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    Two gateways, two subnets, one internet, subnet connectivity issue

    General pfSense Questions
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    • J
      jamesonp
      last edited by

      You can use IPSEC over any connection medium, not just internet links.  In pfSense, you can select the interface for the local endpoint (which would be your wireless uplink interface).

      The reason I'm suggesting you use IPSEC vs the way you're trying to do it is it allows you to make easy routing changes on both sides.  For example, if you decide to add a VLAN on your local/remote site, all you'd have to do is specify another phase 2 entry on both sides to have it route between the two.

      https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Routing_internet_traffic_through_a_site-to-site_IPsec_tunnel

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      • L
        Live4soccer7
        last edited by

        Thanks for the input. I'll have to do some reading on this.

        Will this work in conjunction with OpenVPN? I want to use OpenVPN with a VPN service for anonymity while online.

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        • chpalmerC
          chpalmer
          last edited by

          Gateway: 192.168.1.112

          Not sure what this is..  ^^

          If you are trying to reach the network behind your DDWRT router then you need to provide a path through that router.

          As the WAN of the DDWRT is on the LAN of the pfsense box there would be no reason that your local LAN traffic ever passed through your pfsense box.

          Will DDWRT run RIP?

          Another thing you could do is set up the second LAN on an interface on the pfSense box and connect it to the wireless bridge to a simple switch on the other side.  That would allow you to run the separate subnets yet control them easily from one box.

          Or just combine the two locations on the same LAN.

          Triggering snowflakes one by one..
          Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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          • L
            Live4soccer7
            last edited by

            The WAN of the Pfsense box is connected to the LAN of the DDWRT through the wireless bridge. The IP that is assigned to the WAN on the pfSense box is 192.168.1.112

            I believe DDWRT will run RIP

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            • chpalmerC
              chpalmer
              last edited by

              Ah-  Had to read that about 4 times before I got it.

              WAN firewall rules?  Whatcha got?  Im looking for the rule that would allow the 192.168.1.x subnet access through the pfSense box to its LAN..

              Triggering snowflakes one by one..
              Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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              • chpalmerC
                chpalmer
                last edited by

                DDWRT box-  Same thing.  There is nothing that would flow to or though that box if your pfSense WAN was on its LAN. (except the built in switch of coarse)

                Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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                • M
                  marvosa
                  last edited by

                  If you take a step back, look at the design, and forget the fact that LAN2's WAN is in a reserved IP space, it becomes clear.  It's not working because you are essentially trying to access 192.168.5.0/24 over the internet, which you are not going to be able to do without a port forward and firewall entry.  You can remove your current static route on PFsense as reserved IP's are not routable over the internet, so that traffic will never egress a WAN interface.  You will also need to uncheck the "Block private networks and loopback addresses" option on your WAN interface @ LAN 2.

                  As currently connected, you have two options:

                  • Create port forwards for everything you want to connect to on LAN 2

                  • Create a site-to-site tunnel between the two sites

                  You have a design issue that needs to be addressed.  If you're connecting two sites via a direct connection, you want to connect the sites via LAN interfaces (not WAN).  So, if you were going to keep both edge devices where they are, I would:

                  • Add a 3rd NIC to PFsense on LAN 2 and assign it a static IP in the 192.168.1.1/24 range (e.g. 192.168.1.254)

                  • @ LAN 2, patch your wireless bridge to the 3rd NIC

                  • @ LAN 2, add an any/any rule to the 3rd NIC interface

                  • @ LAN 1, add an any/any rule to the LAN interface (you can refine it later if needed)

                  • @ LAN 1, add a static route to 192.168.5.0/24 with a gateway of 192.168.1.254

                  • @ LAN 2, PFsense already knows how to get to 192.168.1.0/24 because of the locally connected interface, so no static route needed here

                  • And you're done.

                  A design consideration, if you're keeping that DDWRT router, considering LAN 2 is routed thru LAN 1, ideally you want your firewall at the head end, so I would swap the edge devices.  Otherwise, replace that DDWRT router with PFsense, so both edge devices are PFsense.

                  Another option would be to extend LAN 1's network over to LAN 2's location by simply plugging the wireless bridge into the switch @ LAN 2 and remove the edge device altogether.  If you go this route, the same design consideration applies, I would stick PFsense at the head end.

