TP-Link Deco X60 as AP mode WiFi connections to Internet don't work

phildean66

Hey There

I've been using my Deco X60's as AP on a couple of previous setups and had no issues with my WiFi Devices and their access to the Internet with the same configuration as such.

TP-Link Archer 1200 the Deco's connected via the ports on the Archer
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4 the Deco's connected via a switch from the LAN configured port on the EdgeRouter

Both the above setups had multiple ports configured and connected

The pfsense setup I'm using is an Intel NUC DN2820 which has only 1 Ethernet Port Native on it so WAN is VLAN's and LAN is Native of the same port on Managed Switch.

As I go on to say below any Wired Connection that got an DHCP IP works to the Internet and internal LAN. Any Wired Static Device works to the WAN and LAN as well.
It's only WiFi Devices, whether having a DHCP IP or a Statically configured IP, can only interact with LAN devices.

My NBN Setup is FTTH 1Gb - 1 Dynamic IP only, the WAN setup is PPPoE(re0).10 on the pfsense. The LAN setup is re0.

Somehow I think I need to advertise the Public IP from the PPPoE connection to the Deco X60's, which I'm unsure which way to try this.

A Test function from the Deco App is Deco LAB and on the working setup of EdgeRoute with the X60's It can determine the WiFi Devices IP, GW, DNS, the Public IP, Service Provider, and Location.
When this Deco LAB Tests the setup on the pfsense setup it sees the Client's IP, GW, DNS but not the Public IP, Service Provider and Location.

I guess that from the Public IP setup it can then determine the Service Provider and my Site Location.

My Setup as below:

Network Map
NBN -> pfsense (WAN VLAN'd LAN Native 1 Ethernet Port Only) -> Managed Switch -> X60's wired -> Switch

pfsense is a Intel NUC having only 1 Ethernet connection so I VLAN the WAN connection and LAN is untagged.
Managed Switch has WAN from NBN as untagged Port and pfsense Port has native for rest of network, tagged for WAN NBN
Cabling Managed Switch to internal cabling to 3 positions for X60's
2nd port on X60's cabled to 8 port switches to provide wired connections to anything requiring it

X60's are set as AP mode.
pfsense is DCHP, DNS

Wired connections getting DHCP from pfsense work to the internet
X60's show as no Internet so WiFi devices get DHCP successfully from pfsense but as the X60's don't see/register seeing the Internet you only have access to LAN devices over WiFi
X60's in DECO App Deco Lab show IP as WiFi Device with GW and DS but Public IP , Provider, Location are all blank.
X60's can ping out to the internet.

Previous Setup was as above but pfsense router was EdgeRouter and the X60's could establish they had Internet access and so Deco Lab assistant worked fully.
Prior setup to EdgeRouter was a TPLink Archer 1200 and again that worked like the EdgeRouter did.

Deco Lab fails the Ping test with the pfsense router so what does it need to think to think the Internet works? does it need to see gateway Public IP in some aspect?

EdgeRouter worked with defaults set I did have static routes in for WAN -> LAN and LAN -> WAN
pfsense works on wired connections with defaults set, no additional rules or routes

Very annoying

stephenw10

So the Deco X60 deliberately prevents clients accessing the internet if it thinks no internet is available?

What do the deco docs show it needs?

One thing that might be different is that pfSense disables UPnP by default. If the Deco devices require that for some reason that might do it. Though I have no idea why they would.

Steve

phildean66

Not much shown in the doco for them to what it needs, google search seems to show a few having issues with various Deco's setups.

I sat looking through the pfsense doco over the weekend and when I get another chance to test it out I'm going to have the NAT reflection enabled.

I can then also try your suggestion.

thanks

stephenw10

I wouldn't expect NAT reflection to do anything. I would check to see that the Deco APs themselves have some sort of internet access. So it's unclear how they are assigned it. Or what they are checking against.

phildean66

@stephenw10

I'll have to look at the doco some more, I check the EdgeRouter config and it doesn't have it set on it either your suggestion or mine.

phildean66

@stephenw10

I managed to test the system out again having made only 1 change, under system -> routing -> Gateways

Default gateway IPv4 I changed from automatic to the WAN_PPPOE choice.

Everything works be it WiFi or Wired.

stephenw10

Ah, nice!
Yes if you have more that one gateway, especially if you have internal gateways, setting that to the specific WAN gateway is almost always better.

Steve

phildean66

Problem is I do only have one gateway.

stephenw10

Hmm, that setting it to WAN would have reset the default route. It may have lost it's default route somehow. But that would have broken the connection for everything.