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    Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved L2/Switching/VLANs
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      pfSenseUser78
      last edited by

      This post is deleted!
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      • P
        pfSenseUser78 @JKnott
        last edited by

        @JKnott

        I created another config for the VLAN (I think). Internal DHCP is handled by a Window Server. VLAN 90 (for IoT) can be DHCP server from pfSense.

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        • JKnottJ
          JKnott @pfSenseUser78
          last edited by

          @pfSenseUser78 said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

          @JKnott

          I created another config for the VLAN (I think). Internal DHCP is handled by a Window Server. VLAN 90 (for IoT) can be DHCP server from pfSense.

          I thought you said the DHCP server was on the firewall. Now you're saying it's on the Windows server. Which is it? If it's on the Windows server, then the problem has nothing to do with pfSense.

          PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
          i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
          UniFi AC-Lite access point

          I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

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          • johnpozJ
            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
            last edited by

            @pfSenseUser78 said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

            I saw something about using VLAN 4095 on the ESXi host but

            If you want to pass tags to pfsense virtual nic, then yes you would have to set the vlan ID on your esxi vswitch/port group to be 4095 or it will strip tags.. Pfsense can not see vlans then.

            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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            • P
              pfSenseUser78 @JKnott
              last edited by

              @JKnott

              For the internal NON-IoT network DHCP is handled by a windows domain controller. For the VLAN being setup for the IoT devices I do NOT need DHCP handled by a windows DC; I was saying that this can be handled by pfSense directly.

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              • P
                pfSenseUser78 @johnpoz
                last edited by pfSenseUser78

                @johnpoz said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

                @pfSenseUser78 said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

                I saw something about using VLAN 4095 on the ESXi host but

                If you want to pass tags to pfsense virtual nic, then yes you would have to set the vlan ID on your esxi vswitch/port group to be 4095 or it will strip tags.. Pfsense can not see vlans then.

                Ok, so, after finding where to make that change AND making it, I now get a DHCP IP address in the 192.168.90.x/24 range. Hurray!

                My next issue is that DNS doesn't appear to be working. I'd like to point DNS to my two internal DNS servers in the 172.16.249.x/24 range as I'm not using pfSense for DNS either; how do I do that? If you can point me in the right direction it'd be much appreciated.

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                • johnpozJ
                  johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                  last edited by johnpoz

                  To point your clients to other NS, just edit your dhcp scope to had out what you want.. out of the box pfsense if running dns, be it unbound (resolver or can be forwarder mode) or dnsmasq (forwarder) will point to itself for dns. If not running either, then it will hand out what is in its general tab.

                  To hand out something other, like your internal NS - just edit the dhcp scope..

                  example - here I hand out 192.168.3.10 to clients in this network
                  dns.jpg

                  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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                  • JKnottJ
                    JKnott @pfSenseUser78
                    last edited by

                    @pfSenseUser78 said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

                    @JKnott

                    For the internal NON-IoT network DHCP is handled by a windows domain controller. For the VLAN being setup for the IoT devices I do NOT need DHCP handled by a windows DC; I was saying that this can be handled by pfSense directly.

                    Then we're back to my original question, did you set up the DHCP config on the VLAN? In the DHCP config, there are pages for each interface. The way I read your original post, it sounded like you just added an address pool to the main interface.

                    PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                    i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                    UniFi AC-Lite access point

                    I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

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                    • P
                      pfSenseUser78 @johnpoz
                      last edited by pfSenseUser78

                      @johnpoz

                      So this is what I have for DNS in the VLAN DHCP config:
                      DHCP w-DNS.png

                      I have this as a firewall rule:
                      Firewall.png

                      When I connect to the network on my iPhone I connect and get an IP address, however, the spinny thing next to the network name never goes away. If I try to load a website, nothing happens. If I manually specific a DNS server, nothing happens. Note that on my non-VLAN network I have a rule blocking all DNS traffic that doesn't originate from one of the two internal servers; not sure if this would be affecting a VLAN on a different IP range or not (the greyed out rule was a failed attempt to redirect errant DNS queries back to one of the two internal DNS servers at 105 or 106 - 78 & 79 are there for other reasons):
                      LAN Rules.png

                      And here is the DNS servers setup in general:DNS.png

                      Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide; I greatly appreciate everything so far.

