Wireless Support in pfSense
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I hate to see precious resources being spent on integrating wireless cards into pfSense devices.
Get a purpose-built access point and put it on your LAN, people.
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Well when a access point costs 20 to 50 dollars and i can get a wireless card for 10 dollars and integrate it.
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I hate to see precious resources being spent on integrating wireless cards into pfSense devices.
Get a purpose-built access point and put it on your LAN, people.
What a short sighted attitude.
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I can see both arguments. It really depends on your needs and box location. I prefer access points myself since they are built for the job.
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Indeed, wireless is the most unreliable technology in networking today, but it is a necessary evil. But for wireless+pfsense, one would prefer to have an internal card running as AP instead of an external device for aesthetic reasons.
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Also for bandwidth reasons - you might not want all that wireless traffic on your LAN (this of course depends on where your bottlenecks are, which can vary). However the OP solution, if it is the most trouble-free one, certainly makes a good backup solution, if nothing more exotic works.
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How about captive portal and the graphing/logging/monitoring and security features. I think those features alone are a sell. Plus it is not like pfsense is supporting all wireless cards in AP mode. The concentration is on Atheros and i think that is great. I can pull one atheros radio out put another one in and my wifi settings remain untouched even with new mac on the radio. Awesome stuff i tell ya. Plus working N-mode now in Alpha releases I see less reasons for people to complain about shortcomings. Thank goodness for the Freebsd10 refresh i say… I also see alot of the driver related work done at the FreeBSD level -so where's the beef.
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You get all those things in pfSense if you have other wireless devices.
If you get a real WAP you can have 802.11ac yesterday, not be waiting for n in some weeks/months.
I just don't get it.
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I feel there are many ways to approach a problem and none of them are wrong. I like the internal radio I installed in my Riverbed Steelhead. But I like internal things. You point is taken that all those features are available using an interface off pfsense. I just think that with pfSense being a monowall fork this basic function should exist. I hate to come across so blatant as a newbie but i created an account just to dispell this wireless voodoo i read all the time here. Folks -for 95 percent of the people wireless AP works fine. Just follow the hardware list.
What is the killer feature missing that these developers would be working on instead of wireless support??? pfSense Seems to be the most complete Router O/S i can find.
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@Evancool:
But for wireless+pfsense, one would prefer to have an internal card running as AP instead of an external device for aesthetic reasons.
Well said :)
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Its a preference thing, obviously. I have found using a DDWRT "router" as a wireless AP/dumb switch is both cost effective and reliable. I prefer that for small normal home uses.
You can't beat getting a Gigabit switch + wireless AP for $10 which is about what I've paid every time.
DDWRT is starting to get long in the tooth though and not seeing much updates to it, so this may soon not be a good option. Not sure.
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Right. you're doing your wireless outside of pfSense where it belongs.
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Well - Its just an opinion.
I have many and usually everyone disagrees.The fact that you agree with me should worry you (-;
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@Phishfry:
pfSense Seems to be the most complete Router O/S i can find.
Absolutely correct, until you mention "waiting for wireless n".
I have about 40 quality APs pumping through pfSense. Works fantastic. Hundreds if not thousands of simultaneous clients. I also have 300 garbage APs pumping through pfSense. Capping out at about 4000 captive portal sessions. Works great.
Stop trying to get a wireless adapter working in your pfSense router. It's a router. Put your wireless at layer 2 where it belongs. Let pfSense do what it does best - firewall router.
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I agree also with you @Derelicht :)
