PPPoE impossible to connect

Gertjan

Most probably : Your upstream device, the 'modem' can't sync with the ISP over the wire.
It doesn't need a pfSense - or any other device - to do so, but it needs pfSense to hand over login credentials. And that's the only thing you can check on your side.
So : bad wire, modem not feeling well, or ISP has 'some issues'.

Sasquatchv

@Gertjan
Unfortunately you're wrong,
The moment I switch modem/router from bridge to ppoe I get link up within 2 seconds and for past 4 years I had maybe 2-3
dropouts.

Gertjan

@Sasquatchv said in PPPoE impossible to connect:

The moment I switch modem/router from bridge to ppoe I get link

So, ppoe is fine.

But you opened with "PPPoE impossible to connect".

pppoe isn't fine.

Btw : 'bridge' = pppoe !?!

?

@Sasquatchv said in PPPoE impossible to connect:

Unfortunately you're wrong,

I get it now : it never worked with pfSense - but it did with some other router ?

Show your PPPoE connection log and system log.

Sasquatchv

@Gertjan
I wasn't clear about my setup, sorry it was late.

I have a VDSL line
Tplink ar600 modem router

Moem connects fine when configured as "normal" ppoe internet connection
When modem is set to bridge mode it supposedly(I begin to doubt it) allows to use pfsense/router/pc to connect through it to ppoe using the same credentials.

Link pfsense box<-> modem is fine
Fact that I can't configure ppoe connection using pc connected directly to the modem makes me think modem is a problem, although tplink support swears by it and Reddit peeps seem to confirm.

w0w

@Sasquatchv
I have seen on several forums that people constantly have problems with the correct configuration of this device in bridge mode. I'm not sure what the problem is, maybe different firmware for this tp-link device with different settings. What steps do you use to configure this device in bridge mode?

Sasquatchv

@w0w
in advanced mode remove existing internet connection
Add new connection
Select bridge mode, tried both with enabling vtag and without
Click save

According to TP-Link support that's it
I added reboot for a good measure
"Guide" I followed
https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/266902
Confirmed in chat with tech support

w0w

@Sasquatchv
Looks fine.
I don’t know, but the next step might be to try a dumb switch between TP-Link and PFSense and make a packet capture?
Also try capturing packets directly in PF, on the appropriate interface.

Sasquatchv

@w0w I have very limited testing window for next week or two.
Hour, maybe two if I'm lucky.
I'll try switch and wireshark packet capture

stephenw10

The TP-Link might still add the VLAN tag in bridge mode in which case you would not need it set in pfSense.

You shouldn't normally need anything else set for PPPoE. Especially just to see any LCP replies etc.

Sasquatchv

@stephenw10 I tried:
Pf pppoe with vlan tag <>modem bridge with and without vlan tag explicitly set
Pf pppoe without vlan tag <> modem bridge wit and without vlan tag explicitly set
Basically all combinations
I'll try them again while sniffing traffic

stephenw10

VLAN 101 looks like a UK DSL line? If so nothing special should be required. But I can say that BTs modems do the tagging themselves.

Sasquatchv

@stephenw10 it is UK VDSL, openreach copper ,onestream ISP.

stephenw10

Then should be nothing special required other than the VLAN. Seems likely the router is not bridging the PPPoE correctly.

Sasquatchv

@stephenw10 I think I have a breakthrough.
Modem Bridge with vlan tag, pfsense without vlan tag.

Interface is up, got an IP address in familiar range but even pfsense itself cannot even ping DNS sever pulled from ISP, no route to host...

stephenw10

Does the ppp log look correct? Something like:

Dec 12 04:29:55 	ppp 	75336 	[wan] IPCP: LayerUp
Dec 12 04:29:55 	ppp 	75336 	[wan] {my_ip_address} -> 172.16.13.252
Dec 12 04:29:55 	ppp 	75336 	[wan] IFACE: Up event
Dec 12 04:29:55 	ppp 	75336 	[wan] IFACE: Rename interface ng0 to pppoe0
Dec 12 04:29:55 	ppp 	75336 	[wan] IFACE: Add description "PLUSNET"

Do you see the local and gateway address in Diag > Routes?

Do you see anything blocked in the firewall logs?

Sasquatchv

Left for an hour to eat and it works fine.
I was probably too eager with testing.
Although after moving both boxes to cabinet the booted an worked straight away(3 minutes max).

VioletDragon

@Sasquatchv you neglected to mention what ISP you are with. For PPPoE you only require the Router in Bridge mode then configure PPPoE on pfsense. Let the Router pass thru the modem and don’t configure PPPoE on the Router itself as the PPPoE with have two Open Sessions and majority of ISPs in UK, Ireland and Europe uses RAS/RAAS which will cause the Auth on PPPoE Session to fail.