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    "Poor man" home network first try

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      Technically the 2640u can do it, the hardware is capable but I'd be amazed if they brought out the settings for configuring the switch in the default firmware.
      It might pass the tagged VLAN packets through the switch but that would then require the 2750 to be able to use a VLAN which that too probably cannot.

      Steve

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      • A
        Aoikite
        last edited by

        @aoikite said in "Poor man" home network first try:

        @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

        Yes. The on-board switch in the 2640U is VLAN aware so will either just not pass the VLAN coming from pfSense or, worse, will strip the tags.

        I would suggest you might be able to use an alternative firmware on that device to allow control of the switch and pass the VLAN correctly:
        https://openwrt.org/toh/d-link/dsl-2640u

        However it looks like that would remove the ADSL support and I imagine you are using that. But you could potentially use that as a managed switch/access point if you have some other device to use as a modem.

        Steve

        thank you so much for your answer Steve.
        There is a setting under the "internet setup" where i can choose between pppoe and bridge mode that has a connection with Vlan, so i thought maybe "just maybe" i can use the 2640u as a modem bridge AND a smart switch because it has some setting related to the ports that it is why i'm experimenting with this setup that i have in the picture.

        0_1540662278195_vlan.jpg
        And yes, i need to use the modem part because our internet provider does not gives us internet through RJ45 or cable through RJ-11 phone line so.

        I did look into the custom firmware but unfortunately both my modem routers are not supported (there are different versions of the same router)

        If it can't be done this way i may look into usb-to-ethernet adapter, that way i guess it would be easier to use the 2750u AFTER pfsense no ?

        @johnpoz said in "Poor man" home network first try:

        You can not do vlans like that without a smart switch..

        yes that's whay the person of the video commented when i asked, but i was looking into maybe using one of the modem/routers (preferable the 2640 as modem since it had some issue with wifi)

        @johnpoz said in "Poor man" home network first try:

        Or just get a vlan capable switch to put between.. They are not expensive..

        for 140€ per month to live off, that can be expensive lol, but yes that's what i'm surely gonna do in the future for the final installation

        I'm sorry if i sound like an ignorant on the subject because i AM new to this kind of networking setup , and yes i'm not looking for miracles ^^"

        both the 2640u and the 2750u have that Vlan thingy that i showed you on the bicture, i'll try setting it up and see if somehow i can make it work one way or another.

        If you don't mind explaining to me one thing tho it's gonna be the "vlan" network that's gonna pass the internet to the rest of the network right ? that is if the 2640u does not disable all the rest of the evernet ports when in bridge mode hopefully

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          That setting is for the PPPoE connection only. Many DSL providers require traffic is tagged.

          It looks like that is on a separate port on the 2640, eth0. The switch is on eth1 and in standard for will be unconfigured so it might pass VLAN tagged traffic. But you would still need an access point that can use a VLAN directly. I doubt the 2750 can do that with it's default firmware.

          Steve

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          • A
            Aoikite @stephenw10
            last edited by

            @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

            That setting is for the PPPoE connection only. Many DSL providers require traffic is tagged.

            It looks like that is on a separate port on the 2640, eth0. The switch is on eth1 and in standard for will be unconfigured so it might pass VLAN tagged traffic. But you would still need an access point that can use a VLAN directly. I doubt the 2750 can do that with it's default firmware.

            Steve

            alright, thank you very much for the patience and the answers with me, i'll give feedback after exêrimùenting with it ^^

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            • A
              Aoikite
              last edited by

              Ok so after some fiddling around i decided to swap it a little around so thatit's only one modem router , the 2750 with all the devices connected to it

              i disabled its DHCP and did set it on adress 192.168.1.9 while pfsense is still on 192.168.1.1, tried connecting a laptop with ethernet, and a phone with the wifi, and they both got assigned an IP adress by Pfsense, so that's a step forward for my project.

              Also i did setup the same modem as "bridge" for my internet access over the phone line, so i need Pfsense now to dial.

              The question i have is, will this "bridging mode" work with my type of ISP way of giving us internet access (over phone line connected to the RJ11 on the modem) ? all the informations i find on the net are for people who gets a direct ethernet cable from their ISP.

              and if it does work, can Pfsense establish the internet connection and the redistribute it to the rest of the connected devices ? since it is the the one DHCP that devices connects to THROUGH the modem/router which is acting as an access point so far. if yes, a guide to help me set that up (where to put the vpi//vci and username/password for it to establish the internet connection).

              P.S: i can access both PFsense and the 2750 web interface through their respective IP adresses, but PFsense does not show the modem on its DHCP leases tab, whether i set it to 10 or 9, and the phone and laptop were assigned 100 and 101 in the leases tab.

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              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                Yes, the bridge mode should work. You can pass through the PPPoE connection from the DSL.

