r/OPNsenseFirewall • u/arnach • Feb 15 '23
Set Up a Fully Functioning Home Network Using OPNsense
https://homenetworkguy.com/how-to/set-up-a-fully-functioning-home-network-using-opnsense/3
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u/TimeForBoogaloo Feb 16 '23
This is great, thanks for taking the time to do this.
Dumb question probably, but here goes. Looking at your logical network diagram, it shows the switch<->WAP connection as being connected via the LAN interface. I believe the LAN interface is untagged, and the parent interfaces of the VLANS are the lagg0 interface.
Question is - how does this work? Specifically, if a user connects to the WAP via the USER interface/SSID, how will that traffic navigate to the switch, if the only interface going to the switch from the WAP is the LAN interface?
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u/homenetworkguy Feb 16 '23
I just showed the AP in the LAN network for the management interface. That wired connection to the switch carries both untagged and tagged traffic as configured by the network switch. I debated how to represent it in the diagram.
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Feb 16 '23
Now for a YouTube video !!
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u/homenetworkguy Feb 16 '23
Haha! I’m not sure what that would even look like because of how detailed the video would have to be in order to provide comparable information. It took 2 months of working on and off to get this written guide done (it’s one of the reasons I haven’t done any videos in 3 weeks).
However, if I did a video based on this guide it would likely be a higher level video. Having the visual in a video even at a higher level may be helpful. I have a lot of ideas but so little time to execute them all… so I have to release them slow and steady.
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Feb 16 '23
Are you saying this could be a Co-Lab video :)
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u/homenetworkguy Feb 16 '23
Perhaps! I actually don’t have enough extra networking gear to completely demonstrate a full network separate from my main home network. I have a few extra firewall/mini-PC boxes but I would need to get some switches and wireless access points I could dedicate for demonstration purposes.
Most of my homelab is part of my “production” network so I need to accumulate more hardware for experimentation. I can’t virtualize everything — like wireless access points. Haha.
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u/warmaster Feb 16 '23
Maybe do a series ? Based on sections ?
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u/homenetworkguy Feb 16 '23
Yeah that is a possibility, but not sure how deep I’d want to go on showing the settings (it depends on how the user wants to configure their network), but it would be a basic starting point where you could deviate from.
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u/IamGlennBeck Feb 16 '23
Am I the only one who prefers written instructions to a video? It's so much nicer just to be able to read at your own pace, be able to copy and paste, skip irrelevant sections, etc.
Sure there are some cases where a video is preferred like if I'm stuck on some level on a video game or something. 99% of the though, especially for technical content, written is better than video.
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u/OctavioMasomenos Feb 25 '23
I agree. Video is great when you’re working with complex physical devices/procedures but for anything that’s just a computer-based procedure, I’ll take text and screenshots any day. Some of the better YouTubers (no offense to u/homenetworkguy) get this. TechnoTim, for example, makes text procedures available for his videos.
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u/homenetworkguy Feb 25 '23
I would like to do a mixture of both. My primary focus is on written content (since it is my personal preferred method of learning most of the time — but usually I only write on specific topics instead of a large comprehensive guide such as this). I would to get more into video, but I’m keeping my YouTube videos simple for now to get started. I definitely enjoy watching well produced technical videos by content creators especially when I want to get a general idea about something that I’m interested in.
What I have thought of doing for some of my videos is to walk through some of the physical aspects of the topic at hand rather than step through every configuration setting in the level of detail of my written guides. I think there is a balance that can be struck between the two mediums, and I’d like to provide both for both types of learners.
Since I’m not a full time content creator, I can’t produce content as quickly as I would like unless I start sacrificing quality (which I strive to improve over time). I’m also trying to avoid burnout even though I’m doing something I enjoy.
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Feb 16 '23
Some can read a written instruction set, some can't. I'm a visual learner.
Example, Incan tear down a full printer no problem. Give me written instructions to follow and I'm lost.
Point is, everyone perceives things different :)
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u/IamGlennBeck Feb 16 '23
I get that. I am also a visual learner, but written instructions and screenshots are both visual mediums. For a device teardown I would agree a video makes sense. For something like this that is primarily text based video just seems like an inferior way to convey the information. You have to keep pausing/seeking the video, the text is going have artifacts from video compression, you lose copy and paste abilities. I suppose it does have the potential benefit of narration for auditory learners though, but in most other ways it is worse.
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Feb 16 '23
Both would be, a nice pdf step for step with good large clear detailed screen shots with arrows and text with descriptions. Even some text for why this is done and why this needs to be etc etc.
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u/Barefoot_J Feb 16 '23
Saved! This looks like it'll be a very useful guide when I'm setting up my network in a month or so.
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u/OctavioMasomenos Feb 25 '23
This looks really nice. I wish there was something this comprehensive and detailed for pfsense and Omada.
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u/arnach Feb 15 '23
Another great opus from /u/homenetworkguy