New PPPoE backend, some feedback

Phil2025

Some more feedback about the new PPPoE client.

As confirmed in reddit, traffic shaping doesn't work with the new PPPoE client, seems an odd oversight but being looked into.

I also see no logging either in the PPP system logs when the new if_PPPoE is in use.

Overall PPPoE now seems extremely slow to connect and show the gateway details, both with the new and original clients. The if_PPPoE doesn't always bring up the IPv6 gateway, if it does, no monitoring address gets set so its marked as offline. Switching back to the old client, it always gets a monitoring address but is still slow compared to how it works with 2.7.2.

I started having a look at the scripts at /usr/local/sbin/ppp-linkup and ppp-linkdown to see what has changed, and I'm not convinced the changes are correct.

Taking ppp-linkdown and just one IF statement:

In 2.7.2 it is:

if [ "${PROTOCOL}" == "inet" && -s "/tmp/${IF}_defaultgw" ]; then

In 2.8.0 BETA the same line is

if [ "${PROTOCOL}" = "inet" ] && [ -s "/tmp/${IF}_defaultgw" ]; then

Notice == changed to a single equal. I don't program much in PHP, but the correct syntax as far as I'm aware should be == to make a comparison, the single equal is used to assign variables. This change in syntax is repeated in this file and link up, I've not looked at any others.

So wondering why it has been changed and if it is really correct?

Phil2025

Just a quick reply to my own post. After a bit of research (Googling) it seems when using 'Bash' that a single '=' is fine in comparisons, just other languages it usually isn't. So I guess someone has been doing a tidying up.

w0w

@Phil2025
GPT says

°Summary:
In PHP 8+, = is used for assignment, == for loose comparison, and === for strict comparison (checks both value and type).

When using == in if statements, be aware that comparing a number to a non-numeric string (e.g. 0 == "abc") returns false. PHP no longer tries to convert such strings to numbers automatically, which makes comparisons more predictable.

Also, writing if ($x = 5) assigns the value 5 to $x and always evaluates as true, which can be a common mistake when the intention was to compare (==). It's safer to use === for clear and strict comparisons.°(GPT)

Phil2025

@w0w yes that is true for PHP and why I queried it as it looked wrong, however I think it is Bash script rather than PHP, and in Bash a single equals for a comparison is okay. Hopefully a Dev can confirm.

w0w

@Phil2025
I am not sure, still waiting for the LAGG issue answer too, don't want to rise it since the new build is expected "soon, very soon",.but I hope they read this topic also, even if not commenting.

Phil2025

@w0w I can't give you thumbs up to say I agree just yet as its a new account. I hope they aren't releasing this soon as PPPoE has regressed, its slower to connect (old one and new), and the new If_PPPoE doesn't support everything as you and I have found. If someone has traffic shaping enabled and the new if_PPPoe becomes the default, then people are going to find themselves unable to connect back to their ISP after upgrading, until all traffic shaping rules are removed. No mention of this caveat in the BETA release notes. Also I want traffic shaping to avoid buffer bloat and to give VoIP priority.

Then you have spotted issues with LAGG. I also have a problem where the new if_PPPoE will fail to bring up the IPv6 gateway correctly (fine on the old one), and we can't provide any logs for troubleshooting as nothing is getting logged.

stephenw10

I can't replicate the LAGG issue. It works fine for me in a test setup:

[2.8.0-BETA][admin@m370.stevew.lan]/root: pppcfg pppoe0
	dev: lagg0 state: session
	sid: 0x2 PADI retries: 1 PADR retries: 0 time: 00:03:50
	sppp: phase network authproto auto authname "Test" peerproto auto 
	dns: 10.0.5.128

What error exactly are you seeing?

stephenw10

The ppp linkup scripts are neither php or bash, they use the FreeBSD standard shell sh.

Yes, it looks like those were corrected from the earlier version. And I'll certainly defer to Brad there!

w0w

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

the ppp linkup scripts are neither php or bash, they use the FreeBSD standard shell sh.

