Hi
I’m just dipping my toe in the pfsense waters with the addition of the netgate 1100 and having one challenge with the setup.
My old router/setup was a netgear r7000 with two ex3700 extenders.
I’ve converted the old netgear router to an access point. Everything is now working in my network behind the pfsense firewall with the exception of the two range extenders.
I’ve tried reboots and factory resets on the range extenders but can’t get them to work.
One additional bit of information. In the pfsense box, I updated the local network to have an altered IP address 192.168.XX.1 and corresponding DHCP server range.
Any advice or suggestions of what I can do to get my extenders working again would be greatly appreciated.
neogrid - unfortunately, my house isn’t currently wired with ethernet cable, so a wired AP isn’t an option.
Last night, in the absence of a better option, I did factory resets again. This time I cleared both out first…and I put them on separate bands. After I did this, they worked and have been working for the past day. Still not sure what the initial issue was or exactly what solved it, but they are working.
Other noob questions:
After installing the pfsense firewall. I’m noticing a perceptible delay in apps loading in my home theater. Is this a function of the firewall slowing down initial traffic?
One of my goals with getting the pfsense firewall was to use it to set up separate vlans…one for personal equipment and the other for IOT devices. Do I need separate access points for each vlan, or can I use one AP to broadcast wifi signals for both vlans?
Any strong opinions on unifi vs tp link omada?
Edit: one additional question. One of my apps on my phone is getting blocked. I tested this by switching to mobile data. Any tips on how to unblock one specific app?
You need a managed switch if you want to run vlans, if you haven’t already got one. I’d go for a PoE one if the price difference isn’t that high or add a smaller 5 port PoE to what you have or use an injector with the access point.
I have a TP-Link EAP 245, I find it’s great for me If you buy a TP-Link, some have dual ethernet ports on so you could daisy chain another PoE switch off it then connect a second AP without running too many wires if you are restricted.
You need to run cable for the first AP, it has multiple ssids so is able to run handle vlans (8x2 bands). Before you buy any AP, RTFM to ensure it can handle multiple SSIDs / vlans, I made that error.
At least a few years ago, the EAP245 didn’t need a controller to manage a single AP, if you wanted to mesh 2 APs you’ll have to run the controller. You can do this in a VM on linux, you have to jump through some hoops, but follow their installation instructions precisely and it’ll work.
You can continue to use your current APs for a single vlans if you want.
What I found was that, once I was able to place the EAP245, at the top and centrally in my house I had much better wifi coverage than ever before, meaning all my various access points could then be junked / given to charity. You may have a similar experience, so I’d probably just buy one AP to begin with and see what happens.
I never sussed out how the guest portal works on pfSense, however, the guest portal on the TP-Link is very easy, if you set up a guest vlan you can then issue a token/number to your guests to connect to the internet based on a couple of criteria that you want.
If you buy a TP-Link, some have dual ethernet ports on so you could daisy chain another PoE switch off it then connect a second AP without running too many wires if you are restricted.