                The modem should not show on the DHCP leases tab unless it's actually using DHCP which is unlikely. I imagine you set it statically. It will show in Diag > ARP though if pfSense has connected to it recently.

                This is an interesting setup if it works. With the PPPoE session passed to pfSense it will have the public IP as it is terminating PPPoE. It will be using the same interface to talk to LAN clients.
                The modem should not have any upstream connectivity since it does not have a public IP itself.

                Steve

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                • johnpozJ
                  johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                  last edited by

                  Interesting is not the term I would use ;) your running your internet and local traffic over the same layer 2.. Doesn't matter that the internet is in a PPPoE or not..

                  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

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Mmm, security wise it's poor.

                    Interesting in a 'can it work at all' sort of way though.. to me at least. 😉

                    Steve

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                    • johnpozJ
                      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                      last edited by johnpoz

                      @aoikite said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                      And lastly i'm a total newbie in this kind of networks

                      So from such a statement why are we discussing BAD PRACTICE.. that no sane network person would ever do with someone that is new to the game.. Talk about instilling bad practice..

                      Yeah you can run multiple layer 3 over the same layer 2 - doesn't mean you SHOULD.. Especially when that layer 2 is the public side, etc..

                      Get yourself a vlan capable switch so you can correctly isolate your different networks. Even discussing how best to put together something with chewing gum and sticks that "works" is wasting everyone's time.. This isn't a topic about how can I get this to work since the network is DOWN and I need it UP with these shitty parts since the correct parts will be here tmrw, etc..

                      Sorry but I don't buy the "poor" excuse.. There is no excuse for doing something in a non secure ______ rigged fashion.. Use your network with the device your isp gave you until such time as you can correctly put in a different router/firewall that doesn't compromise security and isolate layer 2 traffic.

                      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

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                      • A
                        Aoikite @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                        Yes, the bridge mode should work. You can pass through the PPPoE connection from the DSL.

                        The modem should not show on the DHCP leases tab unless it's actually using DHCP which is unlikely. I imagine you set it statically. It will show in Diag > ARP though if pfSense has connected to it recently.

                        This is an interesting setup if it works. With the PPPoE session passed to pfSense it will have the public IP as it is terminating PPPoE. It will be using the same interface to talk to LAN clients.
                        The modem should not have any upstream connectivity since it does not have a public IP itself.

                        Steve

                        thank you for your answers, i'll keep experimenting and see how it goes .

                        @johnpoz said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                        @aoikite said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                        And lastly i'm a total newbie in this kind of networks

                        So from such a statement why are we discussing BAD PRACTICE.. that no sane network person would ever do with someone that is new to the game.. Talk about instilling bad practice..

                        Yeah you can run multiple layer 3 over the same layer 2 - doesn't mean you SHOULD.. Especially when that layer 2 is the public side, etc..

                        Get yourself a vlan capable switch so you can correctly isolate your different networks. Even discussing how best to put together something with chewing gum and sticks that "works" is wasting everyone's time.. This isn't a topic about how can I get this to work since the network is DOWN and I need it UP with these shitty parts since the correct parts will be here tmrw, etc..

                        Sorry but I don't buy the "poor" excuse.. There is no excuse for doing something in a non secure ______ rigged fashion.. Use your network with the device your isp gave you until such time as you can correctly put in a different router/firewall that doesn't compromise security and isolate layer 2 traffic.

                        I'm sorry if i sound like a stupid person but all the terms you have used, as in layer 2 and layer 3 network are completely stranger to me, and i came here because i'm a person who "learn by breaking stuff and practicing", this is in no way an "optimal setup nor an "oh snap 0$ build you can do at home" kind of project, just a learning experimenting project, and the "poor excuse" is not there an excuse to not buy new hardware at all, new hardware will be used in the future project in 2-3 months when i'll wanna install afully functional network.

                        Maybe i failed to express that this is just a test subject, and not a permanent solution for a network at home, i'm sorry about that too.

                        Networking was never my forte in the IT side of things so i came here with the mindset of learning by doing, and if i'm doing something wrong, i would be told that is wrong in the way i'm doing it, learn from it keep on improving.

                        I did state in my first post that this is just a prototype and theorical project, done with the "junk" i have to see if it can be done, fiddling , reconfiguring and ultimately maybe killing everything is part of the fun fror it as i am learning how to do this in its good and bad sides.

                        I know that for a network advanced used like you, all of this seems like a waste of time, and getting the smart router and doing the Vlan thingy and call it a day would be time saving for everyone, but i would have learned zero things and for future installs, i would be in the same state of wondering how does it work, and why it is not working.

                        And in the end sorry if my post seems like a complete waste of time, i joined the community here as a person who wants to learn that's all.

                        JKnottJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          This setup (if it works) is bad because your WAN and LAN traffic are traveling over the same connection and there is no separation between them such as VLANs which would create 2 layer 2 segments.
                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

                          That said it could be worse, at least one connection is PPPoE.

