Setting up another router behind pfSense

fahad.ch · Mar 18, 2017, 8:30 PM

Hello everyone,

I need your help with setting up another router behind pfsense. Apologies in advance if this post is in the wrong section.

Here is a little background on the issue that I am having.

We have one Internet connection shared between different houses (Upstair and downstair). Before I switched over to pfsense, I was using the Verizon router. I was using the Verizon router for upstairs and I had put another router for the downstairs network. I then put the second router (downstairs one) on the DMZ of Verizon router. This way downstairs people were managing their own network and I was managing my own. This also allowed us to have two PS4 (one upstairs and one downstairs) playing online with NAT type open in Call of Duty.

Now that I have switched over to pfsense, I have a very similar setup. PfSense replaced my Verizon router and the downstair's router remains the same. I separated downstairs network using the firewall rules. Everything is fine in terms of regular internet usage. Everything is separated as I want it to be. I am able to use UPNP for my ps4 on port 9308 and this allows me to play online with NAT type open in Call of Duty. However; the ps4 that is downstairs is no longer able to play with NAT type open. I read online to try and use 9308 for one ps4 and 9306 for other ps4, but it didn't fix the issue as both ps4 want to use port 9308.

What I want to do.

So, basically, I am unable to get both ps4s work with NAT type open. I am guessing if I can somehow setup the second router as I had it setup before switching to pfSense, both ps4 may be able to play with NAT type open. However, I can't figure out how to do that in pfsense. In simple words, I want the second router to bypass pfsense and go straight out to the internet.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

doktornotor · Mar 19, 2017, 9:18 AM

Double NAT will make things a whole lot worse, not better. (Not to mention that I must be weird but I don't understand the goal of "having NAT type open" in some game. What's that good for? Gives you more higher karma and a hidden jet pack?)

kpa · Mar 19, 2017, 10:33 AM

Second router is only going to make things worse, you have two port forwards to troubleshoot instead of just one.

johnpoz · Mar 19, 2017, 11:26 AM

If you want to use a static nat port on more than 1 device.. ie this "9308" port.. You really have 1 answer - more IPs

So use ipv6, get another ipv4 from your isp or use a vpn so that one of your boxes is using the vpn connections public IP.. Your problem is many vpn services don't forward ports in and if they do its like 1.. So you prob need to setup vpn on vps or something. In in that sort of setup UPnP is not going to work with the vpn connection.

Best solution is just get another IPv4 from your isp.. Or complain to these game makers to actually use ipv6 vs this nat nonsense..

fahad.ch · Mar 20, 2017, 4:33 PM

Thank you guys for clearing this out. I was expecting a similar response but wasn't 100% sure. I have been searching on PS4 and other forums. It sounds like using a vpn service for one of th ps4 may be the easier option than getting two public ip addresses.

johnpoz · Mar 20, 2017, 6:59 PM

That would depend on the isp sure.. I know you can get a lowend vps for your vpn connection for like $15 a year..