Hey guys, I'm hoping for some insight into how to set up my network. Feel free to let me know if this would be better in r/HomeNetworking!
Current setup
Currently, we have a very simply network setup - just a cheap modem/router/wifi combo that servers all of my roommates devices wirelessly, in addition to a line that I ran to a switch in my room.
Work in progress
I have a small homelab set up with a backup server and some raspberry pis, but I want to experiment with selfhosting a website just to build my knowledge.
To this end, I've looked into setting up a pfSense box. Right now I have pfSense installed on a protectli device, which is connected to the Arris router in a LAN-to-WAN configuration:
Ultimately, I'm trying to figure out the best way to set up the network for someone who is relatively new to networking. Ultimately I want
- To make sure I'm not interrupting my roommates' internet
- To be able to access the self hosted website
- To do this all securely
Proposed network
The pfSense box has multiple NICs, so if my understanding is correct I can completely segment my devices from my roommates'. Additionally, I have a smart switch, so I'm hoping to set up separate VLANs for my devices accessible from outside the network, as well as IoT devices
Questions
I'm new to networking so any advice is much appreciated. I have a few specific questions, but I'm not sure if they cover all considerations I should be taking! In particular:
- Does my proposed network layout make more sense than just putting all my devices on the current LAN-to-WAN subnetwork I have? What needs to be done for this current setup to work - I can think only of port forwarding.
- Is one option better than the other for DDNS which I intend to setup with cloudflare?
- Is one option safer for my roommates' devcies (I presume my proposed one is)
If relevant, no roommate devices will need to be able to talk to any of my devices (I think that's what this pfSense Block RFC1918 Private Networks`option relates to?)
Thank you so much!
If you have a Managed Switch with VLAN capabilities, then your new proposed idea and layout make sense.
Your current setup kind of looks like it's double NAT. Which is not great. You want the Protectli router to be the first device after the Arris Surfboard modem. Have the modem be in only modem/bridge mode. We do not want to use the Arris as a router.