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

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    45 Posts 6 Posters 11.6k Views
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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?

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                                • D
                                  doktornotor Banned
                                  last edited by

                                  God almighty. What was 192.168.10.1 is now 192.168.1.175 yet again, just minutes later, after you edited your post yet again. Yeah, you are NOT clear and my patience is running thin.

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                                  • E
                                    eiger3970
                                    last edited by

                                    The pfSense router has 3 interfaces:
                                    LAN 192.168.1.170
                                    WAN <public ip="">WIFI 192.168.10.1</public>

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                                    • D
                                      doktornotor Banned
                                      last edited by

                                      Ugh. I'm talking about the AP. Let's summarize this:

                                      pfSense:

                                      1/ Bridge LAN + WIFI on pfSense.
                                      2/ Assign the BRIDGE to LAN interface. DHCP server MUST be enabled there.
                                      3/ Do the tunables magic: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Interface_Bridges

                                      AP:
                                      4/ Connect the AP's LAN port to the switch connected to pfSense. The AP LAN should have a static IP (in the pfSense LAN range) or static DHCP lease on pfSense. Do NOT connect the AP via WAN port. WAN port should remain unconnected, preferably completely disabled, if not possible, just set it to DHCP. Do NOT connect the WAN port to anything.
                                      5/ Make sure DHCP server is disabled on the AP.
                                      6/ Make sure any firewall is disabled on the AP.
                                      7/ SSIDs and WPA2 PSK should be the same on both pfSense and the AP if you want roaming to work.

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                                      • E
                                        eiger3970
                                        last edited by

                                        Thank you.
                                        Okay, I added a Bridge Interface with Members LAN,WIFI.

                                        I'm not clear how to follow your step 2/ Assign the BRIDGE to LAN interface?

                                        The AP is ready and has the SSID and password as the same as the router.

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                                        • D
                                          doktornotor Banned
                                          last edited by

                                          @eiger3970:

                                          I'm not clear how to follow your step 2/ Assign the BRIDGE to LAN interface?

                                          Interfaces - Assign.

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                                          • E
                                            eiger3970
                                            last edited by

                                            Yes, I followed the previous post about adding a bridge interface.
                                            I have added a bridge interface, however I'm not clear if I have assigned the correct LAN and WIFI to bridge?
                                            The pfSense setting is: pfSense > Interfaces > Bridges > Bridge Interfaces > Interface: BRIDGE0 > Members: LAN, WIFI > Description: Wi-Fi router and AP > Actions: Edit Delete.

                                            Also, do I have to set the AP to the same SSID and the router? I would prefer to have the AP with a different SSID, so users have to manually connect to the AP and so that users know they're on the AP and not the distant router.

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