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    Access to all routers on my Network

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • O
      OpenWifi
      last edited by

      Hi guys, so recently i have had problems with my Wisp client's routers.What packages available in pfsense can make it easier to connect to every client router on my network, without me physically going to a client. I am asking this because currently i have CPES installed at every client house and i am able to connect to their WebUI with set static Ip addresses. Kindly help

      BogusExceptionB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • BogusExceptionB
        BogusException @OpenWifi
        last edited by

        @OpenWifi sorry, but what do you mean by connect to each client router? Is there a use case to describe?

        O 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • O
          OpenWifi @BogusException
          last edited by

          @BogusException My ISP can be able to access my router and either schedule a reboot or change settings to the router without them coming to my home..Can that work with pfsense where i can be able to access routers on the network and change their settings

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

            So you are providing all your clients with something running pfsense as their edge router?

            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
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            • O
              OpenWifi @johnpoz
              last edited by

              @johnpoz No. They all have Tp-Link routers but i have a pfsense box that gives static dhcp leases to all the routers on the network. Kindly note i am a wireless internet service provider

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              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                last edited by

                Well if not your equipment - they would have to configure them to allow you remote access. Which has zero to do with pfsense.

                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 2.7.2, 24.11

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                • O
                  OpenWifi @johnpoz
                  last edited by

                  @johnpoz do you know of VNC ? It does exactly that but it is not a package in pfsense

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                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by johnpoz

                    VNC does not open the ports on their router to allow you remote access ;)

                    There are plenty of ways you "could" get remote access their router or network - all of which require them to do something..

                    Do you go and setup their routers for them? If so allow remote gui access to it from your IP. Or give them instructions on how to allow it if they desire.

                    Again none of which has anything to do with pfsense at all..

                    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 2.7.2, 24.11

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                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by stephenw10

                      If you control those routers then just open a port or setup some port forward on them and lock them down to prevent your customers changing that.

                      Most regular ISPs use TR-069 for that sort of stuff. pfSense can't help you with that.

                      Probably better to ask this on a WISP forum I'm sure you are not the first to want to do this!

                      Steve

                      O 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • O
                        OpenWifi @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10 Thank you

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                        • johnpozJ
                          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                          last edited by

                          Exactly what I have been saying since the beginning ;)

                          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 2.7.2, 24.11

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                          • BogusExceptionB
                            BogusException @OpenWifi
                            last edited by BogusException

                            @OpenWifi I see. Others may have answered your question, but as a courtesy I want to address your reply.
                            As I understand, your network layout is such that you have WiFi APs for customers, like in a hotel or big store. These devices are on a LAN that sits on a router port on site. This router is maintained remotely, and likely is what plugs directly into their modem, or other device providing Eth to site from upstream/Internet. Sound about right?

                            Enter the firewall. You put it between modem and router(s), but where before the router's WAN interface was available directly, there is this firewall getting in the way. Can't connect because FW WAN address is the old address of router, which is now on LAN sitting on FW inside/LAN port.

                            Is this how it went?

                            So now, vendors hit the same IP they used to, but FW is not the router, so nothing. If so, what you seek is a way for internet clients to see the router on the old address. This is mostly done with port forwarding, where you know:

                            Incoming port(s)
                            Incoming IP source address/range (sometimes)
                            IP address on LAN of device to direct that traffic to.

                            Port forwarding is just what it sounds like. Since you don't want ALL traffic inbound to go to this one router, you decide which inbound ports will be valid to pass to router, like 22 if they are using SSH.

                            So you tell FW that if anything comes in for the FW's WAN Address ( the one the switch used to have), direct that traffic to the new up address it got. To the outside, there is no difference. As long as there is only one managed device behind the firewall, it's easy.

                            Hope this helps, but I had to make a ton of assumptions.

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              @BogusException said in Access to all routers on my Network:

                              but I had to make a ton of assumptions

                              And some were incorrect I think. 😉

                              OpenWifi is a WISP of sorts. Their network, therefore, is a series of wireless access points connected to pfSense.

                              The routers they need to access are the TP-Link devices at each customer site that connect via wifi back to the access points.

                              Thus to access those routers they simply need to have a port open to allow it in the router itself. I would choose to use a port forward to 443 from some other port rather than open 443 directly if that's an option.

                              Steve

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

                                You can port forward all day long, why should he have to port forward on his devices? He is the WAN for the routers, he is not going through a nat..

                                The problem his why would the customers routers admin be open... Is not, and that is not his device.. Its customers - for him to admin min.. They would have to open up the port to their web gui, ssh, etc.

                                Which maybe they do or do not want to do, etc..

                                All which has ZERO to do with pfsense..

                                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 2.7.2, 24.11

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • BogusExceptionB
                                  BogusException @stephenw10
                                  last edited by BogusException

                                  @stephenw10 True dat. Thanks!

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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