WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense

patient0

putting my all-in-one router into Bridge Mode, then connect its LAN port to the Protectli's WAN port

Yes, that is how it is done for bridge mode. I don't know about the "IP Pass Through".

You have to be aware that if you put your all-in-one-router into bridge mode, you will not be able to use the wifi of the all-in-one-router anymore. With bridge mode you kind bypass the all-in-one-router with the exception the WAN part of the all-in-one-router which will be passed to your Protectli, usually for DSL or PPPoE.

newbieuser1

Thank you. But will I still have WiFI at all? And be able to connect all devices to the same WiFi network?

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

Thank you. But will I still have WiFI at all? And be able to connect all devices to the same WiFi network?

If you have a Wifi access point (AP) that is not your all-in-one-router and you connect that AP to the LAN of your Protectli, then yes.

newbieuser1

Sorry, I struggle to understand - I will not have WiFi when I turn on the bridge mode?

Meaning that I should purchase a modem, connect it to the Protectli and put my existing router into access point mode then?

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

Sorry, I struggle to understand - I will not have WiFi when I turn on the bridge mode?

Yep, exactly. In bridge mode you loose all functionality of the all-in-one-router.

Meaning that I should purchase a modem, connect it to the Protectli and put my existing router into access point mode then?

If your ISP allows to use any modem and you can put your router into access point mode, then yes.

Do you connect by DSL or PPPoE to the ISP and does your ISP allow you to modems that are not from the ISP?

newbieuser1

@patient0, thank you so much for your help today! I asked my ISP and they told me I can use any modem, they won't provide one, so I will have to research. If you have any recommendations for brands/types, those are welcome.

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

I asked my ISP and they told me I can use any modem

What kind of modem you need? ADSL or VDSL or something else, what is the ISP & Country?

newbieuser1

I did some googling around...I am not sure regarding VDSL/ADSL but since I have a fiber optic provider (BT, UK), then it seems I need GPON ONT modem or something like that? Basically to be compatible with the fiber network. There is just an ethernet cable coming out of the wall, no coaxial cables.

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

I have a fiber optic provider (BT, UK), then it seems I need GPON ONT modem

I see, I never worked with GPON ONT and can't give any recommendations (it is fiber, ADSL/VDSL is used with copper lines).

newbieuser1

Noted. Going back to the webGUI access, I went to Systems -> Admin and chose https access, then the site kicked me out saying it was applying the new protocol. However, when I tried to log back on, the address still uses the http not https. With https, it does not load up anything. How can I enable the https?

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

With https, it does not load up anything. How can I enable the https?

You did it correct way it seems, with an unexpected result.

Edit: typo -> "expected" should being "unexpected"

If you go to System / Advanced / Admin Access, does it look like the below?

Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 08.45.25.jpeg .

What version of pfSense have you installed, btw? 2.7.2?

newbieuser1

Thank you. Yes, version 2.7.2.

My screen is like your screenshot, except under Protocol it says: "No Certificates have been defined. A certificate is required before SSL/TSL can be enabled. Create or Import a Certificate".

patient0

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

My screen is like your screenshot, except under Protocol it says: "No Certificates have been defined. A certificate is required before SSL/TSL can be enabled. Create or Import a Certificate".

Is there a certificate you can select in the 'SSL/TLS Certificate' drop-down list? If yes, select it and switch the protocol to HTTPS.

It's unlucky that the settings page accepts switching to https without having selected a certificate. I'll check tomorrow if that is still an issue on 2.8.0-BETA. And if yes if there is an existing bug report for it. It automatically selected the one available cert, GUI default. Is that true for you too?

Gertjan

You saw this ;

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

My screen is like your screenshot, except under Protocol it says: "No Certificates have been defined. A certificate is required before SSL/TSL can be enabled. Create or Import a Certificate".

and I presume that you installed pfSense a couple of day ago :

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

I got a Protectli Vault, on which I installed pfSense.

One of the things that happens when you install : a cert like :

is created so you can use it for the https access.
Its a self signed certificate, which means it isn't signed by the big "trusted" (by your browser) companies, so your browser should through a message on the screen that it can't trust the cert. Just tell it to go ahead and accept.

