Unifi controller on pfsense?

JKnott

@bingo600 said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

A small VM works fine

I had considered that, but it appears I'll soon have it running native on opensuse.

Still, it would be nice if it could run on pfsense.

bingo600

@JKnott said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

Still, it would be nice if it could run on pfsense.

Not on my Box ....
A wifi controller has nothing to do on my Fwall , would IMHO just be adding more attack vectors.

/Bingo

plfinch

@JKnott said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

@plfinch

You can't. You need the controller, unless I'm missing something.

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047417733-UniFi-Setting-up-a-UniFi-Access-Point-in-Standalone-Mode

Peter

johnpoz

I have been running the controller on linux for years.. Just use debian or ubuntu - these are the sported OSes.. Any other distro is DIY..

Its as simple as installing the package..

If you don't want to run debian or ubuntu - then just run it as a VM on said box or via a docker..
https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/unifi-controller

I would never in a million years put this on pfsense..

Currently running 6.1.26 on Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS, via VM on my nas..

JKnott

@plfinch

Tnx. I'll have to look into that.

JKnott

@johnpoz said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

If you don't want to run debian or ubuntu - then just run it as a VM on said box or via a docker..

I run opensuse and don't plan to change. However, I have found a package for the version I'm running. I have exchanged email with the person maintaining the repository and expect to have it running shortly. I just have to get past some certificate errors.

johnpoz

VM gives you the ability to take snapshots.. so if you want to play with new version of the controller, and something doesn't work it takes 30 seconds to rollback. You can install very min install of the VM, and doesn't need much ram.. Mine is currently running with 1GB of ram given to it, and uses like nothing of the host cpu.. currently show it using a whole 4% ;)

bingo600

@JKnott
I'm a Debian/Mint guy.

But just had to fire up SLES on a VM in order to install a Siemens OpenScape PBX.

One uses the tool that fits best

Well .. If you get the package served ...

/Bingo

JKnott

@johnpoz

BTW, I got the AP-Lite and it appears to work well. Even on 802.11n on 2.4 GHz, I'm getting about twice the performance of my TP-Link AP. Also, it doesn't have that TP-Link VLAN "feature" that prevented me from running IPv6 on my guest WiFi.

802.11ac is about 10x the performance I was getting on 2.4 GHz.

bingo600

@johnpoz said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

VM gives you the ability to take snapshots..

Cheater ... I bet you use the licensed version (i assume ESXi)
I use the free , where API's are crippled.
AFAIK free can't do snapshots "Live" or ??

I do know that ghettoVCB (backup for free) don't like snapshots.

/Bingo

johnpoz

I have a lite in the guest room - works fine.. The pro in the center of the house is the normal work horse with the most clients on it. And then have a LR in the kitchen near the patio door that covers that side of the house and also good coverage of the patio that is off the kitchen. They make a nice AP... But if you don't really have to run the controller if you don't want to.. You could just leave it on windows, if you happen to have a windows machine - and just fire it up if you want to make a change, or troubleshoot something.

I leave mine up all the time because I like the info that provides you.. But its not really a requirement to have the controller up and running 24/7 if you don't really have a place to do what on..

edit:
While I use to run the free esxi version, last couple of years I just use the VM Manager on my synology nas.. Even if you can not take "snapshots" with the vm software your using - you can always just export copy of the VM before you make changes, so you could always put the VM back to how it was, etc. But pretty sure even with free esxi you can do snapshots - you can't do vmotion without lic for that.. Been a couple of years :(

kiokoman

@bingo600
you can take snapshot on free version of esxi without any problem

johnpoz

^ yeah I thought you could.. I remember doing it, and I only had the free license..

bingo600

@kiokoman
Cool
Will try ASAP

Thanx

kiokoman

the only limitation afaik is that you have to use vmxnet3 / emulated network card, it does not work with passthrough

bingo600

@kiokoman said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

the only limitation afaik is that you have to use vmxnet3 / emulated network card, it does not work with passthrough

For the snapshots ?
Aren't they Disk copy only or ?

bingo600

@johnpoz said in Unifi controller on pfsense?:

^ yeah I thought you could.. I remember doing it, and I only had the free license..

Sorry JP
I just made a snapshot
Why didn't i try that before now ... In my mind snapshot was crippled on free

kiokoman

it's a limitation, I don't remember the details but if you have something configured as passthrough (network card or video card or something else) you can't take live snapshot only offline snapshot

bmeeks

A VM running UniFi Controller is nice, and is what I use at home currently. However, if you have a PoE switch I would very seriously consider running the CloudKey USB dongle. I use one for our church setup. Works great.

Yeah, it's more expensive than a VM if you already have the hypervisor hardware, but it you don't have the hardware, then the cost of the CloudKey is pretty reasonable (assuming you have a PoE switch already for your UniFi APs). Of course with no PoE switch to plug the dongle into, then a VM is a better option.

JKnott

@johnpoz

I live in a condo, which a single AP covers well. Even the TP-Link did that. What VM are you referring to? I have VirtualBox on a couple of computers and had considered an Ubuntu VM to run the controller.