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                      • P
                        pfSenseUser78 @JKnott
                        last edited by

                        @JKnott said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

                        @pfSenseUser78 said in Setting up a VLAN with pfSense, Ubiquiti, and ESXi:

                        @JKnott

                        For the internal NON-IoT network DHCP is handled by a windows domain controller. For the VLAN being setup for the IoT devices I do NOT need DHCP handled by a windows DC; I was saying that this can be handled by pfSense directly.

                        Then we're back to my original question, did you set up the DHCP config on the VLAN? In the DHCP config, there are pages for each interface. The way I read your original post, it sounded like you just added an address pool to the main interface.

                        VLAN90-Setup.png

                        .
                        .

                        .
                        VLAN90-DHCP.png

                        Hope this helps - if not let me know what else I can provide a screenshot of.

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                        • DerelictD
                          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                          last edited by

                          You are not setting DNS servers in the DHCP configuration so this is what DNS servers will be sent to the clients (just like it says right there):

                          Leave blank to use the system default DNS servers: this interface's IP if DNS Forwarder or Resolver is enabled, otherwise the servers configured on the System / General Setup page.

                          So it depends on whether or not you have the resolver or forwarder configured, in which case the clients will get 192.168.90.200 as their DNS server. If DNS forwarder/resolver are NOT configured, they'll get whatever is configured in System > General.

                          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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                          • P
                            pfSenseUser78 @Derelict
                            last edited by

                            @Derelict

                            Here's what's set as my DNS servers in System > General:

                            Screenshot from 2019-11-29 17-06-31.png

                            Could it be that the VLAN devices can't connect to the DNS servers?

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                            • DerelictD
                              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                              last edited by

                              Look at the DNS servers the clients are being assigned. Can the resolve names from them? If not, then yest that's a problem.

                              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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                              • P
                                pfSenseUser78 @Derelict
                                last edited by

                                @Derelict DNS server being assigned to the clients is the firewall itself (172.16.249.200).

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                                • DerelictD
                                  Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                  last edited by

                                  Can they resolve names using that?

                                  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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                                  • P
                                    pfSenseUser78 @Derelict
                                    last edited by

                                    @Derelict

                                    Ok. I can connect to the network (via WiFi) with my laptop. I get an IP address on the VLAN range. From there, I cannot ping 8.8.8.8 and I can't ping 192.168.90.200 (which should be the VLAN Firewall).

                                    Not being able to ping 8.8.8.8 tells me I might have a rule issue somewhere. I know I have one to block DNS queries on my main network (172.16.249.1/24) that don't originate from one of two DNS servers (on that same network) but that shouldn't block me from pinging 8.8.8.8.

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                                    • johnpozJ
                                      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                      last edited by johnpoz

                                      Vlans when created have zero rules on them - so not being able to do anything would be default.. What rules did you put on your vlan interface? Just that tcp rule, well no you wouldn't be able to do dns which is udp normally, and no you wouldn't be able to ping which is icmp..

                                      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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                                      • DerelictD
                                        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                        last edited by Derelict

                                        Two things:

                                        1. Rules on the new interface passing traffic from the hosts on that interface.
                                        2. Outbound NAT on the WAN for the new interface source addresses if you strayed from Automatic or Hybrid outbound NAT.

                                        Those two things are installed by default on the LAN but not for any interfaces you might subsequently create.

                                        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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                                        • P
                                          pfSenseUser78 @johnpoz
                                          last edited by pfSenseUser78

                                          @johnpoz Makes sense, where would I find the rules I need to create? I've searched but I've not been able to find what they are.

                                          Edit: I've also looked at the default rules and don't see what get setup to try and duplicate on the VLAN.

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                                          • P
                                            pfSenseUser78 @Derelict
                                            last edited by

                                            @Derelict I've read and reread these a couple of times and am having a hard time understanding. I have an "ok" grasp of networking but these just don't make sense.

                                            Is there somewhere I can read more about these two points?

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