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    VLANs - I read the fine manual, still missing something

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • F Offline
      forprocessing
      last edited by

      So, I did the RTFM. Subscribed to Gold, read the book, googled and scoured everything relevant within these forums. I still do not get it - VLAN specifics escape me….

      The end goal is to segment my home network into several VLANs - one for Nest Cams, one for computers, etc. I have SG-2220 with wireless AP (bridge mode) hanging off it. All my devices are wireless at this point. All other packages on pfSense work like a charm, but I just don't grasp VLAN. Not the concept, but the actual implementation.

      I have created a test VLAN, assigned interface, made firewall rules, etc. For now what I do not understand for the life of me - how do I get specific clients to connect to the IPs that are associated with this VLAN? The assigned range is 192.168.3.1 - 192.168.3.254. Of course all new clients that connection to network connect to 192.168.1.xx

      Please tell me - what am I missing? Am I a total idiot here?

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      • jahonixJ Offline
        jahonix
        last edited by

        You need a managed switch for VLANs to work.
        There they are separated to different ports while you have one "pipe" (trunk) to pfSense which carries multiple networks on one cable.

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        • F Offline
          forprocessing
          last edited by

          Thank you, jahonix. Now I understand the missing step. So if all my clients are connected wirelessly I would need multiple wireless APs, each assigned to a VLAN, for this to work. If I understood everything you said correctly - there is no way to make it work with my current hardware.

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          • DerelictD Offline
            Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
            last edited by

            If that's what you want to do, good APs can tag different wireless networks with different VLANs. You tag the VLANs to the APs and to pfSense using a switch and create multiple interfaces on pfSense assigned to VLAN interfaces. One AP can do several. I think on, say, Ubiquiti you can do about 4.

            Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
            A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
            DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
            Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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            • F Offline
              forprocessing
              last edited by

              Much appreciated, Derelict. Now I just need to find out if my AP (Eero) supports multiple interfaces/ VLANs. If not, I am SOL….

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              • jahonixJ Offline
                jahonix
                last edited by

                @forprocessing:

                …if all my clients are connected wirelessly I would need multiple wireless APs, each assigned to a VLAN, for this to work...

                Not necessarily multiple APs as Derelict noted already.
                He and I both like Ruckus APs which you can/could get used from eBay and such. They are pricey otherwise (couple hundred $).
                They support multiple SSIDs tagged to different VLANs. The trunk from your single AP could be fed to your pfSense even without a switch in between. Kind of a minimum setup but doable.

                On the other hand aren't managed switches that expensive anymore (smart, web or fully managed) and other gear could benefit from it at least in the future. I wouldn't buy an unmanaged switch these days anymore.

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                • johnpozJ Offline
                  johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                  last edited by

                  QFT

                  "I wouldn't buy an unmanaged switch these days anymore."

                  On entry level I have seen the smart cheaper then the dumb sometimes..  Currently I show this 8port tplink for 35 smart, or 28 dumb.. So for the cost of a fancy cup of coffee at starbucks or a beer at a bar you could have the smart version vs the dumb version.. How is that even something you would have to think about ;)

                  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4DS5KU
                  TP-Link 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Easy Smart Switch (TL-SG108E)

                  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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                  • jahonixJ Offline
                    jahonix
                    last edited by

                    Wasn't it this smart model that someone was complaining about recently with VLAN problems?
                    Personally I like this one way better: http://amzn.to/2l3CGEf

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                    • DerelictD Offline
                      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                      last edited by

                      Another problem solved by multiple SSIDs on one radio is they are all on the same frequency. Multiple APs each need a clear channel. Most people can't find one clean one on 2.4, much less three.

                      Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                      A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                      DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                      Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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