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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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    • 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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                              • D
                                doktornotor Banned
                                last edited by

                                No, that is still NOT what I mean. You (re)assign the BRIDGE0 interface to LAN. Directly in Interfaces - Assign.

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                                • E
                                  eiger3970
                                  last edited by

                                  Ok, will research how to do this tomorrow when I have more time.
                                  Thank you again.

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                                  • D
                                    doktornotor Banned
                                    last edited by

                                    See below (WIFI is just a name for LAN, i.e. the interfaces.php?if=lan iface). All the members are configured as None/None (Do NOT assign any IPs there.)

                                    Screenshot_bridge_LAN_1.png
                                    Screenshot_bridge_LAN_1.png_thumb
                                    Screenshot_bridge_LAN_2.png
                                    Screenshot_bridge_LAN_2.png_thumb

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                                    • E
                                      eiger3970
                                      last edited by

                                      Ah, I just found your image attachment. The image wasn't appearing before (I guess I wasn't logged in?).

                                      I tried to assign a bridge, but received error: Cannot set port bridge0 to interface OPT2 because this interface is a member of bridge0.

                                      OPT2 is pfSense's WIFI port.

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                                      • D
                                        doktornotor Banned
                                        last edited by

                                        OK…. I thought it'd be goddamn obvious, but let me repeat.

                                        (WIFI is just a name for LAN, i.e. the interfaces.php?if=lan iface).

                                        LAN. Not opt2, not opt27, not anything like that. LAN. LAN. LAN.

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                                        • E
                                          eiger3970
                                          last edited by

                                          Hmm, I'm confused. I have assigned a bridge. I'll research how to assign the interface bridging WIFI to LAN.

                                          In Interfaces > Interface Assignments > Interface: LAN > Network port: re1 (I change to BRIDGE0), but error.

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                                          • D
                                            doktornotor Banned
                                            last edited by

                                            "But error" is really a great description of a problem.

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