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Logging my daily changing WAN-address

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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  • P
    patient0 @Bob.Dig
    last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 9:20 AM

    @Bob-Dig isn't PPP/PPPoE logged to /var/log/ppp.log, additionally to /var/log/system.log?

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
    • B
      Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @elvisimprsntr
      last edited by Bob.Dig Mar 24, 2025, 9:32 AM Mar 24, 2025, 9:27 AM

      @elvisimprsntr said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

      Use DyDNS

      Thanks but that is not my question.

      @patient0 said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

      isn't PPP/PPPoE logged to /var/log/ppp.log, additionally to /var/log/system.log?

      Could be but I don't run any logging solution other than the built-in and I don't export it anywhere and I do delete it all the time. So I have to work on that part I guess if there is no other solution. Before doing PPPoE on pfSense, I had my Fritzbox sending me emails about my changing WAN-IP-address, missing that. And I run many gateways (VPN-clients) on pfSense, so the gateway-monitoring-emails are to annoying.

      P G 2 Replies Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 9:35 AM Reply Quote 0
      • P
        patient0 @Bob.Dig
        last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 9:35 AM

        @Bob-Dig said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

        Could be but I don't run any logging solution other than the built-in and I don't export it anywhere and I do delete it all the time

        What is you want do be done, you write "... solution for logging ..."? Logging to where or what if not a file?

        You like to have a file that contains only the changed IP, interface and time? Or you like to get an email?

        B 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 9:41 AM Reply Quote 0
        • B
          Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @patient0
          last edited by Bob.Dig Mar 24, 2025, 9:44 AM Mar 24, 2025, 9:41 AM

          @patient0 I want to have an easy overview of my WAN-IPs from the past. And I don't run any external server for logs of any kind, yet... Technically I could do so in the future but haven't learned, how to do it. Technically, because I have a Homeserver running 24/7.

          P 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 9:56 AM Reply Quote 0
          • P
            patient0 @Bob.Dig
            last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 9:56 AM

            @Bob-Dig I see, and Status / System Logs / PPP is too noisy.

            Would be handy if in Status / System Logs / PPP one could save a filter (e.g for IPADDR).

            B 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 10:00 AM Reply Quote 1
            • B
              Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @patient0
              last edited by Bob.Dig Mar 24, 2025, 10:01 AM Mar 24, 2025, 10:00 AM

              @patient0 Also I am deleting all the logs very often. I just saw, that I can delete only the firewall log(?). So maybe changing my behavior would help in that regard.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • G
                Gertjan @Bob.Dig
                last edited by Gertjan Mar 24, 2025, 10:20 AM Mar 24, 2025, 10:19 AM

                @Bob-Dig said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                and I do delete it all the time

                What ?
                You want your WAN IP being logged .... and it is in the system.log (or ppp log ? Not sure, it's years I haven't use pppoe).
                And you delete the file where it is logged.

                @elvisimprsntr said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                Use DyDNS.

                That's what I would propose also. Gives you a permanent trace of the WAN IP. It changes , => you get a mail. Stop deleting the mails and you have a permanent trace of your WAN IP.
                Normally, I use a host name to access my WAN IPv4 @home as it changes ones a week. If needed, I have the mails, and the one will tell me when it changed, and what it is.

                When you use DynDNS, you could add a line here where you 'append' the $this->_dnsIP variable (contains the updated WAN IP) and a time stamp to a file, for example here /root/.
                From then on, you'll have a constantly growing (30 bytes a day ?) file that contains the current WAN IP on the last line.

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

                B 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 10:28 AM Reply Quote 0
                • B
                  Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @Gertjan
                  last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 10:28 AM

                  @Gertjan said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                  It changes , => you get a mail.

                  Interesting. The problem with that, having many VPN-clients as gateways makes a lot of gateway-alerts and with that emails. So I would need to fight that first. And I recently changed my email server and now it is more cumbersome creating this types of rules. Maybe I should look into that anyways.

