the high speed 8 Mb. After that DECNet, my next Ethernet experience was hand wiring a couple of Ethernet controllers for Data General Eclipse computers. My first "network" at home was connecting 2 computers with a Laplink parallel port cable. Later on, I got a 10 Mb Ethernet hub. I also worked a bit with token ring, the first time I was at IBM.

                            PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                            i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                            UniFi AC-Lite access point

                            I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

                            JonathanLeeJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • JonathanLeeJ
                              JonathanLee @JKnott
                              last edited by

                              @JKnott COOL!!

                              Make sure to upvote

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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