Oh, well, missed that…

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

can't replicate the LAGG issue. It works fine for me in a test setup

Hmm... Last time I tried it, the LAGG interface was just missing from the list.
Now that you said you can't replicate it, I went to the GUI and tried to recreate the LAGG. I re-created it, pressed Save, the page loaded and then stopped — so I pressed Save again, just to get a "problem loading page" in FF, and found that the firewall had just crashed.

amd64
15.0-CURRENT
FreeBSD 15.0-CURRENT #0 plus-RELENG_25_03-n256448-5d69d8519d49: Tue Feb  4 00:57:41 UTC 2025     root@freebsd:/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-Plus-snapshots-25_03-main/obj/amd64/DugkeSvO/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-Plus-snapshots-25_03-main/sources/FreeB

Crash report details:

No PHP errors found.

Filename: /var/crash/info.0
Dump header from device: /dev/ada0p3
  Architecture: amd64
  Architecture Version: 4
  Dump Length: 456704
  Blocksize: 512
  Compression: none
  Dumptime: 2025-04-07 17:43:48 +0300
  Hostname: c_primary.ccccc
  Magic: FreeBSD Text Dump
  Version String: FreeBSD 15.0-CURRENT #0 plus-RELENG_25_03-n256483-08e0bace8aeb: Thu Mar  6 02:18:06 UTC 2025
    root@freebsd:/var/jenkins/workspace/pfSense-Plus-snapshots-25_03-main/obj/amd64/lpwib8GT/var/
  Panic String: page fault
  Dump Parity: 3854542699
  Bounds: 0
  Dump Status: good
	
db:0:kdb.enter.default>  run pfs
db:1:pfs> bt
Tracing pid 12 tid 100069 td 0xfffff80002c1f740
kdb_enter() at kdb_enter+0x33/frame 0xfffffe00d71678e0
panic() at panic+0x43/frame 0xfffffe00d7167940
trap_fatal() at trap_fatal+0x40b/frame 0xfffffe00d71679a0
trap_pfault() at trap_pfault+0x46/frame 0xfffffe00d71679f0
calltrap() at calltrap+0x8/frame 0xfffffe00d71679f0
--- trap 0xc, rip = 0xffffffff80e50987, rsp = 0xfffffe00d7167ac8, rbp = 0xfffffe00d7167b50 ---
lagg_port_output() at lagg_port_output+0x7/frame 0xfffffe00d7167b50
pppoe_start() at pppoe_start+0xc2/frame 0xfffffe00d7167bc0
sppp_output() at sppp_output+0x290/frame 0xfffffe00d7167c10
ip6_forward() at ip6_forward+0x736/frame 0xfffffe00d7167d10
ip6_input() at ip6_input+0xa5c/frame 0xfffffe00d7167df0
swi_net() at swi_net+0x128/frame 0xfffffe00d7167e60
ithread_loop() at ithread_loop+0x239/frame 0xfffffe00d7167ef0
fork_exit() at fork_exit+0x7b/frame 0xfffffe00d7167f30
fork_trampoline() at fork_trampoline+0xe/frame 0xfffffe00d7167f30
--- trap 0x214cd131, rip = 0xc0c148f88948c701, rsp = 0xf18948c8314819c0, rbp = 0x4cf12148d90948c1 ---
db:1:pfs>  show registers
cs                        0x20
ds                        0x3b
es                        0x3b
fs                        0x13
gs                        0x1b
ss                        0x28
rax                       0x12
rcx         0x98ba0a0988e4b5aa
rdx         0xfffffe00d7167400
rbx                      0x100
rsp         0xfffffe00d71677b8
rbp         0xfffffe00d71678e0
rsi         0xfffffe00d7167670
rdi         0xffffffff82741bf8  vt_conswindow+0x10
r8                        0x30
r9                        0x30
r10                          0
r11                          0
r12                          0
r13                          0
r14         0xffffffff81468998
r15         0xfffff80002c1f740
rip         0xffffffff80d4e3d3  kdb_enter+0x33
rflags                    0x86
kdb_enter+0x33: movq    $0,0x1d70132(%rip)
db:1:pfs>  show pcpu
cpuid        = 4
dynamic pcpu = 0xfffffe009b59c540
curthread    = 0xfffff80002c1f740: pid 12 tid 100069 critnest 1 "swi1: netisr 3"
curpcb       = 0xfffff80002c1fc60
fpcurthread  = none
idlethread   = 0xfffff800025ef740: tid 100007 "idle: cpu4"
self         = 0xffffffff83a14000
curpmap      = 0xffffffff82a62770
tssp         = 0xffffffff83a14384
rsp0         = 0xfffffe00d7168000
kcr3         = 0x80000000c57ed002
ucr3         = 0xffffffffffffffff
scr3         = 0x2ed483ae3
gs32p        = 0xffffffff83a14404
ldt          = 0xffffffff83a14444
tss          = 0xffffffff83a14434
curvnet      = 0xfffff80001237040
db:1:pfs>  run lockinfo
db:2:lockinfo> show locks
No such command; use "help" to list available commands
db:2:lockinfo>  show alllocks
No such command; use "help" to list available commands
db:2:lockinfo>  show lockedvnods
Locked vnodes
db:1:pfs>  acttrace

