DHCP server, smart switch vlan

senselessnewb

I'm looking for help (or reassurance!) with setting up pfsense when it's in use on a single NIC device and a smart switch vlan.

If you asked me 'what is home networking?' 2 days ago I would have answered - 'plugging my router into my ONT and my computer into the router'. I've since managed to ditch my isp router, set up a vlan on a smart switch, set up pfsense on a single NIC device, installed an immutable os on a second device to operate it as a container host which enabled me to ditch iCloud and GitHub. It's great! I've learned lots but the bit that stumped me the most was accessing my smart switch without connecting it (and my computer) to the router. That was my prompt to learn more about dhcp.

I removed the router from the picture, reset the switch to default (192.168.0.1/24, gateway 0.0.0.0) and set my computer IP to something very close... 192.168.0.3/24. At that point, I could access my switch but not pfsense webui.

So, I set the IP of pfsense manually (not via webui) to 192.168.0.254 and answered 'y' to using it as a dhcp server. And it works. I can access pfsense webui, I have internet access and my computer IP is provided by pfsense. But along the way I get prompted set up questions related to upstream gateway address and LAN IPv6 address. I wasn't sure how to answer. Whatever I did, it's working but I'm not sure how I should have answered. I also don't know how to access my switch!

I selected option '2' from the main menu, then...

Enter the number of the interface you wish to configure: 2 - LAN (re0.10 - static)

Configure IPv4 address as LAN interface via DHCP? n (not sure)

Enter the new LAN IPv4 address. 192.168.0.254/24

For a WAN, enter the new LAN IPv4 upstream gateway address.
For a LAN, press <ENTER> for none: <ENTER> (not sure)

Configure IPv6 address LAN interface via DHCP? n (not sure)

Do you want to enable the DHCP server on LAN? y

Enter the start address of the IPv4 client address range: 192.168.0.0 (not sure)
Enter the end address of the IPv4 client address range: 192.168.0.253 (not sure)

So out of 8 questions I was only sure about 3 of them! I guess I could have added an IPv6 address but I've no idea if I should or what to set it as.

Any help with this final hurdle would be very much appreciated. And also, how do I learn my new switch IP address?? I can't find anything in the pfsense webui.

Thank you!

EDIT: I've found the answer to my last question... DHCP leases.