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    PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • GertjanG
      Gertjan @mrpushner
      last edited by

      @mrpushner said in PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?:

      Hi, I had 3 total sites all on 2.4.4. I updated (via GUI) my Server site to 2.5.2. SITE TO SITE open VPN's continued to work fine. So two client sites on 2.4.4 to Server site on 2.5.2.
      As soon I updated one of my client sites to 2.5.2, VPN crashed.

      Oh ... great.
      My "common sense" would say :
      if 2.4.4 (really ?? 2.4.4 ??? 2.4.4 is way to old) to 2.4.4 works.
      and
      2.4.4 to 2.5.2 works
      then
      2.5.2 to 2.5.2 should also work.

      A bit like
      "Windows 7 networking" to "Windows 7 networking" worked.
      "Windows 7 networking" to "Windows 10 networking" worked.
      "Windows 10 networking 10" to "Windows 10 networking" fails ....

      Ok, sorry for me ranting.

      @mrpushner said in PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?:

      I did not determine the exact cause of this problem.

      Two things are needed :
      Clean restart of VPN server and the logs from that moment.
      Clean start of the client and the logs from that moment.

      Important : there are no 2.4.4 users on this forum. As 2.4.4 dates from .... dono, 2019 - 2018 ? I can't recall what the details were from that old OpenVPN version - and the 2.4.4 pfSense GUI - and the old pfSense quirks.

      So, tests should be done with a "2.5.2" to "2.5.2".

      Please, don't paste log text here in the forum. Use https://pastebin.com/ and paste the link here.

      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
      Edit : and where are the logs ??

      M N8LBVN 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • M
        mrpushner @Gertjan
        last edited by

        @gertjan Hi, yes, and my 2.5.2 to 2.5.2 would not work even though all the VPN settings looked normal and identical from the upgrade via the GUI.

        A clean install of 2.5.2 with a restored 2.4.4 config worked.

        So we indeed have here a case of:

        "Windows 7 networking" to "Windows 10 networking" worked.
        "Windows 10 networking" to "Windows 10 networking" failed.....until I started with a fresh install of Windows 10.

        MP

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • N8LBVN
          N8LBV @Gertjan
          last edited by

          @gertjan Please don't get stuck in a circle about the too old thing. We all know that 2.4.4 is no longer "supported", no need go on about that too much.
          Thanks.

          All of my systems that I am presenting here were updated to 2.5.0 and 2.5.2 a long time ago.
          Fact is -some people are still on 2.4.5 including some of my sites due to the upgrading issues not being fully figured out yet.

          Also I'm not really inclined to signup for another account on an external system just to post
          log snippets here. This forum provides for easily posting inline log snippets or examples.
          I did not really understand you "please don't post logs here" comment.
          pastebin might be great for some people and if you like it, by all means suggest and promote it.

          But I don't undertand your asking not to post logs here unless you are talking about
          large pieces, pages & pages.
          In that case what you are asking makes complete sense.
          I try to keep any log postings here short and relevant unless otherwise a full longer log is needed. Thanks! :)

          I feel more like I do now.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @N8LBV
            last edited by

            @n8lbv said in PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?:

            It is not working on any of my production systems that have both been upgraded from 2.4.5 to 2.5.2 and have two static public IP addresses configured.

            This still sounds like what I initially suggested in this thread, this bug:
            https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/11545

            How do you have the IPs configured if not as VIPs on WAN?

            If it is like that then check the WAN interface status and make sure it's using the expected IP address. The symptoms of this are exactly what you're describing.

            Steve

            N8LBVN 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • N8LBVN
              N8LBV @stephenw10
              last edited by

              @stephenw10 Thanks - I will check into this. Does it only affect or apply to IPSEC?
              I am currently only testing/troubleshooting with OPENVPN until I get that working first and then planned to circle back to IPSEC.
              Mainly just to keep this less confusing and have more of a single point of focus to work on and troubleshoot, even though I know BOTH are not working on my systems ever since upgrading past 2.4.5 and now currently at 2.5.2 :)

              Steve

              I feel more like I do now.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • N8LBVN
                N8LBV @stephenw10
                last edited by

                @stephenw10 Holy Crap!
                That might have effing worked!
                I'll get back on this and let you know.
                I remember trying this a long long time ago without any luck.
                But that would have been combined with old configs carried over versus me trying with new
                server certs and tunnels built from scratch after all of the old stuff was deleted.
                :)

                I feel more like I do now.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  Yeah, when you hit that it affects both IPSec and OpenVPN if they are set to listen on 'WAN address'. Some users seem to hit this regularly but I have never managed to replicate it locally and, as far as I know, neither have any of the devs which makes it impossible to pin down.

                  A possible workaround is to use the VIP address for the VPN because that does not change. That's not suitable for everyone though.

                  Steve

                  N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • N8LBVN
                    N8LBV @stephenw10
                    last edited by N8LBV

                    @stephenw10 This is cool that I got it working now.
                    I have a number on non-critical "friend and family" sites where VPN has been IPOP since
                    upgrading past 2.4.5 around Feb. 2020
                    And I kept customer production systems that needed VPN functionality on 2.4.5

                    Not exactly sure what you mean by using the VIP because it does not change as the WAN address in any of my cases do not change either :) and have never changed.

