Bridging Wi-Fi and Ethernet on SonicWALL

By default, SonicWALL devices do not permit wirelessly-connected devices to communicate with wired devices, although they do permit communication in the opposite direction. This default configuration is a security measure intended to prevent hackers from wirelessly gaining access to a network that is still in the process of being set up. In order to bridge your Wi-Fi and Ethernet devices together, you must add a firewall rule to the SonicWALL device permitting WLAN-to-LAN traffic.

Connect the SonicWALL device to your wired network and power on the device.

Open a Web browser and navigate to the SonicWALL device's IP address. By default, SonicWALL devices have an IP of “192.168.168.168” although it is possible to change this IP during the device's initial setup process.

Enter your username and password when prompted to log in to the device's menu.

Click “Firewall” and then select “Access Rules.”

Click the “Add” button to begin adding a new firewall rule. Next, select “WLAN” from the "From" drop-down menu, and then select “LAN” from the "To" drop-down menu.

Select “All” from the “Service” drop-down menu.

Select the IP address range that corresponds to your Wi-Fi devices from the “Source” drop-down menu.

Select the IP address range that corresponds to your Ethernet devices from the “Destination” drop-down menu.

Click “OK” to create the rule. Wireless devices connected to your SonicWALL device's Wi-Fi network will now be able to send traffic to your Ethernet devices, and vice versa.