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                  • L
                    Live4soccer7
                    last edited by

                    Yes, the pfSense WAN is connected to the LAN of the DDWRT

                    For quick reference
                    –---------------------
                    DDWRT has LAN IP of: 192.168.1.1
                    DDWRT has WAN assigned by ISP
                    pfSense Box has WAN IP of 192.168.1.112
                    pfSense Box has LAN IP of 192.168.5.1

                    WAN Firewall Rule on pfSense box:
                    Action: Pass
                    Interface: WAN
                    TCP/IP: IPv4
                    Protocol: TCP
                    Source: Set to Network - 192.168.1.0 /24
                    Destination: Set to Network - 192.168.5.0 /24
                    Destination Port: ANY

                    Let me know what else to check. I'm completely stumped. I can get in to the pfsense config/admin from the 192.168.1.0 subnet, but can not access anything else behind the pfsense box.

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                    • L
                      Live4soccer7
                      last edited by

                      I'd like to keep an edge router/gateway at each location to keep each network working independently if the wireless bridge fails. This way the networks can function by themselves with the exception of connectivity to the internet. Almost everything important is on LAN2 (pfsense side) and that is where work is done 99% of the time. I don't mind creating a firewall rule for the individual items in LAN1 that I want to have access to LAN2, that would be ok. The question here is would that use internet to create that connection or would it still function without internet connection? I'd like the networks to be able to talk if the internet is down or turned off.

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                      • J
                        jamesonp
                        last edited by

                        This way the networks can function by themselves with the exception of connectivity to the internet.

                        What do you mean by this?  Because hypothetically if you statically addressed everything on that remote site, your network would still function with just a switch and no router.  With your current setup, what does the router add in an outage?  DHCP?  Local DNS resolution?

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                        • M
                          marvosa
                          last edited by

                          I don't mind creating a firewall rule for the individual items in LAN1 that I want to have access to LAN2, that would be ok. The question here is would that use internet to create that connection or would it still function without internet connection? I'd like the networks to be able to talk if the internet is down or turned off.

                          The two sites are connected via wireless bridges, so the internet is not involved in any communication between the two sites.

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                          • L
                            Live4soccer7
                            last edited by

                            It adds DHCP.

                            Example. LAN1 –---------wifi Bridge --------------LAN2--devices on lan 2

                            If the wifi bridge goes down or there is an issue on the LAN1 hardware/software AND there is no DHCP on LAN2 then the entire LAN2 network will not function at all. I'd like to keep LAN2 function (except internet) regardless of what happens in LAN1.

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                            • L
                              Live4soccer7
                              last edited by

                              A couple things. If I were to go with the route of connecting the two networks via LAN to LAN, could I simply reassign the WAN NIC to a LAN and not have a WAN port on the pfSense Machine and do what you have described?

                              For now, I'd like to properly setup a port forward in pfSense to allow an IP from LAN1 to access LAN2. The IP I'd like to give access is 192.168.1.115. pfSense port forward options under firewall-nat-port forward

                              Interface: WAN
                              Protocol: TCP
                              Source: What type of source? Wan IP, LanIP, Network etc…?
                              Source Port Range: ANY
                              Destination: LAN net: 192.168.5.0 /24 I think this is right, but let me know
                              Destination Port Range: Type/Number???
                              Redirect Target IP: ?
                              Redirect Target Port: ?

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                              • M
                                marvosa
                                last edited by

                                If I were to go with the route of connecting the two networks via LAN to LAN, could I simply reassign the WAN NIC to a LAN and not have a WAN port on the pfSense Machine and do what you have described?

                                Good question, I suppose if you remove the gateway from the "WAN" interface and just rename it… it would then become a LAN interface... sure.

                                For now, I'd like to properly setup a port forward in pfSense to allow an IP from LAN1 to access LAN2. The IP I'd like to give access is 192.168.1.115. pfSense port forward options under firewall-nat-port forward

                                Interface: WAN
                                Protocol: TCP
                                Source: What type of source? Wan IP, LanIP, Network etc…?
                                Source Port Range: ANY
                                Destination: LAN net: 192.168.5.0 /24 I think this is right, but let me know
                                Destination Port Range: Type/Number???
                                Redirect Target IP: ?
                                Redirect Target Port: ?