If there are no certificates listed here :

then that's a real issue / not normal.
Some one deleted something ^^
That said, you can create a new one with the click of a mouse button.

newbieuser1

I now had a chance to check.

There is a certificate in the dropdown list and it was already selected when I initially switched to HTTPS. I believe this is the self-generated default certificate.

I also see that same certificate in System - > Certificates. It is valid, and it also reads "CA: No" & "Server: Yes"

newbieuser1

@Gertjan The self-generated certificate is there (in "Certificates"). It says: "CA: No" & "Server: Yes" & "In Use: webConfigurator"

The same certificate is also in the dropdown menu in Systems->Advanced and the HTTPS box is selected. I am still not able to access the webGUI via https though...

Gertjan

@newbieuser1

Time to use the most important interface on your pfSense : the console.
This could be a serial connection, or if you have a VGA/HDMI interface, use that (and a usb keyboard)
You'll see the menu, selection 8)

Use this command :

ps aux | grep '\/nginx'

What did you see ?

sockstat -4 | grep 'nginx'

What did you see ?

newbieuser1

@Gertjan hey, thanks for following up and sorry for the delayed response. First typed the ps aux command and I see writings about two roots: "root 12345 Is ...." & "root 3456 v0 S+....."

Then I typed the sockstat -4 command but it did not bring up anything.

Please let me know what I should do next? Or if there is helpful read for me to do?

Gertjan

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

ps aux command and I see writings about two roots: "root 12345 Is ...." & "root 3456 v0 S+....."

Like this :

[25.03-BETA][root@pfSense.bhf.tld]/root: ps aux | grep '\/nginx'
root    85586   0.0  0.3  32960  10756  -  Is   Mon03       0:00.00 nginx: master process /usr/local/sbin/nginx
root    86898   0.0  0.3  32960  10656  -  Is   Mon03       0:00.00 nginx: master process /usr/local/sbin/nginx
root    88506   0.0  0.3  43200  10828  -  Is   Mon03       0:00.00 nginx: master process /usr/local/sbin/nginx
root    83606   0.0  0.1  14076   2692  0  S+   07:54       0:00.00 grep \\/ngin

I've 3 nginx processes, as I'm also using the captive portal, which is also a web server serving a web page, the login page.
Default, the GUI of pfSense uses itself two nginx processes.
So, for me, that make 3. You should see two lines like this.

@newbieuser1 said in WebGUI page - no response / unable to configure pfSense:

Then I typed the sockstat -4 command but it did not bring up anythin

Impossible.
"sockstat -4 " by itself lists dozens of lines.
sockstat -4 | grep 'nginx' :

[25.03-BETA][root@pfSense.bhf.tld]/root: sockstat -4 | grep 'nginx'
.....
root     nginx      85884 5   tcp4   *:443                 *:*
root     nginx      85884 10  tcp4   *:80                  *:*
root     nginx      85586 5   tcp4   *:443                 *:*
root     nginx      85586 10  tcp4   *:80                  *:*

this shows the two pfSEnse GUI processes listing to the web server default ports, the very known "808" for http and 443 for https.
If these line don't show up : don't look any further : if the web server isn't using these ports, then it can do it's job : serve the GUI, which exactly matches your issue : "no reponse".

Why ? I can't tell. Give us the details, and we'll try to give the answers.

newbieuser1

@Gertjan thank you.

I went to the console again and this time I typed first the sockstat command, and this time it did bring up something. It looks exactly like your screenshot, except that I see 6 roots. Not sure if it makes a difference but my numbers are in the 6000s range, and instead of 5 and 10, I get 5 and 7. The tcp4 and the *443 and *80 are just like in your screenshot.

As to the ps aux command, I have only 2 nginx processes and what shows up is like in your screenshot, except I get for the for the first one (the - Is):

0:00.00 ngninx: master process /usr/local/sbin/nginx -c/var/etc/nginx-w

For the S+, the text is exactly like in your screenshot.