                  G F 2 Replies Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 10:40 AM Reply Quote 0
                  • G
                    Gertjan @Bob.Dig
                    last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 10:40 AM

                    @Bob-Dig

                    Keep in mind that Dyndns, triggered when a WAN type interface event happens, will only update the IP, and send a mail if the previous WAN IP was different as the current, new one.
                    So, you'll get a mail and if you do not want a mail, you know now how to disable the mail notif] ( see here - and 7 lines lower for the IPv6 equivalent).

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

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • F
                      fireodo @Bob.Dig
                      last edited by fireodo Mar 24, 2025, 10:52 AM Mar 24, 2025, 10:51 AM

                      @Bob-Dig said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                      Maybe I should look into that anyways.

                      Hi, I propose you another solution (if you like and you are not to shy to edit a system file) ๐Ÿ˜‰

                      Edit this file:

                      /usr/local/sbin/ppp-linkup
                      

                      (this file gets executed each time the pppoe triggers a new connection (implicit a new IP))

                      attach at the end of the file (before the "exit 0")

                      # IP-Logging
                      cat /tmp/pppoe0_ip >> /root/iplog/iplog.log
                      date >> /root/iplog/iplog.log
                      

                      In this example the destination is a file in the root directory: /root/iplog/iplog.log (you can choose another destination as you wish)

                      Regards,
                      fireodo

                      Kettop Mi4300YL CPU: i5-4300Y @ 1.60GHz RAM: 8GB Ethernet Ports: 4
                      SSD: SanDisk pSSD-S2 16GB (ZFS) WiFi: WLE200NX
                      pfsense 2.8.0 CE
                      Packages: Apcupsd, Cron, Iftop, Iperf, LCDproc, Nmap, pfBlockerNG, RRD_Summary, Shellcmd, Snort, Speedtest, System_Patches.

                      G 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 11:02 AM Reply Quote 3
                      • G
                        Gertjan @fireodo
                        last edited by Gertjan Mar 24, 2025, 11:02 AM Mar 24, 2025, 11:02 AM

                        @fireodo

                        mkdir -p /root/iplog
                        touch /root/iplog/iplog.log

                        If for some reason, the sub folder didn't exit (because pfSense was re installed, or some &@$!!ยค deleted the "iplog" folder in /root/), its created.
                        Same thing for the file "iplog.log" : if it didn't exist, a zero byte "iplog.log" will be created.

                        and from now on its happy appending :

                        cat /tmp/pppoe0_ip >> /root/iplog/iplog.log
                        date >> /root/iplog/iplog.log

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

                        F 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 11:06 AM Reply Quote 1
                        • F
                          fireodo @Gertjan
                          last edited by fireodo Mar 24, 2025, 11:08 AM Mar 24, 2025, 11:06 AM

                          @Gertjan

                          Thanks for the completion! Also after a pfsense-update the "ppp-linkup" file has to be edited again.

                          Regards

                          Kettop Mi4300YL CPU: i5-4300Y @ 1.60GHz RAM: 8GB Ethernet Ports: 4
                          SSD: SanDisk pSSD-S2 16GB (ZFS) WiFi: WLE200NX
                          pfsense 2.8.0 CE
                          Packages: Apcupsd, Cron, Iftop, Iperf, LCDproc, Nmap, pfBlockerNG, RRD_Summary, Shellcmd, Snort, Speedtest, System_Patches.

                          G 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 11:08 AM Reply Quote 1
                          • G
                            Gertjan @fireodo
                            last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 11:08 AM

                            @fireodo said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                            Also after a update the "ppp-linkup" file has to be edited again.

