Captive portal detects the antenna MAC address instead of the device MAC

[bear.soul89]

Hello, I am quite a noob using PFSENSE and specially the captive portal feature but recently I made it work using freeradious2 and it worked without almost any problem.

First things first, my LAN is pretty small. Basically is the Pfsense server connected to a Nanostation M2 and then to expand the range for the signal I am using 2 more nanostation2 wich each one recieves the signal and repeat.

My problem is that the captive portal detects the MAC from the antenna the devices are getting the signal instead of getting the mac address from the device (smartphone, PC, Laptop, etc.) and when I move near to another antenna and the device switches from one to another the captive portal asks me again the user and password and on the GUI appears twice the login from the device.

So my question is: Why the captive portal detects the antennas MAC as if it were the devices MAC instead of the correct one? and how can I fix this? do I need to use Cable to conect each antena or is a thing to modify on my pfsense installation?

[ptt]

You should ask, about that, at the Ubiquiti Forums… The issue is related to the Ubiquiti Radios (antennas as you call them) not to pfSense/CP

[Gertjan]

@bear.soul89:

…..
So my question is: Why the captive portal detects the antennas MAC as if it were the devices MAC instead of the correct one? and how can I fix this? do I need to use Cable to conect each antena or is a thing to modify on my pfsense installation?

I used ones several Linksys WRT54 with the DD-WRT firmware - and set them all up in 'wds' mode.
Only ONE Linksys connected by wire (RJ45) to my pfSense portal interface.
All the other were just working as a huge 'wifi-switch', all these Linksys were working as a huge Access Point.
It worked very well.

The thing is, your Wifi Points should work in Access Point mode. In this case, the client's MAC is send to the gateway (our portal interface).
Often, when these wifi access points are working with a router function activated, they will 'keep' the MAC of the client, and make a connection on their behalf to the portal interface, using their own MAC.
And that definitely NOT what you want.

Btw: on all Wifi access points, shut down
DHCP, DNS.
The pfSense portal interface is (and should) handling all these requests.

[jaspras]

Ubiquity bridges its interfaces  in three modes , is it in router mode ?

if so then change it to bridged.
ofcourse DHCP, DNS etc … as Gertjan seas must be handled by pfsense.