PFsense -14 network ports ! and freenas -please note - 2 separate machines
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- Use a real switch (managed if you need LACP/LAGG)
- Use the switch to connect all your LAN devices together.
- Use pfSense for what it's intended, ie a router / edge device. For home use you should only need 1 WAN and 1 LAN (DMZ, IP Cameras, etc. might warrant another LAN interface).
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Cross posting the below as some of it may be useful namely gliffy.
Example sticky for this forum.
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Title:Need help? 20 seconds reading this post to save time.Content:
Before posting:
1. Use the FAQ at this link. https://www.pfsense.org/get-support/support-faq.html
2. Use the WIKI at this link for step by step guides & other info. https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Main_Page
3. Always search the forum using link top right of this webpage, to limit search to a subform, use the search from within the subforum. keywords work best.
4. Investigate the pfsense bugtracker here https://redmine.pfsense.org/projects/pfsense/issues?set_filter=1
and the pfsense packages bugtracker here https://redmine.pfsense.org/projects/pfsense-packages/issues?set_filter=1If you dont know the terminology, investigate links like http://www.linktionary.com/f/firewall_term.html & http://www.techrepublic.com/article/jargon-explained-learn-the-terms-used-with-firewall-technologies/
Before posting.
If you still havent found the knowledge you are looking for, when describing your problem, question or observation, include the following information.
1. What version of pfsense and the hardware including model of network cards, you are currently or planning to use.
2. Use Gliffy (its free and webbased) to draw your network layout. https://www.gliffy.com/uses/network-diagram-software/
3. Ensure your post title is descriptive to attract the relevant knowledgable users. Lan problem, wan problem is not descriptive.
4. Describe your problem, question or observation in as much detail as possible to avoid unnecessary questions being posted asking for more information, dragging out the total time it takes for you to resolve your post. -
sorry i read the rules and did not see these, so i missed them maybe you should get them put into it?
i hope this helps because even i am more lost after "making" it
thanks !~ i think that is what the consensus was/will be - i can not find the posts that made me think i could do what i wanted, but at least i had fun
back @ firewalluser
have i set up firewall rules-
yes i think so ? all of the bridge gets ip addresses and can communicate with the internetalthough now that you mention it, maybe not. let me try a few things – thanks ill get back with the "rules" i have made
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Why would you not just use a switch here? The performance of your bridge without how many interfaces in it is not going to compare to what a CHEAP switch could do.
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Tyvm for your reply.
I thought (incorrectly it seems ) that it was one of the jobs of pfsense. - probably due to the fact the only networking experience I have is with home routers.
One of the reasons I took on this project was for the fun and challenge. I learned allot and look forward to more learning.
O well live and learn.
Thanks again for your help
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how much money did you spend on nics for this pfsense box? I am thinking you could of gotten one hell of nice managed switch for the cost of 14 nics ;)
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i can not find the posts that made me think i could do what i wanted
You could do it.
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
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Thanks for your help
how much money did you spend on nics for this pfsense box? I am thinking you could of gotten one hell of nice managed switch for the cost of 14 nics ;)
Not much tbh. I had some consumer stuff around that I could of used. But I wanted certain things like ipmi.
If I would of known not to use it as a switch I would of got a avoton but I wanted the additional ports.
So all in all in its current condition I spent a total of. 260.
90 for the nics which will be repurposed to my freenas and a few other servers I have
As to the switch I bought a srw2048.
I want 24 ports. So I always up size ( I would of bought more nics but I couldn't find a board with enough pie slots )
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How much did you spend on that switch? It goes end of support from cisco in feb of 2016.. Prob not something I would of gotten to be honest.
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That said those SRW switches are workhorses and will survive for many moons. I still have Linksys SRW versions working like a champ. Noisy fan is my only complaint. Excellent design…..
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How much did you spend on that switch? It goes end of support from cisco in feb of 2016.. Prob not something I would of gotten to be honest.
looks like ~ 60 to 100
have not had a chance to purchase
which would you recommend ?
i want all ports to have 10/100/1000 and lacp 24 + ports
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So your getting it used off ebay then or something because that is not new cost by any means..
The SG300-28 would fit your bill I think.. This is replacement for the srw line to be sure.
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What's wrong with buying from ebay? The cost of networking stuff makes it a great value for home use.
Besides less life is there a reason you would recommend not buying from ebay
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Nothing is wrong with ebay - but there is no way could get a new unit for that price point ;) I normally buy my stuff new is all. Which was the reason for asking about how much you spent on nics ;) New there is no way you would get 14 nic ports for less then the cost of a new switch, etc..
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TYVM guys for all your help
And I got most of the stuff for this build used. I got really lucky tbh.My freenas build I bought new as I wanted specific things and data integrity was high priority
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Why would you not just use a switch here? The performance of your bridge without how many interfaces in it is not going to compare to what a CHEAP switch could do.
Hmmm, I wouldn't know. Those SUN cards probably have an intel chipset.
I have a similar setup, but only with three ports. Bridge0 is the lan interface. Bridge0 contains igb1, igb2 and igb3. I would think this is more practical for a small home network. I have a free quad port card, which I might install in the pfSense box, because I do not have enough ports on my switch. -
"I would think this is more practical for a small home network."
You would be thinking wrong then.. Lets be blunt and point blank about this!! It is NEVER EVER EVER, NEVER better to bridge NIC ports to use as a "switch". Why would anyone think this ever??? When you can get a 5 port get switch for 20 freaking dollars that will out perform you nonsense bridge setup. When would this ever make sense in any home or any setup anywhere??
There are are times where a bridge can be useful.. This would not be one of them.. If you need more ports to connect devices, get another switch, update your switch to one with more ports, etc.. etc.. Bridging nics is not a switch! PERIOD!!!
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To make matter worse OpenWRT defaults to a Bridge type interface and you have to go -out of your way- to make a routed interface. I think the differences between all the router OS's make for confusion. I was there no long ago!!
I remember when i came over from Monowall it blew my mind that I was being forced to make a WAN interface at bare minimum, whereas MonoWALL required at least a LAN interface. Small differences can be tough when your used to another way.
I have used the clumped together mess of bridging for "convience" mostly due to all the bad wireless tutorials out there.
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@Phishfry:
To make matter worse OpenWRT defaults to a Bridge type interface and you have to go -out of your way- to make a routed interface. I think the differences between all the router OS's make for confusion. I was there no long ago!!
Devices that run *WRT usually have a integrated switch chip in them to provide N number of LAN ports. Those are a complete different device from a PC with multiple NIC ports.
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"I would think this is more practical for a small home network."
This was actually about having one LAN instead of seperate networks.
Bridging nics is not a switch! PERIOD!!!
Why not? What is it not capable of, and how much of a performance penalty are we talking?
More and more high-end switches seem to be some sort of soft-switch with a intel rangely chip and running linux.
