Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Guest Wi-Fi using on-board adapter

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Wireless
    16 Posts 6 Posters 1.7k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • DerelictD
      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
      last edited by

      I'm just wondering why you give them money then post here looking for free support.

      You will find that I am fairly opposed to trying to use the wifi stack in FreeBSD/pfSense and that you should just use an external access point like everyone else.

      If you want to use an internal wifi adapter, ask Protectli for assistance.

      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)

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • RyanMR
        RyanM
        last edited by

        Derelict, you could say the same thing in a much nicer (less rude) way. pfSense is open source software, and it is very common for open source software to have a community where users can post questions and get them answered, often by other users.

        I do not believe the problem is with the hardware, but rather a configuration issue in pfSense itself. Which is why I came to this community for assistance rather than contacting the vendor.

        I would rather not mess with an external access point & a managed switch with a VLAN. At the time it felt like a simpler and more cost effective solution to just use an on-board wireless adapter.

        @Derelict:

        I'm just wondering why you give them money then post here looking for free support.

        You will find that I am fairly opposed to trying to use the wifi stack in FreeBSD/pfSense and that you should just use an external access point like everyone else.

        If you want to use an internal wifi adapter, ask Protectli for assistance.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • DerelictD
          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
          last edited by

          You got the best answer available.

          Stop trying to use an in-built wireless card and put a real access point out there.

          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)

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • G
            gjaltemba
            last edited by

            Have you tried replacing WLAN address with WLAN net for your firewall rules?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • B
              biggsy
              last edited by

              Beat me to it  :)

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • G
                gjaltemba
                last edited by

                @biggsy
                haha Sorry. Did not mean to steal your thunder.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • RyanMR
                  RyanM
                  last edited by

                  For anyone that runs into this problem in the future, I found the issue. I needed to setup my Outbound NAT. Once I did that and added a firewall rule to block traffic to "LAN net" I had what I wanted. Connections to the WLAN can access the internet (the Outbound NAT fixed this) and could not access my local network (firewall rule to block "LAN net" fixed this).

                  This was not a hardware problem, and really wasn't a Wireless issue. I was able to find the troubleshooting guide below once I viewed my WLAN as LAN since it is just another interface/NIC on my pfSense device.

                  This guide was extremely helpful: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Connectivity_Troubleshooting

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by

                    "I needed to setup my Outbound NAT."

                    You would only have to do that if you had changed the outbound nat from automatic.  Any time you give pfsense an address on an interface, be it a physical interface (wired or wireless) or a vlan.. It would auto create the outbound nat rule for you.

                    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

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • RyanMR
                      RyanM
                      last edited by

                      @johnpoz:

                      "I needed to setup my Outbound NAT."

                      You would only have to do that if you had changed the outbound nat from automatic.  Any time you give pfsense an address on an interface, be it a physical interface (wired or wireless) or a vlan.. It would auto create the outbound nat rule for you.

                      I think I had done that as part of setting up OpenVPN. I don't recall if it was for configuring my client or server instance of OpenVPN. I don't know if this is/was required, but it was in the guide I found and followed.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • dotdashD
                        dotdash
                        last edited by

                        @Derelict:

                        I'm just wondering why you give them money then post here looking for free support.

                        You will find that I am fairly opposed to trying to use the wifi stack in FreeBSD/pfSense and that you should just use an external access point like everyone else.

                        If you want to use an internal wifi adapter, ask Protectli for assistance.

                        With all due respect, I think that reply is beneath you.
                        You could have not replied, or stuck with the fact that an external AP is best practice. If someone has an APU, do they need to contact PC Engines? Are they also not welcome to get support from fellow users on a public forum? This is an open forum and users should be allowed to ask questions of the community whether they loaded pfSense on an ADI, an APU, and old Dell server, an HP thin client, or a Chinese mini pc.
                        You are a mod and one of the most respected and helpful members of this forum. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but you sounded like you didn't want to help the user just because you disapproved of his hardware choice.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • DerelictD
                          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                          last edited by

                          Yeah. You're probably right.

                          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)

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • johnpozJ
                            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                            last edited by

                            No he is not right..

                            Derelict you are the most honest and upfront mod here…

                            If anything you were more than extra polite... Yes community support is free, which means you might not always be doing flips over what you get ;)

                            dotdash seems to be confusing that Derelict gets some bucks from pfsense/netgate for being here, and that he is also part of this community.  So has as much right to his opinion as anyone else..  If he doesn't suggest/support wifi on pfsense, that is his opinion - if he suggest you call the company you bought your hardware from for support vs ask on a public that is his right as a human being..

                            Be it by the community or the staff...  Its been a known fact since pfsense came out - been here since the start myself that wifi on it sucked... Its not pfsense fault.. Freebsd wifi support has always been crap... Pfsense did the best they could to support it in their product..

                            You can tell from the store where you can buy pfsense/netgate hardware that they recommend you handle your wifi outside of pfsense..  I personally think ever even suggesting to even attempt to run wifi out of the pfsense box as AP was a mistake..  And ever even offering the option to buy wifi cards to put in the box was just promoting the mistake.. They should of discouraged use of wifi cards in pfsense as AP from day 1.. With bold blinking RED/Gold letters ;)  It as a wan connection would be different - bu that is a whole different ball game and use case.

                            Sorry dotdash.. But to be honest you just suggested the OP contact the maker here
                            https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=140147.0

                            With what the OP posted you have ZERO info to go off of.. Doesn't point to hardware, doesn't point to software.. Your guess to what the problem is "brick" - But you call out a guess and tell him to call the hardware maker.. Why should derelict not get same freedom?

                            I think your other post was pretty rude to be honest and very offended that you suggest the poster on a free community forum should have to call the maker of said hardware for help vs dropping to a knee to help him.. I mean really...

                            How is that any different than what Derlict did??

                            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

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • dotdashD
                              dotdash
                              last edited by

                              This is getting a bit overblown. Especially as, while we don't always agree 100%, I think you (johnpoz), and Derelict are two of the most helpful people on the board. Yes, I suggested a user contact the reseller- for a hardware issue.
                              The point I was trying to make, is that a wireless board exists, where people can presumably ask questions about using wireless cards in the actual firewall. Telling them it is not best practice is fine. What I thought was out of line was (and perhaps I was reading too much into it) that a new user was being told that he was not deserving of help because he bought some hardware that a mod did not approve of. I have lots of 'official' hardware, and have in the past told people that they should get some decent hardware (like an adi) when they were running on flaky garbage. The OP had a configuration question. I don't like the implication that if you don't have approved hardware, you are not welcome to ask questions. I don't think Derelict meant that, but his response was not in his usual character. How about I buy the fist round of  Old Man Grumpy Ale http://www.gooseisland.com/our-beers/old-man-grumpy and we can all get back to normally scheduled programming?

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • First post
                                Last post
                              Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.