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    Network shared drive blocked?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Routing and Multi WAN
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    • L
      lopan
      last edited by

      I just set up pfSense with an old pc that was rotting in box. This was strictly a DIY project because I like tinkering with computers. I had a linksys router that networked all my computers and I was able to share one of my pc's slave drive to all the other computers for media streaming. I cannot access that drive or see the computer at all with my other computers now that I am using pfSense as my network router. Are there some firewall rules I need to apply so that all my computers on the same network can see eachother and access eachothers files?

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      • G
        gderf
        last edited by

        You haven't described your setup enough to get any definitive help.

        But in the typical network, all the PCs are connected to a switch and the switch is uplinked to the firewall/router. In this setting the firewall/router has no influence on PC to PC traffic.

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        • L
          lopan
          last edited by

          I have 4 NICs in the pfSsense box, no switch. 1 NIC set as WAN, the other 3 NICs setup as OPT1, OPT2, OPT3. I have OPT1, OPT2, and OPT3 bridged. My LAN is set to that bridge (OPT1,2,3). I have 3 PCs hooked up to those OPT interfaces. With my linksys router I could access files on one computer from another computer via the network. I can't do that with pfSense in its current config. pfSense is setup about as basic as it gets, no packages installed or any complex routing.

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          • G
            gderf
            last edited by

            Your Linksys' LAN ports are a switch, not separate interfaces that are bridged. That's why it works without any configuration.

            The easiest, sanest, and least complicated way to get where you want to be is to add a cheap switch into your setup. The PC to PC performance will likely be better too.

            Getting back to your current setup, what firewall rules do you have on each OPT interface?

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            • L
              lopan
              last edited by

              There are no rules on the OPTs. Only the LAN has its two default rules which I assume the OPTs follow since they are bridged to the LAN.

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              • G
                gderf
                last edited by

                You need an allow to any on each OPT.

                Please clarify what you mean by "Network shared drive blocked." I assume this is a Windows network. Does this mean that you can't see the share in the Network list? That may never work like it does across a switch.

                What happens on one of the PC you wish to see the share on when you open Windows Explorer and enter \IP_of_machine_with_share in the address bar? Can you see the share then?

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                • L
                  lopan
                  last edited by

                  Yes this is a windows network. When I type the ip of the computer i want to browse in my browsers address bar nothing shows up. I will try to "allow any" for the OPTs and see if that works. Hopefully there is a way to config pfSense to work the way my router does.

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                  • G
                    gderf
                    last edited by

                    I doubt that you will be able to see shares in the Network. That visibility requires broadcasts which don't play well on routers.

                    If you can live without that visibility and be able to access the share (try mapping it to a network drive) then OK.

                    But like I said, get a switch if you want to work like it was intended to.

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                    • L
                      lopan
                      last edited by

                      Woot! "Pass any" for all the OPTs worked. I can access my desktops slave drive from my laptop through the network now. Thanks gderf! I just hope I didn't open any security holes…

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                      • L
                        lopan
                        last edited by

                        That's what I did, mapped a network drive. I was trying to be as clear about my issue as possible. Putting problems into words that others can understand without actually being there can be a challenge at times.

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                        • G
                          gderf
                          last edited by

                          Well, there isn't going to be any real security between the PCs, but there wan't any before on the Linksys either, nor would there be any across a switch. You need firewalls on each individual machine to get that.

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                          • L
                            lopan
                            last edited by

                            I'm not concerned about security between computers in my home network. I just care about security from the internet.

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                            • G
                              gderf
                              last edited by

                              Shouldn't be any problems. You have to deliberately allow unsolicited incoming traffic via NATs and Rules.

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