Can't see any wired/wireless clients

duvel · Nov 21, 2020, 4:31 PM

Hello, I'm a noob with PFsense.

I have an SG1100. This is the setup:

CABLE MODEM <-> PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <-> wired clients
|
wireless clients

I want to have the wired clients and wireless clients on different VLAN's, but the PFSENSE doesn't see them.

If I go to "Interfaces/Switch/System", the router/switch is recognized and listed there, but there are no clients shown of any kind. What is shown are columns for:

Type, Ports, VLAN Groups, LAGG groups, VLAN Mode, Capabilities

Does the router/switch need to be specifically in AP mode for PFsense to see the clients?

My router has the following options: DHCP, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Bridge mode, Wireless repeater, and Wireless bridge. I'm not sure which one would be the equivalent of AP mode.

Any help is appreciated!

stephenw10 · Nov 22, 2020, 9:32 PM

The Switches menu in the SG-1100 is for configuring the on-board switch in the SG-1100. It cannot see how the downstream router is configured or what is connected to it directly.

Most soho routers cannot pass the wifi connection as a VLAN to something else so you may not be able to do this at all with that hardware. If it's running an alternative firmware it may be possible.

What is the 'ROUTER' device here?

Steve

duvel · Nov 22, 2020, 10:59 PM

Steve,

Thanks for the reply.

The device is a Linksys 1900 ACS. The "switch system" menu seems to recognize it, calling it "Marvell 6000 series switch", which is the CPU it's running. The two sub-menu's are "Ports" and "VLANS" and start with the heading SG1100, but not the "switch system" menu.

stephenw10 · Nov 23, 2020, 12:42 AM

That is the internal switch in the SG-1100. It has no control over the connected router, whatever switch chip it happens to have.

You'd have to check what sort of VLAN capability that has, it might have by default as that was a pretty well specced device. It has OpenWRT support which would definitely do it of you're feeling brave:
https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/linksys_wrt1900acs

Steve

johnpoz · Nov 23, 2020, 1:08 AM

@stephenw10 said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

it might have by default

No way... Have never seen any soho wifi router with native firmware have support vlans. The closest they come is their stupid "guest" networks ;)

Gertjan · Nov 23, 2020, 8:14 AM

Even experts won't do this :
@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <-> wired clients

Change the setup for :

PFSENSE <-> switch <-> wired clients

According to https://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-WRT1900ACS/ -it's using OpenWRT -your 'router AP' can be put in 'AP' mode.
In 'AP' mode your 1900 will behave as a switch 'with AP capabilites'. Exactly what you want.
In AP mode :
You do not use or touch the 'Internet' port on the 1900.
You de activate the on board DHCP server and DNS on the 1900.
If the pfSense LAN is 192.168.1.1/24 (default), give the AP this IP settings : 192.168.1.2 /24 gateway 192.168.1.1 - DNS 192.168.1.1

One of the 4 LAN ports on your 1900ACS is cabled to the - one of - LAN port of pfSense.
The remainder 3 ports can be used to connect other wired devices.

Done.

stephenw10 · Nov 23, 2020, 11:28 AM

Yeah I thought it might have VLAN capability in the default firmware since this is one of Linksys's open-source-ready devices with all the extras but it doesn't look like it. But it is very easy to install OpenWRT and then you can.

Steve

duvel · Nov 23, 2020, 9:41 PM

All,

Thanks for all the replies!

@Gertjan, wasn't sure what you meant by:

Even experts won't do this :
@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <-> wired clients

Change the setup for :

PFSENSE <-> switch <-> wired clients

My router is my switch also, so I'm configured just like my original post:

CABLE MODEM <-> PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <-> wired clients
|
wireless clients

The stock firmware of this Linksys 1900 ACS does have VLAN support, but as far as I can see, it doesn't give you an option to address anything wireless. Only the physical switch ports.

If I wasn't brave enough to go the OpenWRT route, what would be your suggestions for what I'm trying to do?

Seems like it must be a common want/need for a setup.

Again, thanks for any suggestions!

johnpoz · Nov 23, 2020, 9:47 PM

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

Linksys 1900 ACS does have VLAN support,

For your ISP... not for setting up you own..

If you want vlan support on such a device - your going to have to go 3rd party firmware.. OpenWRT, DD-WRT.. Those companies do not, or will they most likely ever support vlan support in their firmware for users..

Or get a real AP...

