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    Ethernet devices not connecting to ethernet ports

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Routing and Multi WAN
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    • E
      electricwildlower
      last edited by

      Hopefully this is in the right place

      Hello everyone, i have some problems i need help with. I am a little new to pfsense and networking so a little patience would help. I have the following setup

      BT Openreach modem - Sky broadband
      Cisco ASA 552 - Flashed with pfsense and connected to the modem and Wan set up (downloaded updates on pfsense fine)
      Netgear D7000 - Put into Access point mode and connected to the Lan port on the pfsense to give me wifi and some ethernet ports.

      As i am a little new to pfSense and networking i am having problems connecting ethernet devices to the pfsense box or figuring out how to set up extra ethernet ports. Currently with the new setup we have 10 ethernet ports on the cisco box, 1 is for management, the other unsure then 8 ports in 2 rows of 4, 2 of the 8 ports have been set up as interfaces both Wan & Lan. The other 6 ports i would like to use to connect various devices if possible IE my Truenas server, smart TV, Retropie. So a couple of questions.

      1 - Do i need to assign lans to the other ethernet ports or are they just auto configured in the setup so i could just plug a device and it works out the box or is there any other step before i can use them?

      If i plug any device into the Netgear ethernet ports they work fine and i can access the devices and get net just when i plug them into the remaining 6 ports on the pfsense they light up but do nothing else and can't use IE no connection to the Truenas web gui or the TV has no net.

      2 - The two separate ports one is for management of the box and the other unsure but can i reuse them as more ethernet ports or are they just to be ignored. I have added a photo of the back of the cisco box for reference.

      Thanks in advance.

      asa5525-k9-10106533-014abh9yZ3ebxIbY_600x600@2x.jpg

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      • S
        SteveITS Galactic Empire @electricwildlower
        last edited by

        @electricwildlower After LAN and WAN, you need to assign other interfaces and configure those networks. Typically OPT1 - OPTn.

        https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/interfaces/configure.html

        Note they are not a switch. (a few Netgate models have a built in switch) Bridging networks exists but normally you're better off using a real switch.

        Each interface needs firewall rules as by default every interface has no rules (default block all) except LAN.

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

          Did you get that for free? Its not quiet, and it sucks juice.. Prob about 75W just idle..

          No it has no "switch" ports.. That is not a box I would recommend to use in a home.. Unless you were a labber/IT hobbiest, etc.

          You in the UK, sky broadband is the big one over there so that is what I would guess.. Whats your electric cost like 24p a kwh? So that thing sucking 75 watts idle cost you like a 160 a year.. Your going to spend more than just getting a 200 something box that uses 20 watts (prob way less) in 2 years..

          200 box
          42 a year for electric
          42 2nd year

          your at 285 lets call it.. With that box in 2 years you have spent 320 just in electric. If you got it free.

          This sort of gear doesn't make a lot of sense for home user.. They are normally loud! they suck a lot of juice compared to other options. They are normally way overkill for home use.

          Unless you lab with it, and its not on very often.

          Even when you get something like this for free - it can end up costing you more money then if you would of just bought something appropriate for your use case.

          Whats your internet speed? Something like a sg1100 be better suited for a home use of pfsense. Its small compared to that thing. It sucks like only 4 watts idle..

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