                    But yes!

                    I feel more like I do now.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      The bug here is that when you have VIPs defined on an interface the primary IP address should always be that defined in the interface config and VIP listed below that in the ifconfig output.
                      But under some unknown conditions ifconfig can start returning one of the VIP addresses at the too if the list. You can check it by running ifconfig manually or on the Status > Interfaces page where the IP address shown is what ifconfig returns.
                      That means that services using 'WAN address' can end up using a VIP address instead and clients are still using the correct address > failure!
                      If you set the VPN to use a VIP address instead of the main WAN it will always be that IP even if you hit this bug. But that means either changing the clients to use the VIP address or swapping the main interface and VIP IPs. That may not be practical in some setups.

                      Steve

                      N8LBVN jimpJ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • N8LBVN
                        N8LBV @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10 Cool!
                        I'm still not quite over the shock and thrill that it's working again :)
                        Did without it for quite a long time and poked at it here & there over that time.

                        I feel more like I do now.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • jimpJ
                          jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate @stephenw10
                          last edited by

                          @stephenw10 said in PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?:

                          If you set the VPN to use a VIP address instead of the main WAN it will always be that IP even if you hit this bug. But that means either changing the clients to use the VIP address or swapping the main interface and VIP IPs. That may not be practical in some setups.

                          Or bind to localhost and use port forward in on WAN port to the instance on localhost.

                          Or bind to all interfaces/multihome and control access with rules.

                          Only real reason to bind to a specific interface would be on a client if it had to source from a specific address, but even that is of questionable use these days.

                          Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

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                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • stephenw10S
                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                            last edited by

                            Yup that^. Works well for OpenVPN.

                            N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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                            • N8LBVN
                              N8LBV @stephenw10
                              last edited by N8LBV

                              This will be a topic for another thread, I had the problem "come back"
                              After I had tried to create an additional site to site shared key openvpn server on a different port.
                              I was able to get the tunnel to come up and work between the two PFSense systems,
                              I could ping and reach hosts on both LANS local and remote. (from either PFSense box)
                              I setup the remote site as a client.
                              But I could not get any traffic from one LAN to the other (not being routed fully to the other LAN).
                              I checked and double checked all of my firewall settings and have the usual "allow all to pass" type rules in place on the openvpn interfaces on each pfsense system-
                              And the routing tables look good on both systems local and remote.
                              And I can reach both openvpn interface addresses from both LANs so some routing is occurring
                              part way though at least to the far end openvpn interface.
                              Anyhow that's not working as planned or expected and it's weird.
                              I also tried a packet capture on the openvpn interface at the far end while trying to ping a host on the far end LAN, and did not see any traffic here.
                              The packets originate of the local LAN and are destined to the far end LAN,
                              I have all of the usual and expected stuff in place, LAN to any rule on both ends etc.
                              Routing table firewall rules all look proper on both ends and looks like it should work.
                              reboots made no difference.
                              I deleted that attempt and was left with my main VPN server on 1194 not responding again until I re-did the save WAN interface settings trick.

                              I feel more like I do now.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • stephenw10S
                                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                last edited by

                                That sounds like it must be a routing issue. Do you have policy based routing that might be overriding the routes added for OpenVPN?

                                N8LBVN 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • N8LBVN
                                  N8LBV @stephenw10
                                  last edited by

                                  @stephenw10 1- I don't think so. 2- I don't think so because I'm not familiar with policy based routing. I will attempt to get familiar.

                                  I feel more like I do now.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • N8LBVN
                                    N8LBV @stephenw10
                                    last edited by N8LBV

                                    @stephenw10 I did also do a packet capture on the WAN interface /gateway while trying to ping a host on the far end LAN just to confirm it was not taking the default route to the Internet and it was not seen there either.

                                    I feel more like I do now.

                                    N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • N8LBVN
                                      N8LBV @N8LBV
                                      last edited by

                                      @n8lbv ok did same test with openvpn and routes removed, and I'd expect to see these packets appear on my WAN interface and they are not..
                                      Something's up.
                                      I have something somewhere going on here. I'll find it.

                                      I feel more like I do now.

                                      N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • N8LBVN
                                        N8LBV @N8LBV
                                        last edited by N8LBV

                                        @n8lbv OK I had an old IPSEC config still stuck in there from testing a week ago that I thought I deleted which involved the same distant LAN subnet.
                                        Nice!

                                        Sorry to waste anyone's time here.
                                        But I guess I did figure out that the original 'problem' can come back while messing with openvpn changes, additions & changes.

                                        LOL

                                        I feel more like I do now.

                                        N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • N8LBVN
                                          N8LBV @N8LBV
                                          last edited by

                                          And that remote subnet is now back and working :)
                                          Along with my "main" server for dynamic client devices.
                                          Life isn't so bad.

                                          I feel more like I do now.

                                          stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • stephenw10S
                                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @N8LBV
                                            last edited by

                                            @n8lbv said in PFSense Release 2.5 + OpenVPN 2.5 broken? Any fixes?:

                                            Life isn't so bad.

                                            There are much worse things that can happen! 😉

                                            Still it would be very nice to get that bug squashed. The primary IP address should not change like that.

                                            Steve

                                            N8LBVN 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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