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    VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • D
      dfinjr
      last edited by

      Ok so a few updates have taken place.

      First of all:
      @DaddyGo
      Your virtual box build idea works. All traffic all sites work. Problem is localized to the vm workstation area on that host machine.

      Firewall to 10.10.0.10:
      Still failing to register for unknown reasons after adjusting to conservative.

      on the live session:
      I'd be happy to do a write up from whatever we wall potentially do in this forum post. My goal was only to let you all see first hand what is happening. Happy to keep it here if that is what you all want. Obviously I do not want to ask anyone to do anything they're not comfortable with.

      Overall I feel like we're getting close to the answer. We know that the vm workstation virtual switching is part of the problem for sure but are still on the mystery why the Cisco ASA was able to cope and route.

      This 10.10.0.10 secondary problem is interesting because that is physical > virtual connection where I have that working in a multitude of places outside of that DMZ vlan. A handful of systems are able to effectively do what that DMZ client is failing to do from both the other vlans (labsystems and default)

      DaddyGoD 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • DaddyGoD
        DaddyGo @dfinjr
        last edited by DaddyGo

        @dfinjr said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

        but are still on the mystery why the Cisco ASA was able to cope and route.

        I think the answer is here in the Cisco FW (RFC1191) ๐Ÿ˜‰ :

        4e006c98-a297-4f07-8c6b-38e7f26bd4e6-image.png

        +++edit:

        https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/asa/asa96/configuration/general/asa-96-general-config/interface-mtu.html

        Cats bury it so they can't see it!
        (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

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

          Try to get a pcap of the failing registration session from 10.10.0.10. See what's actually happening there. Seems highly likely it will be something similar. Might be easier to see with all local traffic though.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • DaddyGoD
            DaddyGo @dfinjr
            last edited by DaddyGo

            @dfinjr said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

            Your virtual box build idea works. All traffic all sites work. Problem is localized to the vm workstation area on that host machine.

            So then you have to say that it is possible that the rumor is true and there are problems between the i219-v and VMware stuff (hypervisors)

            +++edit:
            Yup and you need to open a ticket for this at VMware ๐Ÿ˜‰

            Cats bury it so they can't see it!
            (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

            D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • D
              dfinjr @DaddyGo
              last edited by

              @daddygo

              Son of a gun! Based on what you were saying I dropped the hardwire lan and bumped it over to wifi (just to switch the network interface) and it worked. VM is able to navigate regularly. Color me shocked!

              Ok, trying to figure out now where I go from here.

              I still gotta make sure that I can VPN to the lab systems but clearly there is an issue with the hardline network. May be taking a short retail trip to get a usb network adapter just like you mentioned.

              DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • DaddyGoD
                DaddyGo @dfinjr
                last edited by DaddyGo

                @dfinjr said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                Ok, trying to figure out now where I go from here.

                It will be difficult because it's a laptop (vm host), hihihi

                A really good quality USB adapter will help.
                You rarely hear that from my mouth here on this forum ๐Ÿ˜‰

                ++++edit:
                Beware of the Realtek chip, please,....you can save a lot of crying

                Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                D 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • D
                  dfinjr @DaddyGo
                  last edited by

                  @daddygo

                  Yeah nothing wants to connect to the Bigfix resources well being on Google Wifi so I think your hardline USB adapter is the place to start. I'll get my hands on that first, test, and let everyone know.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • D
                    dfinjr @DaddyGo
                    last edited by

                    @daddygo

                    And just to clarify on the Cisco vs pfsense deal. The reason that the Cisco was able to cope is because of the rfc1191 that Cisco has correct? Is that something that PFSense doesn't support?

                    BTW thank you all for the great help, beginning to see the lights at the end of the tunnel.

                    DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • DaddyGoD
                      DaddyGo @dfinjr
                      last edited by

                      @dfinjr said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                      And just to clarify on the Cisco vs pfsense deal.

                      Yes it looks very much like that MTU RFC1191 ๐Ÿ˜‰

                      Cisco is my other big favorite, I've been working with them for 18 years, has a lot of small, sophisticated services for which you pay a lot afterwards

                      but this does nothing to dampen the greatness of pfSense,
                      unfortunately pfSense can't do these MTU tricks, but it is better at other things

                      Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                      (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

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                      • stephenw10S
                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                        last edited by

                        Hmm, it's hard to imagine pfSense/FreeBSD would break MTU path discovery. Many, many things would be broken by that. Though clearly the path MTU is set far lower with the Cisco in place.

                        Also that would apply equally to any NIC on the VM host. Unless maybe the wifi NIC itself has a reduced MTU. ๐Ÿค”

                        DaddyGoD 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • D
                          dfinjr
                          last edited by

                          @DaddyGo
                          Thank you for that clarification! I am CCNA security certified (education and not a ton of real world) but it is all very interesting for me. It is tough to have a small capable/affordable personal Cisco firewall deployment with VPN capabilities. That and they're somewhat difficult to buy and license on an individual scale. Bet you've run into that too.

                          @stephenw10
                          I'm very happy to shed any further desired light on the issue. Anything else that I can see/learn in the process is welcomed for sure.

                          Anything else that I can diagnose/packet capture/etc that would do well for anyone trying to nail this down in the future?

