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    Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) connects but doesn't load Internet

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • E
      eiger3970
      last edited by

      I bought a Wi-Fi AP to extend router1's Wi-Fi range. I set router2 to AP, which connects to devices but doesn't load Internet?
      Router1's IP is LAN 192.168.1.170 and WIFI 192.168.10.1, router2's IP is 192.168.0.254. I change router2's IP to 192.168.1.175.

      Should I change router2's IP to 192.168.10.2?

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      • M
        marvosa
        last edited by

        What does any of this have to do with PFsense?

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        • E
          eiger3970
          last edited by

          Router1 is pfSense with LAN and WIFI.
          Router2 is supposed to be a Wi-Fi extender, but router2 won't work.
          I'm not clear on what configuration to give router2, based upon router1's configuration.

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          • E
            eiger3970
            last edited by

            The pfSense router currently has LAN 192.168.1.170 and WIFI 192.168.10.1. This WIFI 192.168.10.1 is prohibiting the AP to send Wi-Fi to the more distant devices.

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            • DerelictD
              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
              last edited by

              Did you place pass rules on the wireless interface? There are no rules by default on interfaces other than LAN. You must add them.

              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                last edited by

                "Router2 is supposed to be a Wi-Fi extender, but router2 won't work."

                So is it a AP properly placed for the coverage you want, or it some sort of wifi repeater you after that extends wifi via wifi?

                If its an AP and or a repeater why would there be different networks?  Why don't you draw up how you have your stuff connected, what interface in pfsense is connected, etc.. Are you using wifi on pfsense via a wifi interface?  Do you have it on its own network or did you bridge it to your lan? etc..

                If your using some wifi router as AP, its IP address would depend on what network its on..  I would have an IP on that network, it does not nat it does not route - its an AP..  Your dhcp would come from pfsense, your gateway for devices would be pfsense, etc.

                Simple way to use any wifi router as AP.  Turn off its dhcp server, connect it to your network via one of its LAN ports = AP..  If you want to make it easier to manage then you would set its LAN IP to be on the network your connecting it too..

                An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                • E
                  eiger3970
                  last edited by

                  Ok, here's the topology.
                  pfSense is the router.
                  AP
                  https://www.google.com.au/search?q=TL-WA801ND&client=ubuntu&espv=2&biw=1024&bih=701&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWuO-Rs4TRAhVDEpQKHXp3BroQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=5doJIUQ9pLINdM%3A is the Wi-Fi extender, to be added to the topology.
                  The AP has 1 LAN port and receives a 192.168.1.xxx IP. This may be the issue, as the Wi-Fi devices currently connect to the Wi-Fi 192.168.10.1 network?

                  The pfSense LAN is a different network to the pfSense WAN.

                  I'm using the Wi-Fi extension as an Ethernet cabled AP, rather than a repeater, to ensure faster speeds on Wi-Fi in the extended areas.

                  The attachment/diagram does not include the new AP device, which is to be added.

                  ![Network topology.jpg_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/Network topology.jpg_thumb)
                  ![Network topology.jpg](/public/imported_attachments/1/Network topology.jpg)

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                  • ?
                    Guest
                    last edited by

                    Router1 is pfSense with LAN and WIFI.

                    Ok this might be not the strange part here, but if you are setting up this both WiFi networks, are they in VLANs?
                    Are this two different SSIDs called multi-SSIDs?

                    Router2 is supposed to be a Wi-Fi extender, but router2 won't work.

                    This router should be running then in the so called WLAN AP mode otherwise it makes also SPI/NAT and this is not what
                    you want to do!

                    I'm not clear on what configuration to give router2, based upon router1's configuration.

                    Can be a good choice to have only one or two WiFi networks based on VLANs and let us say for private usage
                    and your own devices secured over a Radius Server and the other one is for guests and secured over the Captive Portal!

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                    • E
                      eiger3970
                      last edited by

                      Hello, I don't think I have any VLANs setup, unless pfSense has automatically done something.

                      The 2 SSIDs are different names.

                      The AP is set with AP mode and the following IPs:
                      IP 192.168.1.175
                      Subnet 255.255.255.0
                      Gateway 192.168.1.170
                      DNS 192.168.1.170

                      The mobile device connects the to AP.
                      Mobiles IPs:
                      IP 192.168.1.102
                      Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
                      Gateway 192.168.1.175
                      DNS 192.168.1.175

                      The mobile does not load browser pages.

