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    Client Isolation by Default

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • JKnottJ
      JKnott @ProfessorManhattan
      last edited by

      @ProfessorManhattan

      There is nothing pfSense can do to keep them from accessing others on the same VLAN. Some switches can do it though.

      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...

      P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • P
        ProfessorManhattan @JKnott
        last edited by

        @JKnott Thanks! What kind of switch should I get to do this? Is there a particular feature I need to look for?

        johnpozJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • GertjanG
          Gertjan
          last edited by

          Most AP's (thus Wifi switches) offer that possibility : wifi clients can connect to the gateway, and nobody else. The AP enforces it.
          Manageable switches can do the same thing.

          pfSense can't help you here.

          Even Microsoft Windows has this possibility build in for very long now :
          It's exactly that what is been asked when you connect to a new network (cable or Wifi) :
          Is it Private and trusted ?
          Or Public ?

          If Public is chosen, your Windows device will only communicate with the gateway, blocking everybody on the LAN segment out.
          Public is of course the way to go when you connect to a public - non trusted Wifi network. Your isolated !
          If that (Wifi) network is trusted you should have a talk with the device owner : you're trusting him right ? And he brings in nasty ware ?

          No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
          Edit : and where are the logs ??

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          • johnpozJ
            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @ProfessorManhattan
            last edited by

            @ProfessorManhattan said in Client Isolation by Default:

            Is there a particular feature I need to look for?

            What a switch maker might call it might vary, but this is commonly called a private vlan.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_VLAN

            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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            • noplanN
              noplan
              last edited by

              We v done it here a kind of complex way for a workbench

              8 port vlan switch
              Used 7 ports 7 vlans 7 dhcps and on and on all on pfS working

              PS
              Firewall rules included :)

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

                Yeah that is hard way to do it ;) hehehe Doesn't scale very well.. What if you have say 500 devices...

                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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                • JKnottJ
                  JKnott @noplan
                  last edited by

                  @noplan

                  Doesn't your switch do that? My Cisco switch certainly does and, IIRC, even my crappy TP-Link switch does too.

                  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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                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by

                    Yeah my switches do it - not sure about the 40$ ones though.. Your saying the $40 tplink that don't really do vlans correctly and don't allow you remove vlan 1 in old versions support private vlans?

                    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

                    JKnottJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • JKnottJ
                      JKnott @johnpoz
                      last edited by JKnott

                      @johnpoz

                      Hang on a minute while I check.
                      .
                      .
                      .
                      Sorry, I didn't remember correctly. I must have been thinking of my crappy TP-Link AP, which does have that. It also doesn't do VLANs correctly.

                      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...

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

                        Yeah many a AP can do client isolation keeping wireless devices from talking to each other.. Even the crappiest of 20$ wifi router support this feature quite often ;)

                        But wired switches, I think they need to be more of a full managed switch.. Doesn't it mean it has to be $1k enterprise.. My 200$ small business sg300's can do it for example.

                        The work around for when you have a handful of devices sure is viable even on a $40 smart switch... That works if you have only a handful of devices.. But what if you had 100 ;) hehehehe

                        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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                        • noplanN
                          noplan
                          last edited by

                          Vlan hoppin and tp link
                          And yes the hard way when you do not trust your cheap switch

                          JKnottJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • JKnottJ
                            JKnott @noplan
                            last edited by

                            @noplan

                            I don't use that TP-Link switch for VLANs. I've configured it to use as a data tap, so I can monitor Ethernet connections with Wireshark. It works fine there.

                            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...

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • noplanN
                              noplan
                              last edited by

                              any suggestions for a cheap switch that can do client isolation out of the box ?
                              ;) brNP

                              A 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • A
                                akuma1x @noplan
                                last edited by

                                @noplan said in Client Isolation by Default:

                                any suggestions for a cheap switch that can do client isolation out of the box ?
                                ;) brNP

                                D-Link has a cheap ($35 USD) managed switch, the DGS-1100-05. I quickly looked at the overview, but, like @johnpoz says, a manufacturer could call it something completely different. I didn't see the words "client isolation" specifically. You might have to chat or call them to ask.

                                You could, and I'm not saying it's a good idea, but you could, with that switch, setup VLANs to do some basic isolation.

                                Jeff

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                                • noplanN
                                  noplan
                                  last edited by

                                  Yeah I feel ya

                                  That's exactly why we used the hard not well scalable approach for a 8 port switch ;)

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

                                    @noplan
                                    So dlink calls it Asymmetric VLANs

                                    Its the same thing - so yeah your good with a switch like that..

                                    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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                                    • noplanN
                                      noplan
                                      last edited by

                                      Hey thanks for the hint
                                      We got here some dgs-1100-08 hanging around in their dusty boxes :)

                                      Let's go testin!!!

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