I could not find clear information about this, so I would like to ask:
I am running IPFire on a Raspberry Pi 4B and would like to access the WebGUI via WLAN from my home network. In other words, I want the IPFire system itself to act as a WiFi client.
From what I understand, the WebGUI only offers the option to configure a WiFi client (SSID, password) if the underlying WiFi chipset is supported by the kernel. Since this option does not appear in my setup, I assume that the Raspberry Pi 4B’s onboard WiFi is currently not supported as a client. Is that correct?
If so:
Is this a technical limitation (driver/kernel support)?
Or is it intentionally not supported due to security or design considerations?
It would be very useful to have this feature.
As an alternative, is there any documented way to enable this manually?
For example, by adding the required driver in a custom build
Or by adjusting configuration files or kernel parameters
Given that the onboard WiFi can already be used for a BLUE network (access point mode), I am wondering whether client mode could be enabled with additional configuration.
Additional information if you’d like to use the Raspberry PI’s integrated Wi-Fi:
The Raspberry PI 4b’s built-in Wi-Fi is quite weak, and it doesn’t have an external antenna, which means it has poor range.
Thanks for answering!
Read carefully about the Requirements:
“You will see the “System > Wireless client” menu option only if the system found a wireless adapter that is supported by the wireless stack. A list of all working wireless adapters can be found on our networking hardware compatibility list.”
You won’t find the adapter (Broadcom BCM2711, stated here: www.ipfire.org - Raspberry Pi 4 Model B , as a possible match… So the Rpi 4B as a client seems not to be supported, right?
I haven’t tried with the RED connection, though, but that’s because I want to connect a server to green and the red goes out to the internet via ethernet cable. I wanted to administer the IPFire webGUI from my desktop PC and connect via WLAN to the Raspberry. The advantage I see is that I can always switch the wifi connection into the Raspberry firewall on and off as necessary.
Thank you! That would be a feature in my case, since my home wifi is in the same room, only some 50 cm or so away from the Raspberry Firewall to be, so I’m happy with the additional security
In the example, brcmfmac is connected to the Blue zone.
You can also use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to connect to the Green zone.
I use an Rpi4 as a backup IPFire instance with the keepalived add-on to keep my IoT devices connected in case my primary IPFire goes down at night or for maintenance, reboot, upgrade…
I use it with Wifi as an AP on the Green zone with the hostapd add-on and USB-to-Ethernet on Blue
But I have also tested wifi on the Red zone.
And it works.
Then I wonder why there is no menu item in the WebGUI (via elinks) under System to fill in the SSID and the password for the wifi - it’s just not there:
“You will see the “System > Wireless client” menu option only if the system found a wireless adapter that is supported by the wireless stack.”
Of course I could configure it as an AP, yes, but that’s not what I want. I’d like to use red via ethernet cable to connect to the internet, green for my server structure and blue as wifi client to administer via webGUI. Blue I only can configure as an AP, not as a client. Believe me, the menu item is unavailable - sorry I can’t provide a screenshot here, I’m using the webGUI on the CLI with elinks.
And I would turn the wifi back on via CLI on the Raspberry itself, to administer the firewall with elinks kind of sucks
Right !
The “System > Wireless client” menu option only appears if you select the Wi-Fi card assigned to the Red zone in setup > network (or Network > Zone Configuration in WUI).
There are no plans to use it in another configuration (Green or Blue); that is what I wrote in my first reply.
What you would like to do is not supported by IPFire.
Thank you - yeah, you wrote it in your first reply.
I think it would be a great and very useful enhancement. Don’t you think my structure is a very practical way to set up a home server? Honestly, IMHO it is more useful than having a wireless client with the red network - it is less stable than with a cable and when you use it as a portable firewall in public spaces you would need either an additional ethernet cable and a plug to access this network or you’d need an usb-to-wifi-stick which needs additional power, not really fitting to the already precarious power consumption of a Raspi.
I really would appreciate it very much if someone would consider adding this capability to the blue network…
Thank you!
