Change default IP?
-
Hi all. I am going to try out but Smoothwall & PFsense over next week. Looking through installation notes, I note that PFsense defaults IP to 192.168.1.1. That would mean I have to change my IP settings in my modem router. My home IP starts from 192.168.2.x. I have 9 devices on my LAN & have set specific IP addresses for each & numerous port forwarding to match. Ideally I do not want to make any changes to my IP addressing to try out PFsense.
Is there a way to change the default IP?
Thanks.
-
Install pfSense, disconnect your pfSense WAN and LAN interfaces, boot, on startup completion from the console select option 2) Set interface(s) IP addresses and set the addresses you want. Then connect up your WAN and LAN interfaces.
Thereafter there are many things that can be readily changed from the WEB GUI.
I used smoothwall for a while but a few years ago changed to pfSense, mainly because of the much better support for wireless interfaces. I had a very brief look at a smoothwall web page recently and it seemed the software version hadn't changed since I last used it which would suggest the wireless support is even more behind pfSense.
-
Option 2 visual reference for Wallabybob's post.
-
Install pfSense, disconnect your pfSense WAN and LAN interfaces, boot, on startup completion from the console select option 2) Set interface(s) IP addresses and set the addresses you want. Then connect up your WAN and LAN interfaces.
Hi. You mean I have to connect my network cable during install, disconnect it before rebooting, reboot, set desired IP address under option 2 & finally reconnect network? Thanks for your speedy reply.
-
yes
-
you dont have to disconect lan/wan but it can make it easier
-
XIII, thanks. Guess I will try it to find out, that is the best way to learn! BTW, pfsense looks more complicated than smoothwall express. I hope I can handle it as I am limited on the tech side ::)
-
XIII, thanks. Guess I will try it to find out, that is the best way to learn! BTW, pfsense looks more complicated than smoothwall express. I hope I can handle it as I am limited on the tech side ::)
Once you get used to it, I doubt you will ever consider going back. I was with IPcop before pfsense and pfsense is years ahead of IPcop. I can't think of a single reason to look back.
-
its not really that hard.
I tried IPCop, Smoothwall, M0n0Wall and some others and pfSense is by far the better of all of them in my opinion as it is more felxible.
-
Thanks for your encouragements guys. Will surely try out pfsense. I prefer free full versions than free lite versions but I will also try out smoothwall lite just to give it a fair go. Have heard many good things about both pfsense & smoothwall. Cheers.
-
I just tried to install pfsense but stuck at auto-detecting LAN interface. NIC cards have been detected correctly but unable to proceed with installation because my router is not set-up as 192.168.1.1 but 192.168.2.xx. I am not willing to change my IP addressing (too much work) setup just to try out pfsense. Am I stuck?
-
I just tried to install pfsense but stuck at auto-detecting LAN interface. NIC cards have been detected correctly but unable to proceed with installation because my router is not set-up as 192.168.1.1 but 192.168.2.xx. I am not willing to change my IP addressing (too much work) setup just to try out pfsense. Am I stuck?
You will have to have your router IP be 1.1 temporarily. After the install is complete you can change it without affecting the rest of your network. You won't be stuck nor will it mess with your network.
-
Thanks tommyboy, will try that this weekend. Its just that my wife will go berserk is she looses connectivity!! Oh btw, I picked up a used modem router ZyXel Prestige 600 series for a few bucks just for this purpose.
-
Thanks tommyboy, will try that this weekend. Its just that my wife will go berserk is she looses connectivity!! Oh btw, I picked up a used modem router ZyXel Prestige 600 series for a few bucks just for this purpose.
I hope she doesn't mind a small amount of down time. Expect to have at least 15 minutes down time while you set everything up.
-
I hope she doesn't mind a small amount of down time. Expect to have at least 15 minutes down time while you set everything up.
She is very skeptical about my "projects" & don't understand why I want to resurrect my old & trusted friend (hp Vectra VEi8 550Mhz Pentium III 512mb RAM). My friend used to run 24/7 for years as a download machine & never missed a beat. I've just retired it a month ago in favour of another old friend (a DIY AMD machine with parts cannibalised from everywhere). I am now frantically trying to put the hp to use else she will just tell me to dump it.
-
I just tried to install pfsense but stuck at auto-detecting LAN interface. NIC cards have been detected correctly but unable to proceed with installation because my router is not set-up as 192.168.1.1 but 192.168.2.xx. I am not willing to change my IP addressing (too much work) setup just to try out pfsense. Am I stuck?
No, you're not stuck. The Auto detection function doesn't need a working IP subnet to be available for it to work; only that the link goes up on the port. You can simply connect any computer, switch or hub to that port via a cable to push the link up and it should work fine. Once that is done, immediately go in to set the interface addresses.
Basically, you will be setting LAN to 192.168.2.x. If your current router is 192.168.2.1, you might want to set the pFsense box to 192.168.2.2. Then head over to your current machines and add 192.168.2.2 as a 2nd gateway/ dns IP. Just remember that DHCP server should only be enabled on either router but not both.
What this does is to allow you to have both your current router and the pfsense box on the network at the same time and once the pfsense box is properly configured, you can simply power down the old router and the machines will automatically switch to the pfsense as the new gateway. In the event that the pfsense screws up, simply unplug it or power it down and switch over to the old router to restore network access.
-
dreamslacker, you are a champ. OK, I will install pfsense again to try it out. Cheers.