OPNsense Forum

English Forums => Hardware and Performance => Topic started by: lar.hed on July 31, 2020, 08:42:13 am

Title: One more Ethernetport? Using my Netgear M1 / USB dongle / modem or Unifi?
Post by: lar.hed on July 31, 2020, 08:42:13 am
So I have a 6 port ethernet OPNsense installation.

In one of the ports sits my Netgear M1 Nighthawk (MR1100) LTE modem over Ethernet connection. I would like to get that ethernet port back so to speak...

So I have a few options I guess:
1) Connect my Netgear M1 (MR1100) LTE router over USB tethering (watch below, since I could not get this to work) ?
2) USB dongle with one more Ethernet port for my LAN printer/scanner - which make and model, how do I connect it?
3) I have a LTE USB dongle modem somewhere (Huawei something) - not sure I like this solution at all
4) I will, sooner or later, upgrade (?) to a Unifi AP (instead of my Asus AX88 router used as AP only), which will offer as I remember it an extra Ethernet port? Never used this, nor do I know if it works for any kind of usage. My original thought was to have my LAN printer/scanner attached to the Unifi AP which would be attached to my OPNsense firewall (all over ethernet of course). Just never tried this, however I guess it might be plug&pray over it?

So any other options I am missing?

I guess the best (?) solution would be an USB-Ethernet port with the LAN printer/scanner attached - that is my guess. However what make and model?

During one brief moment I thought, well the Netgear M1 LTE router does support USB tethering. Tried it, with no success of course. I guess the least I need is to add the interface somehow, but well it is not a PPP modem connection... From the log:

Quote
2020-07-31T08:00:02   root: Unknown USB device: vendor 0x0846 product 0x68e1 bus uhub0
2020-07-31T08:00:02   root: Unknown USB device: vendor 0x0846 product 0x68e1 bus uhub0
2020-07-31T08:00:02   kernel: ugen0.2: <NETGEAR, Inc. MR1100> at usbus0
2020-07-31T07:59:57   kernel: ugen0.2: <NETGEAR, Inc. MR1100> at usbus0 (disconnected)
2020-07-31T07:54:53   root: Unknown USB device: vendor 0x0846 product 0x68e1 bus uhub0
2020-07-31T07:54:53   root: Unknown USB device: vendor 0x0846 product 0x68e1 bus uhub0
2020-07-31T07:54:53   kernel: ugen0.2: <NETGEAR, Inc. MR1100> at usbus0

So any great ideas or suggestion are welcome - what have I missed, what do I need to learn or?
Title: Re: One more Ethernetport? Using my Netgear M1 / USB dongle / modem or Unifi?
Post by: bartjsmit on July 31, 2020, 12:58:53 pm
What about VLAN's?
Title: Re: One more Ethernetport? Using my Netgear M1 / USB dongle / modem or Unifi?
Post by: lar.hed on August 01, 2020, 11:02:38 am
VLANs will not give me more Ethernetports (except if I decide to buy a managed switch and create VLANs on that).
Title: Re: One more Ethernetport? Using my Netgear M1 / USB dongle / modem or Unifi?
Post by: bartjsmit on August 02, 2020, 09:46:02 am
except if I decide to buy a managed switch and create VLANs on that

Yes, that's the usual approach. TP-Link kit is priced comparably with your other options, although you may want to invest in a PoE switch if you're thinking of Unifi AP's. The Ubiquti ones are reassuringly expensive  8)

Bart...