How would I set this up using pfsense? Total newb.
-
Hey everyone, was hoping I could post my current set up and someone could advise how I would do the same wtih pfSense?
I have right now 2 DSL connections, one is separate from the current config. The DSL connection goes into my Linksys Wifi router. My server connects to one port on the Wifi router. I have an Adtran switch which runs my hosted PBX, so all my IP phones connect to the adtran switch, as well as the T1 connection to my phone company. Then I connect my Linksys router from one of the ethernet ports, to a port on the adtran switch. That way all my PCs can connect to the PC port on the IP phones and get internet access.
For my new setup, I want to install pfSense on my server, and connect 2 DSL connections to it so I can do load balancing. How would I connect all of this so that I can still use wifi, but that everything can connect through the adtran switch? If there was no wifi, I assume I'd just plug the ethernet from my server into the adtran, since it doesn't give IPs it's more like a passthrough just a switch, but then I don't understand how the wifi would work. The thing wtih the adtran is that yes it's a switch but it's only for my IP phones, meaning only the ports with an IP phone will work, so even though it's a 25 port switch, I can't plug it into the pfsense server and then say connect other devices into it, that's why I need to have the Linksys still on there right now, so my network printers and what not plug into the linksys.
I can give more info if needed but just trying to sort this all out, thanks!
-
Most important part of the new setup will be to turn off all the routing features on the Linksys router. You need it to be in AP only mode. You can still use it as your switch, but I would suggest getting a gigabit switch. Either way, never plug anything into the WAN port of the Linksys box. pfSense will now act as your DHCP and caching DNS server, so if you have any special configs on the Linksys be sure to program them into your pfSense. Same goes for port forwarding, etc. The only thing the Linksys will do from now on will be to act as an Access Point.
Install pfsense with LAN and WAN, just follow the onscreen instructions. Make sure you can access the net from a normal PC client on the LAN. If it works, then hook up your AdTran switch. Hopefully at this point all the PCs will have internet. Now try the wireless, you should get an IP from your new DHCP range on the pfSense.
Read the multi-wan/load balance how to http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Multi-WAN_Version_1.2.x and you should be all set.
-
Thanks so much for your help! Just need to clarify one thing. From the LAN port on my pfSense box, would I connect that to say LAN1 on the Linksys once it's in AP mode, and then connect the Adtran to say LAN2? The Adtran is a switch but as I mentioned it's just for my hosted phone system, so only the first 8 ports that have a IP phone plugged in will actually pass the network connection through it.
If I understand correctly, you're saying:
-Connect DSL modem to WAN port on pfSense
-Turn Linksys into just an AP and connect one of it's 4 LAN ports to the LAN port on pfSense
-Connect Adtran hosted phone switch to one of the other 4 LAN ports on the Linksys
-Keep WiFi enabled on the Linksys so other users, iPhones etc can connect with Wifi -
Yes, go from pfSense LAN to LAN1. Connect the Adtran to LAN2. Your other points look good, but I would start with simple and go from there. Make sure you can access the internet via the pfSense LAN port before going any futher, if not, go back and fix your configuration.
As an aside, several DSL providers configure their modems to be 'routers' . If you have problems making things work as is, google how to disable routing on your DSL modem.
-
Oh I'll def start slow and make sure the LAN works first and so on just wanted to double check. I'm actually a business partner for my ISP so I know a bit how it works. I know it's a modem not a router, and with my static IP, that has to physically be entered into a computer or router connecting, can't just plug in and have it auto assign the static IP or whatever to the machine. Maybe that's standard not sure, either way everything else sounds good thank you!
-
I set it up to test it out, I'm at the stage where i'm testing just the lan and so far so good! My question though is my server has 2 network cards, both I bridged one is the WAN and one is the LAN with the DSL modem in the WAN then just a PC plugged into LAN where eventually the switch will go.
How though do I connect my server back to my network, since I'm using VMWare and it took over both those network cards? Do I need a 3rd network card connected to the switch for the server? Just seems redundant considering the pfsense is running in a vmware server…
-
When you say "your server", do you mean a virtual machine running on the same hardware as pfSense or do you mean another physical server?
-
Sorry like my server is my physical Windows 2003 box which I just use to run Microsoft CRM 3.0. I have vmware server installed on that, and I run pfsense through vmware versus having separate hardware just for that. So just confused how my physical windows server 2003 gets a 10.0.0.50 IP when vmware is using both my physical nics?