                            I'm pretty sure bob.dig can make a patch out of it, so it can be re installed with a click ^^

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

                            F B 3 Replies Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 11:12 AM Reply Quote 1
                            • F
                              fireodo @Gertjan
                              last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 11:12 AM

                              @Gertjan said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                              I'm pretty sure bob.dig can make a patch out of it, so it can be re installed with a click ^^

                              Of course, but maybe someone else read and want that too ... ๐Ÿค“

                              Kettop Mi4300YL CPU: i5-4300Y @ 1.60GHz RAM: 8GB Ethernet Ports: 4
                              SSD: SanDisk pSSD-S2 16GB (ZFS) WiFi: WLE200NX
                              pfsense 2.8.0 CE
                              Packages: Apcupsd, Cron, Iftop, Iperf, LCDproc, Nmap, pfBlockerNG, RRD_Summary, Shellcmd, Snort, Speedtest, System_Patches.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • stephenw10S
                                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 12:40 PM

                                If you have a dyndns client running on the WAN it should only notify you when the WAN address changes.

                                F 1 Reply Last reply Jun 1, 2025, 1:20 PM Reply Quote 1
                                • B
                                  Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @Gertjan
                                  last edited by Bob.Dig Mar 24, 2025, 2:19 PM Mar 24, 2025, 1:47 PM

                                  @Gertjan said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                                  I'm pretty sure bob.dig can make a patch out of it, so it can be re installed with a click ^^

                                  Actually no, you must mistake me for someone else. But thank you and @fireodo for that solution. I think, I like it the most so far.

                                  @stephenw10 said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                                  If you have a dyndns client running on the WAN it should only notify you when the WAN address changes.

                                  True, but any gateway event will also trigger emails, as far as I remember, and with 10+ flaky privacy-VPN-clients, that are WAN-type interfaces, this becomes very annoying, I can tell you. ๐Ÿ˜‰

                                  G 1 Reply Last reply Mar 24, 2025, 2:08 PM Reply Quote 0
                                  • G
                                    Gertjan @Bob.Dig
                                    last edited by Mar 24, 2025, 2:08 PM

                                    @Bob-Dig said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                                    True, but any gateway event will also trigger emails, as far as I remember and with 10 VPN clients this becomes very annoying, I can tell you.

                                    I get it.
                                    Still, the Dyndns setp will only send a mail IF the WAN IP actually did change.
                                    If the "do something with the WAN interface" is called many time, it doesn't matter : only if the IP changed, you get a mail.
                                    If it changes x times a day, you will get x mails a day, true.

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

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • B
                                      Bob.Dig LAYER 8 @Gertjan
                                      last edited by Bob.Dig Mar 25, 2025, 8:26 AM Mar 25, 2025, 8:24 AM

                                      Marked solved, thanks guys.

                                      @Gertjan said in Easy solution for logging my daily changing WAN-address:

                                      can make a patch out of it, so it can be re installed with a click

                                      If someone reputable wants to make a site "pfSense Helper Scripts", I wouldn't mind. ๐Ÿ˜‰

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • F
                                        fireodo @stephenw10
                                        last edited by Jun 1, 2025, 1:20 PM

                                        @stephenw10

                                        Hi,

                                        in case of using if_pppoe (in pfsense 2.8.0) what file would have to be edited and attach these lines

                                        cat /tmp/pppoe0_ip >> /root/iplog/iplog.log
                                        date >> /root/iplog/iplog.log
                                        

                                        for having the WAN-IP get logged? (the /usr/local/sbin/ppp-linkup is not used anymore)

                                        Thanks and nice sunday,
                                        fireodo

                                        Kettop Mi4300YL CPU: i5-4300Y @ 1.60GHz RAM: 8GB Ethernet Ports: 4
                                        SSD: SanDisk pSSD-S2 16GB (ZFS) WiFi: WLE200NX
                                        pfsense 2.8.0 CE
                                        Packages: Apcupsd, Cron, Iftop, Iperf, LCDproc, Nmap, pfBlockerNG, RRD_Summary, Shellcmd, Snort, Speedtest, System_Patches.

                                        G 1 Reply Last reply Jun 2, 2025, 8:40 AM Reply Quote 1
                                        • stephenw10S
                                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                          last edited by Jun 1, 2025, 4:50 PM

                                          You could probably add something to pppoe-handler. But that's PHP not a shell script.

                                          F 1 Reply Last reply Jun 1, 2025, 4:58 PM Reply Quote 0
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