                          DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • DaddyGoD
                            DaddyGo @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10 said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                            Also that would apply equally to any NIC on the VM host.

                            certainly not break it, just...

                            Yeah, the trick must be in Cisco ASA FW and its MTU handling, probably more sophisticated

                            this will soon become clear after a good USB NIC test
                            BTW:
                            the vExpert forum is full of Intel i219-v problems

                            Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                            (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                            D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • DaddyGoD
                              DaddyGo @stephenw10
                              last edited by

                              @stephenw10 said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                              Unless maybe the wifi NIC itself has a reduced MTU.

                              I am not a fan of wifi, , but I remember something like this... :)

                              with (MTU+MAC+Encryp.):

                              default 802.11 MTU = 2304

                              • wep = 2346
                              • wpa2 = 2354

                              Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                              (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • DaddyGoD
                                DaddyGo @dfinjr
                                last edited by

                                @dfinjr said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                                Bet you've run into that too.

                                ๐Ÿ˜‰ you won

                                don't tell me, I'm here from Fortinet and ASA firelines

                                Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                                (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • D
                                  dfinjr @DaddyGo
                                  last edited by

                                  @daddygo said in VMware Workstation VMs Web Traffic Being Blocked:

                                  vExpert forum is full of Intel i219-v problem

                                  Good to hear I'm not the only one.

                                  I think you're right, we'll know the truth as soon as I have that USB Nic. I'll have that within the next 1-2 hours (have to wait for the store to open) and then I'll resume testing and share results.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • D
                                    dfinjr
                                    last edited by

                                    @DaddyGo @stephenw10

                                    Alright, new network adapter, hardlined to the netgate, unfortunately same results. Doesn't appear network adapter for the VMware side is part to the occasion anymore:

                                    Taken from .202
                                    fe474a6a-1fd7-4a46-9fdc-b605afa9d6aa-image.png

                                    I have processed every conceivable update everywhere.

                                    This is the adapter in use now:
                                    340563ee-d382-4d11-8449-9fc20d0d4aef-image.png

                                    I'm running out of ideas :)...

                                    Anyone know how to turn on RC1191 on a netgate appliance or is that even an option?

                                    Thanks!

                                    johnpozJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • johnpozJ
                                      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @dfinjr
                                      last edited by johnpoz

                                      @dfinjr again going to ask - this happens on every single one of your vmware workstations? Or all these vm workstations you showing just VMs on a single laptop?

                                      The host OS you are running vm on has this issue? Or not?

                                      So this host .204, vms on it have no problems? Your hosts don't have the problem? Just vms running on this .201 host?

                                      An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                      If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                      Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                      SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

                                      D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • D
                                        dfinjr @johnpoz
                                        last edited by

                                        @johnpoz
                                        The only VMs in play outside of testing are the ones that exist off that hosting laptop, no others outside of that. The 172.16.0.201 is the hosting laptop which browses fine but anything it is hosting isn't getting anywhere on the netgate.

                                        No issue at the hosting laptop.

                                        .204 is a vm and does have the problem.

                                        I have a total of 6 VMs running off that laptop normally some times up to 10. So far all of them have this issue.

                                        I am starting to hang on the idea of what @DaddyGo brought up earlier about RFC1191. Cisco's can do that amongst a good amount of other network hardware (based on some shooting from the hip research) and it appears that netgate appliance does not. I am hoping to find a away to enable something for it if it is there. I am just running out of ideas.

                                        @johnpoz you seem to be very comfortable with VMware Workstation. Any recommended changes there above what I've already done?

                                        johnpozJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • johnpozJ
                                          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @dfinjr
                                          last edited by johnpoz

                                          @dfinjr I don't normally use workstation - I used esxi for many years, and have supported it at the enterprise level, etc. Its not much different to be honest.. esxi just more bells and whistles, etc.

                                          If the host can talk fine.. and has no issues... Then its something with workstation or workstation on that hardware, or some setting, etc.

                                          If there is talk about some problem with specific nic, that seems to have gone out the window when you are using the usb nic and still having a problem.

                                          You shouldn't have to do anything odd to handle weird mtu - because there shouldn't be any odd mtus on your network. Everything should be set and be using 1500 mtu..

                                          Do you not have another laptop or pc you could fire up workstation on?

                                          I have never seen such an issue in all my years working with workstation, player or esxi or even back in the day when they called it server version 1.. I have been using vmware products since they came out really - and have never run into such an issue... And have never seen sniffs with odd ball mtu sizes like that. I work with sniffs all the time from DCs and all kinds of customers network - Yes I have seen mtu issues, but they are standard jumbo size, where someone thought it would be good idea to turn on jumbo - but the network doesn't support it, or they think they can enable it on 1 host on the network, etc.. A 1767 frame with a 1753 mtu?? Just really nothing comes to mind that could cause that - other then setting it to that. And your other sniffs are non standard as well.. The one that said cisco in the capture had a 1434 frame?? Makes no sense!

                                          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                          SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

                                          B D 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • B
                                            bPsdTZpW @johnpoz
                                            last edited by

                                            Another tack here might be to examine VMware's network logs, those on the virtual hosts, and any applicable firewall rules.

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