Needs assistance with pfSense and Wi-Fi router configuration
Needs assistance with pfSense and Wi-Fi router configuration
Before we begin, here’s the equipment I’m using:
1. ARRIS Group, Inc. TG1682G Modem (provided by my ISP)
2. PfSense Router with these details: – Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
3. 6GB DDR3 RAM
4. 120GB Kingston A400 SATA 3 2.5" Internal SSD
5. Intel EXPI9404PTL 4-Port Gigabit PCIe NIC
6. NETGEAR JGS524Ev2 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch
7. TP-Link Archer AX11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router (I realize I may have gone too far) – could have used the AC5400, but the AX11000 was only $150 more)
8. Custom-built NAS / Media / Webserver on Debian 10 with Virtualmin – Intel Core i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz, 4 cores
9. 10GB DDR3 RAM
10. 120GB Kingston A400 SATA 3 2.5" Internal SSD (System Drive)
11. 4TB combined storage from four 1TB WD Green HDDs – Intel EXPI9404PTL 4-Port Gigabit PCIe NIC
Currently, my cable modem is in bridge mode. It connects via a CAT6 cable to the WAN port on my pfSense router, while the LAN port links to the first port of my Netgear switch. The AX11000 is set in AP mode to provide wireless access, and it’s connected to the Netgear switch through another CAT6 cable. My NAS is linked via four CAT5e cables (802.3ad LACP) to the managed switch, which has fast transfer speeds thanks to aggregated connections.
My challenge is that the AX11000 supports LACP link aggregation only in router mode, not AP mode. I’m trying to configure it correctly between the pfSense device and the wireless AP, but it’s proving tricky. I’ve attempted to keep it in router mode, routed the Wi-Fi directly into the pfSense box via the 2.5Gbps WAN port (though the router can’t reach the internet this way), disabled DHCP, and used the AX11000 as a switch/output for my larger managed switch with aggregation enabled. It works when I place the AP on a different subnet, but that removes the benefit of having it on the same LAN segment as other devices.
I’d appreciate any advice on resolving this setup issue. Someone with deep knowledge of pfSense would be really helpful. I understand I might have oversimplified things, but I’m determined to get it right. I’ve looked online for solutions, but nothing seems to fit perfectly. Thank you for taking the time to consider my concerns.
I don’t see a clear fix. However, it might be better to move your NAS from raid 0 to raid 5. This will lower your usable space to 3TB, but you’ll be able to handle a hard drive failure without losing all your data. Since WD Green drives aren’t built for NAS use, this could help protect your information.
DHCP disabled on the AX11000 means IP assignment isn't required, and the connection should function without concern for IP details. It simply forwards traffic to the LAN regardless of IP status. The issue lies with the AX11000's behavior—it might not perform LACP in AP mode unnecessarily. I switched to a multi-gig switch because troubleshooting LACP between PC and switch proved too frustrating, and I eventually gave up. Another point is whether you can exceed Gigabit speeds on WiFi 6; while theoretically possible, real-world performance often drops significantly, like from 700Mbit to 400Mbit on WiFi 5.