L2TP Server only allowing one VPN at a time

ruffle

Got it in one :)

Yes, they each have a SIM and each connect over the mobile network to the A&A LNS. The A&A LNS then connects to PFSense on port 1701. The A&A LNS tends to use the same IP for every connection.

For the A&A LNS to PFSense L2TP connection I can set a hostname (aka login) and password (aka secret) for the L2TP connection as the screenshot shows although PFSense doesn't seem to use that info.

Each SIM also has a 'dialing number'/ICCID but again PFSense doesn't seem to make use of that.

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stephenw10

Hmm, but it's the individual IoT devices making the L2TP connection to pfSense?

Not one L2TP tunnel that all the IoT devices use?

I'm unclear how this can possibly work in the first instance because will all clients using the same source address and port the L2TP server has no way to know what traffic to send to which client.

And I assume there must be some NAT happening somewhere since the IoT devices must at some level be using different IP addresses. How does that NAT device know which client to send packets to?

There must be something I'm not understanding here because I can't see how that could ever work.

stephenw10

Among ISPs (IMHO) A&A and have got to be in the top 1%. It would definitely be worth giving their support a call about this.
But in addition to that overview diagram they have a load of detailed docs:
https://support.aa.net.uk/Category:L2TP_Handover

So in fact this is one L2TP tunnel with multiple ppp sessions across it.

I'm not sure if you can do that in pfSense directly. Not without some custom scripting perhaps.
I've never seen it done.

But the first thing to try would be to make sure you have the same hostname set for all clients. The docs there show that will create a single tunnel with multiple sessions across it which is what you need.

Steve

ruffle

@stephenw10

You Sir are a Genius a Gentleman and a Scholar!

Setting the hostname on the A&A SIM control page to the same for each device (well three so far but I'm excited and want to report back ASAP) works :-) :-) :-)

Never have thought of that in a million years.

Thanks muchly.

PS - Agree on A&A. Been using them for decades.

stephenw10

Awesome! Good to know that works. Let us know how it goes.

Steve

billshih74

@bingo600 I'm wondering is you have found solution to this? Mine problem is similar only I user Conezilla to clone my hdd with Debian 9 stretch, three of clients can be working by getting their private ip. The others get duplicate ip and I can't find any clue. Please let me know if you happen to know it.

stephenw10

Did you reply on the wrong thread? This looks completely unrelated (or spam).

Steve

bingo600

@stephenw10
The answer to the clonezilla issue above has to be 42

And could "smell" of a wrong thread or as you mentioned. Someone "upping" their post count, in order to .......

/Bingo

billshih74

sorry Im new to this forum, could someone tell me where to put this issue so that I can find my solution? Thanks.

stephenw10

Is this an L2TP problem? Open a thread General pfSense Questions if you're unsure. We can always move it. Give as much details about the problem as you can.

Steve