Dynamic switching hosts to different WANs
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I have just started working with PFSense so please excuse my ignorance.
I am using PF on a netbook for my home network with a 3G CDMA modem (unlimited data). We have three rooted phones; two with LTE and one with 3G.
My first question: Is it possible to plug in three USB WiFi adapters, configure them to connect to the phones hotspots, then have specific clients on the network dynamically switch from the 3G modem to a pre-defined wifi adapter when a WAN connection is detected? Basically I want my computer to switch to my phone when I turn on the hotspot, then when my wife turns on her phone's hotspot I want her computer\tablet\and Wii to switch to using her phone without losing access to the servers on my network.
Second question: If it is possible, could you point me in the right direction. I won't ask anyone for step by step instructions (though I wouldn't turn it down) ;)
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Leaving the lack of WiFi support in FreeBSD aside, this would be a complete usability and reliability nightmare… Yuck. Would not want to use such network for more than a couple of minutes.
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Assuming you have USB WiFi adapters that will work with pfSense in client mode (connecting out to the respective phone WiFi SSIDs, when they appear in-range), then pfSense should do the routing OK. You can have:
LAN - servers, computers, tablets, Wii…
WAN - your 3G CDMA modem
WAN1 - to phone WiFi1
WAN2 - to phone WiFi2
WAN3 - to phone WiFi3
Make sure each phone WiFi offers a different subnet (don't let them all be 192.168.0.0/24) and that gateway monitoring is left on.
Make gateway groups:
GG1 = WAN1 tier 1, WAN tier 2.
GG2 = WAN2 tier 1, WAN tier 2.
GG3 = WAN3 tier 1, WAN tier 2.
Make aliases for each of the lists of IPs that are to be fed to each phone WiFi:
Alias1 = wife's devices
Alias2 = your devices
Alias3 = kids devices...
Add rules on LAN, source Alias1, destination !LANnet, gateway GG1 and so on.The sticking point will be getting enough USB WiFi adapters working?
You could add ethernet cards, then connect the each ethernet to a standalone WiFi device setup in client mode, that will do the connecting to the phone WiFi when it comes up.I guess in your use case, your main link has limited bandwidth, and your phones come with some data quota that you might as well use, and effectively do a "manual load balancing" when the phone connections are available.
Might be a challenge to get the hardware to play!
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Thanks for the feedback this sets me in the right direction. I can grab several USB Ethernet adapters and plug in some bridges. Personally I love the TP-Link nano travel routers.
Actually all the phones and the modem have unlimited data. But sharing a 3G connection with up to 15 devices can really slow things down. We have been using our phones to help alleviate the demand on the modem, but we also want access to our local servers at the same time. And now that Sprint installed LTE right next to us…
Again thanks for the help!