WiFi Subnet
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I have pfsense installed on a 4 NIC micro computer. Right now I’m just using 2 NICs. One for WAN and one for LAN. I have an AP plugged into the LAN switch. All is good. However, if I want to use one of the other NICs for Wifi I’d plug the AP into a new port on pfSense and configure the new interface and rules accordingly.
Question: If I use a dedicated NIC for wifi then my wireless devices will be on a different subnet. I would then configure rules for that subnet to allow communication with the LAN and WAN. Can I also granulate rules in pfSense to allow specific wireless IPs (wifi devices that have statically assigned IPs) to restrict/allow access to different devices on LAN without needing a managed switch?
For example: Assume my LAN network is 192.168.1.1/24 and the WiFi network is 192.168.20.1/24. Via appropriate rules, shouldn’t I be able to control what access a wifi device at 192.168.20.15 would have to devices on LAN? I’m thinking of a way to isolate statically assigned wireless IoT devices at home.
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@slimypizza said in WiFi Subnet:
shouldn’t I be able to control what access a wifi
Yeah you can limit or allow whatever you want between networks..
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Normally, you'd have your main WiFi on the same subnet as your LAN and perhaps have a 2nd SSID for guests. In that case, you'd use a VLAN for the guest WiFi and set up whatever rules you want for guests. That's what I have here. The last time I worried about having WiFi on a separate subnet was back in the days of 802.11b WiFi, with it's crappy WEP encryption. These days, WPA2 or 3 is used, which is much better than WEP.
These days, anyone running 802.11b & WEP should be shot for incompetence.
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Right now my wifi is on the LAN subnet and I have an isolated wifi Guest network (separate SSID) with my IoT devices logged in to that. It works. I was just thinking of an alternate method that might offer a bit more control but I did not want to introduce a managed switch in my home network. My AP (Netgear ORBI) wont handle VLANs but otherwise works great.
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@slimypizza said in WiFi Subnet:
Guest network (separate SSID) with my IoT devices logged in to that. It works.
It is not isolating anything. If your wifi router is doing nat, the guest would be able to access anything on the wan network of that wifi router.
You can for sure keep your guest iot from talking to the "lan" normal network of the wifi router. But your not going to be able to filter that from the wan network of wifi router - which I am guessing is your lan network of pfsense?
Maybe a drawing would help of how exactly have this setup with your wifi (device).. Sounds like its just some wifi router doing nat to your pfsense lan.
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@johnpoz
The ORBI provides the isolation of the Guest SSID internally and is internet-only for those devices. pfSense is my only router. The ORBI is in AP mode and is connected to the LAN side of pfSense. -
@slimypizza said in WiFi Subnet:
Guest SSID internally and is internet-only for those devices.
And how exactly is that working.. Orbi has no clue to vlans - from this thread there seems to be some sort of blocking going on - but its not completely isolated..
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Guest-network-in-AP-Mode/td-p/1592645
I have no orbi to play with - but since they have no concept of vlans.. And they allow discovery of the devices on lan from guest.. They are not really isolating anything..
If your concerned with stuff talking to your actual pfsense lan - then I would move it to its own network on pfsense so you can actually isolate these networks via pfsense.
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The isolation works as expected. When logged in to regular or Guest SSIDs I cannot ping or discover devices on the other network. That thread you referenced is a couple of years old. Apparently I bought my ORBI and satellites (last year) after the isolation issue was resolved or it was resolved in an update prior to my using the Guest SSID.
And thanks for your answer to my previous question about using a separate NIC interface for WiFi on pfSense. Doing so I’ll be able to ensure control and isolation for my IoT devices and leave my Guest SSID just for….. guests.
