Proper way to add wireless AP to my network?
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Right now I've got a fairly basic PFSense setup, WAN, LAN1 and LAN2.
LAN1 is DHCP, LAN2 is static (i.e. no DHCP).
I want to add wireless to LAN2, do I just add a wireless access point to LAN2 interface or do I setup a new WLAN interface?
Also, if I add a wireless access point to LAN2, do I turn on DHCP on that wireless access point for clients? Or do I set the clients to static IPs? (like the hard-wired clients on LAN2). I've only ever dealt with wireless access points on DHCP networks so not sure if there are any gotchas.
Thanks for any advice.
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This is a pretty straight forward thing to do. Now are you using a true access point or are you using a wireless router? You mention that you are using an access point so if you connect it to your LAN2, because you don't have DHCP you will have to assign your clients IPs manually. If you turn the DHCP on for your lan2 then you should be good. You could make another interface like you said and call it WLAN and turn the DHCP on , on that interface which is what I would do. That way I can separate my wireless traffic from my wired traffic. I don't really think there is a right or wrong way to do this.
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This is a pretty straight forward thing to do. Now are you using a true access point or are you using a wireless router? You mention that you are using an access point so if you connect it to your LAN2, because you don't have DHCP you will have to assign your clients IPs manually. If you turn the DHCP on for your lan2 then you should be good. You could make another interface like you said and call it WLAN and turn the DHCP on , on that interface which is what I would do. That way I can separate my wireless traffic from my wired traffic. I don't really think there is a right or wrong way to do this.
I'll be using a true wireless access point… so basically have it sit on that new pfsense interface? what sort of rule do I need for that new interface to talk to LAN2?
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All you need to do is create a rule that allows any protocol from any source to any destination and you should be good. Since your router (Pfsense) is connected to both networks traffic will route from one to another. If you don't want people on your wireless lan to communicate to your LAN1 then create a rule that say block traffic from subnet going to LAN1. Make sure that rule is before the allow any any and you should be good to go.