Wireless USB nic recommendations please
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I have a ESXi machine with pfsense running, and need to use a wifi usb nic. Are there any that are supported in pfsense since its BSD?
All I could find listed were MiniPCI or cardbus. I am using this for the WAN link, and have no way to use CAT5 like it should, I don't want to use an AP either. I don't need high performance, i just need basic connectivity. -
Yes. I have personally used those based on a slightly older Ralink chipset but that didn't work in client mode. Some Realtek devices work I believe. There is a list here:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AojFUXcbH0ROdHgwYkFHbkRUdV9hVWljVWl5SXkxbFE&hl=en
Check the forum for specific reports though.Steve
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Sorry for my snafu, I guess I misread the question :-[ My comment below is for a USB/Ethernet adapter. For WiFi, I use Powerlink Janus II which uses the RALINK RT3072 chipset fully supported by FreeBSD since version 8 I believe. (Search for Premiertek PT-H10DN-1W for its latest reincarnation) :)
Greetings,
I have been using "Ugreen 20241" that I bought from Newegg for $9 shipping included (shipped from China, search for Ugreen 20241 on Newegg website).
It's a well built, sturdy looking adapter which works well with pfSense 2.1 if used on the LAN side with a static IP. On the WAN side, with DHCP it also works but once or twice a day it loses the IP address (entirely local issue to pfSense or to FreeBSD as it happens on different motherboards with different ISPs and Cable/DSL modems as long as pfSense/FreeBSD is used).
This is my 3rd USB/Ethernet adapter (the other ones: Linksys EtherFast 10/100 USB1.1 -old- and VK-QF9700 not recognized by BSD) and thus far each and every one of them had problems with pfSense (various versions, have been trying this thing for almost two years now in different configurations) on the WAN side with DHCP.
Hope this helps.
HK -
Thanks, I got the usb wifi device you mentioned, using rt3072. Has it actually worked for you?
I tested it on windows and linux with no problem at all, but with pfsense 2.1.5 it just keeps disconnecting from the AP and never works, I see it flapping from UP/DOWN states constantly. I've tried with with several different SSID's I have access to, and always the same problem.
dmesg | grep run
run0: <1.0> on usbus2
run0: MAC/BBP RT3071 (rev 0x021C), RF RT3022 (MIMO 2T2R), address 00:0d:b0:00:41:45
run0: firmware RT3071 loaded
wlan0: changing name to 'run0_wlan0'
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN
run0_wlan0: link state changed to UP
run0_wlan0: link state changed to DOWN -
Unfortunately that looks like the exact behaviour I found using a similar age Ralink device. It ran fine as an access point but just flapped in client mode. :(
Here's the thread where we discussed this:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=56860.0
You'll see it is possible to connect to an AP but only with manual intervention, not viable long term.
The OP in that thread eventually just used an RT2870 based stick.Steve
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ah ha, so it doesn't work then. Using it for the WAN is why I need it for client mode.
SOLUTION:
was to use pfsense 2.2 BETA, it works like a charm with this ralink 3072, and was detected automatically.
Thanks for the help though,
