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    Wireless AP

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Wireless
    wi-fi
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    • S
      SteveITS Galactic Empire @cochi30
      last edited by

      @cochi30 said in Wireless AP:

      If this damages the system

      It can corrupt the file system, yes. (true for basically anything with a writable file system)
      https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/diagnostics/system-halt.html

      Pre-2.7.2/23.09: Only install packages for your version, or risk breaking it. Select your branch in System/Update/Update Settings.
      When upgrading, allow 10-15 minutes to restart, or more depending on packages and device speed.
      Upvote 👍 helpful posts!

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      • GertjanG
        Gertjan @cochi30
        last edited by

        @cochi30 said in Wireless AP:

        Jonpoz, it’s not like that. I mean saving power etc, we do have our reasons for shutting down during the night though.
        If this damages the system we’ll maybe leave on and just shut down the AP.

        You can switch it down.
        But, exactly like your Phone, PC etc : you can't pull the plug (remove the battery). Not with paying eventually the heavy price : loosing the file system : you're good for a total re install.
        pfSense is not some small mostly ROM based dumb device that can be powered of like that.
        pfSense is using FreeBSD as its OS, and like MAC OS, Linux, Windows etc, it uses a complex file system. It needs to be informed when to shut down.
        You do so using the console or the GUI : login, and select halt, confirm.

        @cochi30 said in Wireless AP:

        I can see I’m connected to the Wi-Fi from my phone, but not really

        You are really connected to the wifi. And mixing up two things :
        The radio 'Wifi' connection is one thing.
        A working IP connection that let you access the local network and even the Internet is completely different.

        With your AP activated, and pfSense de activated : connect to you wifi. And then do what admin do : inspect your Wifi : did it obtain an IP, gateway, DNS etc ?
        Of course not : pfSense isn't there to answer to the DHCP requests.

        Typically, you should measure the time it takes for pfSense to fully boot.
        Add 10 seconds margin.
        Then you have the delay to wait for your Wifi to actually 'work'.

        Btw : I give my AP (just dumb devices) a static IP setting, not DHCP.
        For example : my pfSense LAN is 192.168.1.1/24
        My AP uses 192.168.1.2/24, gateway 192.168.1.1 DNS 192.168.1.1 and I have its DHCP server shut down - DNS shut down.

        No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
        Edit : and where are the logs ??

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        • johnpozJ
          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @cochi30
          last edited by

          @cochi30 said in Wireless AP:

          we do have our reasons for shutting down during the night though.

          You think the wifi messing with your brain? Giving you cancer? You have aversion to wifi? Electromagnetic hypersensitivity? Its in your bedroom and the blinking light keeps you up?

          Are you just wanting to keep your kids of the interwebs? Just setup a schedule to prevent internet access be easier. While stuff like AP can normally just pull the plug on for power - I sure wouldn't do it every single day without it having repercussions on the life of that device.

          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

            If you have the Verizon router still in router mode so it's pulling a DHCP lease from pfSense it may boot and fail before pfSense has booted. If that is the case you could try setting it as a static IP or setting it a a true AP mode (if it has one). Or just use a real AP which would almost certainly not have this issue.

            Steve

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            • C
              cochi30
              last edited by

              Thank you all for your responses...

              I am making some changes to ensure I don't just shut off the Netgate, but Halt it instead - the thing we didn't like were extremely bright leds, not only from the Netgate, but from Verizon's equipment. Of course, these are in an adjoining room. So yes, we shut everything off.
              I just performed a "Halt" on the system, thanks for that info.
              I had my Verizon router assigned the static and IP and to act as an AP. I didn't know about the delay for the wifi to work.
              And yes we thought about the wifi messing with our brain from the next room, during the night.
              We are probably going to acquire a real AP very soon.
              Again, thank you all!
              Don

              johnpozJ JKnottJ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @cochi30
                last edited by

                @cochi30 best fix for bright led lights is little electrical tape.. Or google led covers, they sell little preformed stickers that fit over led lights on equipment.

                As to the wifi messing with your brains while you sleep.. Do you turn off your phones, or they sitting next to you on the nightstand?

                Funny thing about people worried about that sort of thing, they don't think about carrying their phone right next to the private parts all day long ;)

                Pretty sure taking a call on your cell phone is going to be more exposure in a few minutes on the phone than all night with a AP in another room.. Some of them also have the ability to just turn off the wifi radio on a schedule..This would be a better option then pulling its power plug when it comes to life of the device..

                Depending on the device even its gui or admin interface doesn't allow for it, it could be possible to script just going in and downing the wireless interface..

                If the LEDs are a problem, the unifi ones have a way of turning off the LED, etc.

                There are normally multiple ways to skin a cat, while pulling the power plug is drop dead easy, its normally not the most elegant of solutions, and to be honest a pita and going to take its toll on hardware, even if its designed to not loose any settings on a power loss.

                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 @cochi30
                  last edited by

                  @cochi30 said in Wireless AP:

                  And yes we thought about the wifi messing with our brain from the next room, during the night.

                  You might consider getting a tinfoil hat.

                  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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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    EM radiation questions aside I would consider trying to pin down what's actually failing when you boot both at the same time. Then you can far more easily avoid hitting it again.

                    So if the Verizon device is still acting as a router check what IP it ends up with.

                    Steve

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                    • B
                      bavcon22 @cochi30
                      last edited by

                      @cochi30 The best practice is to start or stop all your network equipment in sequence.
                      When stopping: Disconnect phone from wifi --> shutdown the AP --> halt the pfSense appliance
                      When starting: Start the pfSense appliance --> turn on AP --> connect phone to WiFi
                      In all stages you have to wait the previous stage to come to life.

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                      • C
                        cochi30 @bavcon22
                        last edited by

                        @bavcon22 thanks for your response. It was very helpful.
                        Don

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