                                Port forwards are for redirecting external traffic to a specific internal resource on specific ports, so that's not going to work.  For example, if you wanted to only allow 192.168.1.115 access to a web server on 192.168.5.100, you would enter this:

                                Interface: WAN
                                Protocol: TCP
                                Source: "Single host or alias" "192.168.1.115/32"
                                Source Port Range: ANY
                                Destination: "WAN address"
                                Destination Port Range: 80
                                Redirect Target IP: 192.168.5.100
                                Redirect Target Port: 80

                                If you want to allow anyone to the web server, you would change your source back to "any"

                                Then, @ LAN 1, to access the web server @ LAN 2, you would enter the WAN address of LAN 2 in your browser…i.e. http://192.168.1.112 and the traffic will be redirected to 192.168.5.100 on port 80.

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                                • L
                                  Live4soccer7
                                  last edited by

                                  So the port forward doesn't really seem like the best way to go about it then.

                                  I'm not really familiar with the site-site tunnel at all or IPSEC.

                                  Seems like trying to change the WAN on the pfsense box to a LAN connection and attempt the following:

                                  You have a design issue that needs to be addressed.  If you're connecting two sites via a direct connection, you want to connect the sites via LAN interfaces (not WAN).  So, if you were going to keep both edge devices where they are, I would:
                                  Add a 3rd NIC to PFsense on LAN 2 and assign it a static IP in the 192.168.1.1/24 range (e.g. 192.168.1.254)
                                  @ LAN 2, patch your wireless bridge to the 3rd NIC
                                  @ LAN 2, add an any/any rule to the 3rd NIC interface
                                  @ LAN 1, add an any/any rule to the LAN interface (you can refine it later if needed)
                                  @ LAN 1, add a static route to 192.168.5.0/24 with a gateway of 192.168.1.254
                                  @ LAN 2, PFsense already knows how to get to 192.168.1.0/24 because of the locally connected interface, so no static route needed here
                                  And you're done.

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                                  • L
                                    Live4soccer7
                                    last edited by

                                    Good question, I suppose if you remove the gateway from the "WAN" interface and just rename it… it would then become a LAN interface... sure.

                                    I'm not seeing where I can remove the gateway on the WAN interface.

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                                    • M
                                      marvosa
                                      last edited by

                                      So the port forward doesn't really seem like the best way to go about it then.

                                      Correct.  Because you have to create a port forward for every different connection you want to make

                                      I'm not really familiar with the site-site tunnel at all or IPSEC.

                                      I would actually use OpenVPN here, the setup is easier, but either way, there's no reason to add the encryption overhead if it isn't necessary.

                                      Seems like trying to change the WAN on the pfsense box to a LAN connection and attempt the following:

                                      From a design perspective, this is your best option, yes.  In an ideal world, you would configure a separate interface on DDWRT and create an isolated transit network, but that's another conversation and I'm not familiar with creating and assigning interfaces on DDWRT.

                                      I'm not seeing where I can remove the gateway on the WAN interface.

                                      In the "General Configuration" section, Change the IPv4 Configuration Type to "static" and then in the "Static IPv4 Configuration" section, leave the IPv4 Upstream gateway option as "None"

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                                      • L
                                        Live4soccer7
                                        last edited by

                                        Thanks, reading over your post now. Someone posted up a picture of a hand written setup. I was looking over that when I refreshed and it was taken down.

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                                        • M
                                          marvosa
                                          last edited by

                                          @Live4soccer7:

                                          Thanks, reading over your post now. Someone posted up a picture of a hand written setup. I was looking over that when I refreshed and it was taken down.

                                          Yes, he had the right idea about creating a transit network on separate interfaces on both sides, but some of the networking was incorrect and it wouldn't have worked.

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                                          • L
                                            Live4soccer7
                                            last edited by

                                            @ LAN 2, add an any/any rule to the 3rd NIC interface

                                            For this, you are referring to the firewall rules, correct? If I named newly resigned WAN to NIC3 since that's what you were referring to adding and to lessen confusion between the LANS then would the rule be like this:

                                            This rule is being created ON LAN2 (pfsense)

                                            Interface: NIC3
                                            TCP/IP: IPv4
                                            Protocol: TCP
                                            Source: any
                                            Destination: any
                                            Destination Port Range: Leave blank or?

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