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    Basic networking problem.. need some thoughts

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • L
      luke240778
      last edited by

      I am going to change from my current pfSense box to a new install onto a Dell Poweredge server.

      Current setup is with 3 NIC's (WAN, LAN and OPT1)
      New setup will only be 2 NIC's (WAN, LAN)

      currently i have the cable from my fiber converter directly into my WAN NIC, and the LAN nic is connected to a Switch, and then outdoor antenna.  OPT1 is just my office lan.

      Here is where i get confused.. my Poweredge server is an ESXi 5 server.  pfSense i have installed on there as a Virtual.  If i connect the NIC that i have allocated as the WAN directly to the fiber connection, i am nit sure how i can access my ESXi server to manage it anymore..  I don't have any managed switches  and also have never played with or understand VLAN's.

      I do however have a new Mikrotik Routerboard 750.. which is capable of vlan's but i am not sure if this is what i need or even if it will help..  any ideas of how i should set this up?

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      • chpalmerC
        chpalmer
        last edited by

        If the 3rd NIC is only for management then Id consider a USB to LAN port device…  Ive never used one before, I do not know of any compatible devices...

        Otherwise this would sound like a good reason to have access to admin from the WAN side...

        Does your media converter also NAT or is it just a bridge?

        Triggering snowflakes one by one..
        Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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        • W
          wallabybob
          last edited by

          I don't have any experience with EXSi. In Virtual Box I would create a virtual bridge on the host LAN interface and attach a virtual interface to that bridge to become the pfSense LAN interface. Then you would access the host through the IP address of its LAN interface and access pfSense LAN interface through the IP address you have assigned to it. Maybe that will give you an idea

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          • N
            nutt318
            last edited by

            If you're using ESXi you will need to create a new virtual NIC and assign the physical WAN NIC to a new virtual NIC. Once done you will then want to add another NIC to the VM, and select the WAN NIC.

            Hope that makes sense

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