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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

      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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                                • D
                                  doktornotor Banned
                                  last edited by

                                  Sir, reply #6 does NOT show your AP, which is the only relevant thing in here.

                                  @eiger3970:

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

                                  As such, it is utterly USELESS.

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                                  • E
                                    eiger3970
                                    last edited by

                                    Sorry, I mentioned earlier the AP is not in the network topology, as this is the question I am asking about in this forum thread.

                                    So, the AP details are:
                                    IP: 192.168.1.175
                                    Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
                                    Gateway: 192.168.1.170
                                    DHCP server: Disabled
                                    SSID 2.

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                                    • D
                                      doktornotor Banned
                                      last edited by

                                      So the AP is hanging in a blackhole unconnected to anything? Or what?

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                                      • E
                                        eiger3970
                                        last edited by

                                        The AP has 1 LAN port with an Ethernet cable connected to the Switch, which is connected to the router.
                                        I.e. AP 192.168.1.175 > Switch > Router 192.168.1.170.

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                                        • D
                                          doktornotor Banned
                                          last edited by

                                          Wonderful. Then why on earth are you setting up IPs that are TOTALLY out of the pfSense's LAN range on the AP?!

                                          (And yeah, you are having a design problem, you won't be able to roam/extend between those. If that is desired, you need to bridge the WIFI and LAN on pfSense.)

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                                          • E
                                            eiger3970
                                            last edited by

                                            Sorry, I'm not clear how the AP's IP 192.168.1.175 is out of the pfSense's LAN IP 192.168.1/170's range?

                                            Oh, so AP Wi-Fi extensions aren't done anywhere else? I'm surprised this is so hard. Surely someone else has extended their Wi-Fi with an AP?

                                            Ok, so if bridging pfSense's WIFI and LAN, will that still allow Wi-Fi from pfSense and the AP?

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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