                      The AP can ping the router at 192.168.1.170, www.google.com and 8.8.8.8.
                      I'm checking firewalls, but not sure how to check the AP and pfSense router's firewall.
                      I'm in pfSense > Firewall > Rules > WAN > and there's about 20 rules.

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                      • D
                        doktornotor Banned
                        last edited by

                        No, the devices should NOT have the AP as gateway. They should use pfSense for GW (i.e., 192.168.1.170). Ditto for DNS if you expect internal LAN resolution to work. There's nothing that'd register the other LAN hosts on the AP.

                        IOW, they should be configured exactly the same way as the AP. The AP is not a router, cannot act as a GW. It's just a dumb WiFi <-> Ethernet bridge.

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                        • johnpozJ
                          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                          last edited by

                          The mobile device connects the to AP.
                          Mobiles IPs:
                          IP 192.168.1.102
                          Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
                          Gateway 192.168.1.175
                          DNS 192.168.1.175

                          How are they getting this info.. Are you setting pfsense dhcp to hand that out as gateway and dns?  Or is dhcp running on your AP?  If your AP is in the 192.168.10 network.. How are they getting 192.168.1 addresses??

                          Seems more like your running this AP as a router/gateway..

                          To use any old wifi router as just an AP.. Give its lan IP an address on the network its connected too.. In your case that sounds like it would be 192.168.10.something.  If you can set a gateway on the device so you can manage it from another network then the gateway would be pfsense IP in that network.

                          Turn OFF its dhcp server..

                          Connect one of its LAN ports to your network.  Shazam you have a AP..

                          Clients connecting to its wifi would get IP from pfsense dhcp server on this network, they normally would point to pfsense as their gateway and dns.

                          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                          SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                          • E
                            eiger3970
                            last edited by

                            The mobile in DHCP doesn't allow the gateway to be change from 192.168.1.175 to 192.168.1.170.

                            The AP has DHCP on.
                            I set the AP to static IP to set the below details on the AP:
                            IP 192.168.1.175
                            Subnet 255.255.255.0
                            Gateway 192.168.1.170
                            DNS 192.168.1.170

                            I turned off the AP's DHCP server, but now the mobile doesn't connect to the AP's Wi-Fi?

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                            • D
                              doktornotor Banned
                              last edited by

                              The AP most certainly should NOT have DHCP on. Your clients should NOT point to your AP as GW. Nothing changed here since my last reply.

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                              • E
                                eiger3970
                                last edited by

                                Thank you for the clarification.

                                So the AP has:
                                IP static: 192.168.1.175
                                Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
                                Gateway: 192.168.1.170
                                DHCP server turned off.

                                Router:
                                IP static: 192.168.1.170
                                Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
                                Gateway: 192.168.1.170
                                Wi-Fi: 192.168.10.1

                                Mobile:
                                Wi-Fi is DHCP:
                                SSID 1 (the router): connects and loads browser pages.
                                SSID 2 (the AP): Connection attempt but doesn't connect and shows
                                IP: 169.254.253.87
                                Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
                                Router: blank
                                DNS: 192.168.1.170.

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                                • D
                                  doktornotor Banned
                                  last edited by

                                  Uh. Did you enable DHCP on pfSense WIFI interface?

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                                  • E
                                    eiger3970
                                    last edited by

                                    Yes, the router has the DHCP server enabled.

                                    The router's Wi-Fi 192.168.10.1 gives SSID 1 the following:
                                    IP: 192.168.10.131
                                    Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
                                    Router: 192.168.10.1
                                    DHS: 192.168.10.1.

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                                    • D
                                      doktornotor Banned
                                      last edited by

                                      I'm starting to get completely confused yet again. What router?

                                      IP: 192.168.10.131
                                      Router: 192.168.10.1

                                      Eeeh?

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                                      • E
                                        eiger3970
                                        last edited by

                                        Yes,
                                        the router's LAN has DHCP enabled.
                                        the router's WIFI has DHCP enabled.

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                                        • D
                                          doktornotor Banned
                                          last edited by

                                          Dude that's not what I'm asking about? Why are the IPs constantly changing between your posts? And can you finally produce a network diagram because this just doesn't go anywhere? (No need to draw mobile phones and irrelevant junk, just the pfSense box, the AP and whatever is between those two.)

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                                          • E
                                            eiger3970
                                            last edited by

                                            The network is the same as Reply #6.

                                            The IPs are only changing on the mobile device Wi-Fi connection's IP.

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