Setup and add PFSense router to existing network
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Hi All,
Just wanted to get some advice on whether it is possible to split a WAN port to two separate networks. Basically, I want to setup the router and open VPN portion in the guide Louis Rossmann showed in his recent tutorial video on FUTO but already have a network in place that I do not want to touch as there are multiple "smart" devices on WIFI which will be a major PITA to reconfigure.
If I remember correctly (I set this up several years ago, over 6+ months as it constantly kept breaking and driving me insane!) the network setup looks like this:
Telstra Modem/router/AP all in one setup as normal doing its own DHCP and DNS just with WIFI disabled. Yes, I know that is the wrong way to do things, I did want to use bridged mode but we have a landline so that is not possible. Disabling the router & AP portion and only using it as a modem stopped the landline from working. I spent a good 6 months trying to disable as much on the Telstra as I could but every time I changed 1 setting from default the landline stopped working so I eventually gave up and just disabled WIFI.
ASUS AX router setup as normal doing its own DHCP and DNS on a separate IP range. Some devices are connected to the Telstra via ethernet, but most are connected to the ASUS as it has far more ethernet ports. All WIFI devices connect to the ASUS.
My main concern is the family has setup some Eufy Cameras (ugh yes I know, do you think they listened to me?) which are connecting to WIFI on the ASUS. We also have some smart power outlets and also smart fans connecting again to the ASUS WIFI. I would happily use the ASUS as the WIFI AP in the guide Louis setup, but I'm worried that will mean I have to go in and reconfigure all the "smart" devices which I did not setup in the first place, and I recall much cursing from others when trying to setup in the first place, so I really do not want to touch them.
So ideally, I'd love to a old PC we have as the PFSense router and get a cheap AP and set the guide up as a entirely separate network not touching anything pre-existing. How would I do that though when the WAN port from the modem is already taken up by the ASUS router?
Additionally, if I can I'd love to link the network at work so I can access stuff on my work PC or our synology NAS from home.
Thanks for the assistance.
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@AJ847-63 said in Setup and add PFSense router to existing network:
How would I do that though when the WAN port from the modem is already taken up by the ASUS router?
Is there only one port there?
Since the Telstra device is still in router mode there's no reason you can't hang multiple other routers behind it if you have the ports. That way you could add pfSense without affecting anything existing.
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Only one WAN port yes. If I remember correctly there are 4 LAN ports though so, could I use one of those? Apologies for the ignorance my networking experience is a total of working tech support at BOSE trying to figure out why disabling WPS on a router solved speakers not being detectable in the app (despite everyone including the product designer telling me that's not possible), so basically nil.
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Theoretically if I record the SSID, passcode, security type, DHCP and DNS details and copy them across to the Telstra "Smart" Gateway and enable WIFI should the devices currently configured to the ASUS work?
If not, I might have to just bite the bullet and reconfigure everything to connect to the WIFI on the Telstra, then setup pfSense and configure just my devices (iPhone 15 PM, Asus Zenbook and Shield TV) to connect to the ASUS in AP only mode using pfSense to do all the DHCP,DNS,NAT,port duties.
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@AJ847-63 said in Setup and add PFSense router to existing network:
trying to figure out why disabling WPS on a router solved speakers not being detectable in the app (despite everyone including the product designer telling me that's not possible)
Ha, I know that feeling! And, yes, hard to see how that would have any effect. Yet....
But, yes, I imagine the Asus router is connected to one of the LAN ports on the Telstra CPE?
In which case you should be able to connect pfSense to one of the other LAN ports on the Telstra without affecting any of the existing network. Just make sure there are no overlapping subnets.
Then you can experiment with pfSense and move things across to it when it's ready.
