Enabling VLANs Without Managed Switch?

[MichaelCropper]

What is going to happen when I click this?

///
Interfaces > Switch > VLANs;

Enable 802.1q VLAN mode

If enabled, packets with unknown VLAN tags will be dropped.
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Current topology is;

• Modem
• • pfSense
• • • Access Point (Physical Port 2)
• • • Powerline Adapter (Physical Port 1)
• • • • Unmanaged Switch
• • • • • Computer

I've setup a bunch of VLANs on pfSense in preparation, each with their own DHCP range configured on different subnets. All the VLAN parent interfaces are Physical Port 1 and turned them on. Subnets are basically 192.168.x.1/24.

Given there is no managed switch after pfSense, two things could happen when I turn this feature on;

1. This breaks the entire network, not ideal as I'll have to reset the pfSense box and restore the backup I've just created
2. Network continues to work and the VLAN tags are simply dropped

I'm going to be purchasing a managed switch in the coming week anyhow, just wanted to have a play around in the mean time.

I'm fairly sure that Outcome 1 is what will happen, hence why I thought it best to post in here first :-D

Note: This is just a home lab.

[JKnott]

@michaelcropper

The only thing you could do is configure individual devices to use a VLAN. Not all devices support that. The best thing to do is get a managed switch. They're cheap, but avoid TP-Link.

[johnpoz]

If your AP supports vlans, say a unifi or something running 3rd party firmware. And you have it directly plugged into pfsense. You could for sure use vlans on that sort of setup.

You can put a dumb non vlan capable switch downstream of a smart vlan capable switch. If all the devices on the dumb switch will be in the same vlan.

But yes if your going to play with vlans, you need a vlan capable switching infrastructure. And I would concur stay away from the entry level tplink so called "smart" switches.. There are plenty of other options that actually understand how vlans are suppose to work at the same price point.

[MichaelCropper]

Excellent, thanks for the confirmation.

Yes I'm looking at decent hardware, I've had so many problems with high end consumer type devices in the past that always seem to fail on what I would consider fairly basic stuff. So looking at one of the Ubiquity UniFi 16 Port PoE (or higher ports) versions.

I've not used the UniFi platform before but I've been doing a lot of research on it, it looks awesome. Particularly when I compare that to a bunch of older (+8 yrs) managed switches of varying brands that I've had donated - both in terms of features/functionality and user interface.

The UniFi platform seems awesome with the automatic propagation of configuration changes, plus the CloudKey too. Seems more powerful than many enterprise platforms (albeit, I've only really seen/been in discussion about these at arms length) - and without the costs of things like Cisco.