VLAN with switch

jpc82

Hi, I am thinking of moving from Tomato firmware based routers to pfSense and was hoping to understand if that I want to do will work.

My current setup is:
WAN –> Router --> Switch --> AP

I have the internet coming into my office connected to an Asus RT-N66U running Shibby Tomato firmware. On that router I have my personal Wifi and a guest wifi. I then have a cable running through the walls going to the basement where there is a basic switch that connects all the CAT6 cables in the house (one to most rooms). One of those goes to a second router configured as a AP in my family room with the same SSID as the personal wifi for roaming.

I was hoping get a UniFi AP and connect it to another cable coming off the switch in the basement with two wifi ssids and VLAN tagging so that I could have another AP with both personal and guest.

Will this work with pfSense, and a unmanaged switch inbetween and UniFi?

johnpoz

no you need a switch that supports vlans..

You do understand you can get a smart switch for nothing these days.. 8 port gig tplink is like $33
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0OHEMA/ref=twister_B00PTUGAL4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

jpc82

Thanks, I know the price on them has dropped but since I am new to VLANs I wasn't sure, and having to replace my router and get a new AP I am just trying to minimize the start costs if I can.

johnpoz

To get your tagged vlan info from your AP to the interface on pfsense you need a switch that supports vlans.

You could always directly connect your AP to interface on pfsense, then you don't need a switch at all.

jpc82

Can't go directly since the switch is what connects the router to the room where I need the AP. All the cables in the house run to the basement where the switch is and router is in one room the the AP will be in a different room.

So I will need the pfSense router, an AP and a new switch then for what I want.

johnpoz

Yes you will need a switch that supports vlans if you want to use vlans ;) If all switches supported vlans then they wouldn't be called "dumb" switches ;) heheh

There are for sure different levels of "smart" and or what they called fully managed, etc. But to do vlans not sure I would call them smart for example. I had picked up a netgear gs108ev3 for like 30$ after rebate or something. And the switch in my av cab would bug out on me now and then, it was older gs108T netgear. It would work and work and work and then just nothing and would have to power cycle it.

So for 30$ what hell replace it.. While it does vlans - that is about it. No snmp, no sort of log even, can not even set the time on it.. no bells and whistles at all.. But it does do vlans, and can set speed on ports and enable igmp snooping, so while it might be "smart" compared to a dumb switch compared to my sg300 cisco I would say it has an iq of just above moron or idiot.. While the sg300 is bordering on genius level hehehe.

So if your going to get a new switch that does vlans, and you might want to play with other stuff in the future like like snmp, ipv6, lldp or cdp, private vlans, rmon, etc. etc. They you might want to spend a few more dollars on your switch, etc.