Whats the pricepoint on that 1900 - $179 I show it on the linksys site.. For that price you could get a unifi nanoHD, a flexHD or the new AX LR (preorder)..

When you want to to start playing with stuff like vlans - the typical soho stuff is just not viable. Unless it supports 3rd party and you go that route.. But its just easier to buy a AP that officially supports doing such stuff if you ask me.

stephenw10 · Nov 24, 2020, 12:24 AM

That is one of those devices Linksys marketed specially as open-source ready. It's about as easy as installing OpenWRT gets.

The Linksys WRT AC series is a set of high performance, multi-core, 802.11ac capable devices, designed to be supported by Openwrt out of the box.

In fact I wasn't entirely sure it's not already running it....

johnpoz · Nov 24, 2020, 12:44 AM

Yeah - openwrt is officially support.. If you want to use vlans, that is what you should be running on that hardware.

Gertjan · Nov 24, 2020, 6:02 AM

This :

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

CABLE MODEM <-> PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <-> wired clients

means to me that you put pfSense as a router behind your cable modem : the pfSense WAN interface is hooked up to the cable modem. The LAN interface is hooked up to all your local devices.

After pfSense, as your local devices, you have another ROUTER, thus using it's WAN (cabled "Internet" on the back) to the LAN of pfSense. Its 4 LAN interfaces are hooked up to your local devices.

This is a router after router setup. It can be done. It's like putting a car on a trailer and have the trailer pulled by another car.
Have a nice ride.

Your ROUTER should be a simple switch with AP capabilities only. That greatly simplifies your network setup.

duvel · Nov 25, 2020, 1:27 AM

@gertjan

According to one of the comments on that Linksys site, the router can do "Access point" mode by using "Wireless Repeater" mode. But there is no "AP" mode that I've found.

I'm already NOT using the "Internet" port.
There is a cable from the LAN on the Pfsense to one of the 4 LAN interfaces.
I have de-activated the DHCP server and DNS
I have given it a unique IP in the proper LAN range of the Pfsense.

I used to use DD-WRT, not OpenWRT. Is there any reason to use one over the other?

Gertjan · Nov 25, 2020, 5:54 AM

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

I used to use DD-WRT

That's what I use for ... decades.

On the main setup screen, set

login-to-view

and implicit the box is just a AP now.
The Internet port can even be assigned as a basic LAN port.

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

"Wireless Repeater"

is a very special mode of AP usage.

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

I'm already NOT using the "Internet" port.

Your using the device as a AP, it's not a router.
So this

@duvel said in Can't see any wired/wireless clients:

PFSENSE <-> ROUTER <->

is actually

PFSENSE <-> (switch with Wifi) <->

A router is another beast, and does change your network a lot.

duvel · Dec 13, 2020, 2:39 PM

I think what I'm going to do is install Pfsense on an old PC.
I have had bad luck with flashing alt firmware's on routers, so instead of bricking an expensive router, I'll put Pfsense on an old PC that I already have.

I'll install multiple pci NIC's, or a multi port NIC, and a pci wireless card. That way, I can have switch and wireless functionality.

I'll want to setup VLAN's so the LAN and Wireless are separated, I'll use Pfsense's VLAN capabilities for that.

Any suggestions or warnings would be appreciated!

stephenw10 · Dec 13, 2020, 2:39 PM

If you're using a different NIC in pfSense for wireless you don't need VLANs. That would only be required to separate the two subnets arriving over the same physical connection.

Steve

duvel · Dec 27, 2020, 4:57 PM

@stephenw10

I was looking at using the following cards:

https://www.newegg.com/intel-expi9404ptl/p/N82E16833106019?Item=9SIA4A050P7025

and

https://www.newegg.com/intel-wi-fi-6-ax200/p/N82E16833106102?Item=N82E16833106102

I was thinking about using these in a small form factor PC, such as :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-OPTIPLEX-7040-SFF-CORE-I5-6500-3-20GHZ-750GB-8GB-RAM-NO-OS/363122781352

Both Intel cards.

The Wifi card comes with a small form factor bracket as pictured, but still trying to find out if the Ethernet one does.

Any comments or suggestions?

stephenw10 · Dec 27, 2020, 5:47 PM

That Ethernet card will probably work fine.

The wifi card will not work at all. There isn't any 802.11AC support in FreeBSD/pfSense, yet, let alone .AX.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/wireless/hardware.html#recommended-wireless-hardware

Steve