                          If this is just for your own use/experimentation then just be aware of that issue.

                          Steve

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                            Aoikite @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                            This setup (if it works) is bad because your WAN and LAN traffic are traveling over the same connection and there is no separation between them such as VLANs which would create 2 layer 2 segments.
                            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

                            That said it could be worse, at least one connection is PPPoE.

                            If this is just for your own use/experimentation then just be aware of that issue.

                            Steve

                            thanks for the article.

                            This is just a prototype for experimentation, i live in an appartment so it does not really need a network, i just felt like experimenting with what i have to get accustomed to the different things in it and what can be done with it, this is in no way a "red alert" critical thing, but a hobby instead.

                            i'm doing this to learn the basics and function of pfsense and networking in general since i'm planning to create a full fledged network in the new house for different devices with 2+ nics instead to not use this vlan but it's not the time to talk about hardware really now since it's too early ^^

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              Well break stuff and fix it. 😉

                              Just be aware that what you're doing is not normal or recommended in a anyway. You will see things that you would not expect to in a correct network setup.

                              Steve

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                              • A
                                Aoikite @stephenw10
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                                Well break stuff and fix it. 😉

                                Just be aware that what you're doing is not normal or recommended in a anyway. You will see things that you would not expect to in a correct network setup.

                                Steve

                                since you both said that going through the same ethernet port is a bad idea, i started exploring other solutions.

                                i'm exploring the idea of using the built-in wifi to act as either the lan or the wan part of this network but i doubt this will be functional in any way possible, i'm googling if it is possible in the first place lol.

                                The other option is somehow getting a second ethernet on this laptop (express34 or usb should suffice)

                                Any of these methods would fix the security problems right ?

                                P.S: the future setup will obligatory have a switch and access point to not overcomplicate stuff and for easy management i guess.

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                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                  last edited by

                                  Yes, any of those options would separate the WAN and LAN of different layer 2 segments.

                                  Wifi support in FreeBSD and hence pfSense is not great. But it may be possible if that is an older device.
                                  What wifi hardware do you have the laptop exactly?

                                  Try running pciconf -lv to see the exact pci vedot and device ID.

                                  Steve

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                                  • A
                                    Aoikite
                                    last edited by

                                    @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                                    Yes, any of those options would separate the WAN and LAN of different layer 2 segments.

                                    Wifi support in FreeBSD and hence pfSense is not great. But it may be possible if that is an older device.
                                    What wifi hardware do you have the laptop exactly?

                                    Try running pciconf -lv to see the exact pci vedot and device ID.

                                    Steve

                                    in the wireless interface, Pfsense detects it as a Ralink RT3090 and gives the following informations on the command shell :
                                    ral0@pci0:5:0:0: class=0x020000 card 0x68911462 chip=0x30901814 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00 rt3090

                                    RT3090 RT3090 wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe

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                                    • stephenw10S
                                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                      last edited by

                                      That will probably work, and it supports hostap mode (running as an access point).

                                      Don't expect very good performance! But for testing it should be OK.

                                      Steve

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                                      • A
                                        Aoikite @stephenw10
                                        last edited by

                                        This post is deleted!
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                                        • A
                                          Aoikite
                                          last edited by

                                          @stephenw10 said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                                          That will probably work, and it supports hostap mode (running as an access point).

                                          Don't expect very good performance! But for testing it should be OK.

                                          Steve

                                          ok good, i'll go look around how to set everything up ^^

                                          And for a 4/1 or a 8/1 internet speed, no matter what i'll throw as minimum equipments it'll be overkill for it that's for sure

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                                          • JKnottJ
                                            JKnott @Aoikite
                                            last edited by

                                            @aoikite said in "Poor man" home network first try:

                                            I'm sorry if i sound like a stupid person but all the terms you have used, as in layer 2 and layer 3 network are completely stranger to me,

                                            If you don't know the difference between the two, you're going to have difficulty understanding what you're doing. Perhaps you need a basic course in networking. Layer 2 refers to Ethernet these days, and layer 3 is IPv4 and IPv6. Layer 2 refers only to how the frames move between adjacent devices networks and layer 3 is about how packets move between networks.

                                            It might pass the tagged VLAN packets through the switch

                                            Why do so many people think unmanaged switches will have problems passing VLAN frames? The only difference between a VLAN tagged frame and any other Ethernet frame is the contents of the Ethertype field, along with 4 more bytes. A switch should pass all valid Ethernet frames, no matter what the Ethertype is, though some ancient gear may choke on frames with more than 1500 byte payload. If you ever run into that problem, just reduce the MTU by 4 bytes to work around it.

                                            However, configure VLANs and separate them, you need a managed switch.

                                            PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                                            i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                                            UniFi AC-Lite access point

                                            I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

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