Looks like I’m lucky… again. This must be related to PPPoE being enabled on one of the interfaces I tried to assign to the LAGG. So I guess it's OK :-)

Anyway... Now, after trial and error, I managed to create the LAGG again, went to Interfaces → PPPs to select my LAGG as parent interface for PPPoE, and — there are no LAGG interfaces at all. It only shows VIPs, VLANs, and no LAGGs.
I really don't know what exactly I am “doing wrong” this time.

stephenw10

Hmm, so that crash was due to having pppoe already running on an interface that you added to a new lagg?

Still it should not be possible.

There does seem to be a 'quirk' here. As you say laggs are excluded from the pppoe parent interfaces list but if you create the lagg then assign it then change the IPv4 type to pppoe it will allow it.

But that doesn't seem to be a recent regression.

w0w

@Phil2025 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

I hope they aren't releasing this soon as PPPoE has regressed, its slower to connect (old one and new), and the new If_PPPoE doesn't support everything as you and I have found. If someone has traffic shaping enabled and the new if_PPPoe becomes the default, then people are going to find themselves unable to connect back to their ISP after upgrading, until all traffic shaping rules are removed. No mention of this caveat in the BETA release notes. Also I want traffic shaping to avoid buffer bloat and to give VoIP priority.

I’m sure they’ll fix most of the bugs before the release, or at least MPD will work the same way as before. It’s absolutely fine to have something broken at the beta stage, especially when such a major change is taking place.

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

Hmm, so that crash was due to having pppoe already running on an interface that you added to a new lagg?

I just tested it again. Yes, it is possible to try to create a LAGG even if PPPoE is enabled on one of the interfaces that the LAGG consists of.

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

here does seem to be a 'quirk' here. As you say laggs are excluded from the pppoe parent interfaces list but if you create the lagg then assign it then change the IPv4 type to pppoe it will allow it.

Ok just did it. I've just forgot about this 'quirk'. It works, yes.

Now I remembered how the original configuration was set up — the one that works with the old backend using MPD, but doesn’t work with the new one.
I should probably mention that this is that same “unsupported” CARP + PPPoE configuration that was once posted by someone on this forum. The idea is that it automatically brings up PPPoE on whichever firewall is currently the CARP master.
I created a LAGG consisting of two ports from the same NIC — ixl0 and ixl1. Then I assigned it to an interface named WAN_ISP, gave it a static IP address of 10.0.110.2, and created a corresponding VIP 10.0.110.1. On the second firewall, the setup is roughly the same, except the WAN_ISP interface address is 10.0.110.3, accordingly.

This setup “somehow works” with the MPD-based configuration and not working with new pppoe stack, just getting

/interfaces_ppps_edit.php: Error configuring PPPoE interface pppoe0

Maybe this setup should just be scrapped and forgotten altogether, as I’m not even sure it works properly or as intended.

Still, the question remains open — why doesn’t it work with the virtual IP assigned to the LAGG, but does work when using the LAGG directly?

stephenw10

Ah, yes PPP connections are not supported in HA setups indeed. But as you say if can be made to work (ish). What is the parent for the PPPoE there then? The CARP VIP? I don't think that's possible.

w0w

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

What is the parent for the PPPoE there then? The CARP VIP? I don't think that's possible.

Yes, it's a CARP VIP. I think I'll just get rid of it.

w0w

I can't remember or find that thread, but I think someone already asked about this...
Where exactly does the new PPPoE backend write the connection log?

Status/System Logs/PPP contains only old mpd records.

stephenw10

Hmm, well it looks like you can (or could) actually set a CARP VIP as a PPPoE parent. Which seems illogical but....

And I assume you can't with if_pppoe because that's not a physical interface....

There isn't anything like the same logging that mpd gives. Yet. I would run a pcap on the parent NIC and see whats actually happening. I would think it has to send from the CARP MAC since it clearly doesn't us the actual VIP IP.

w0w

@stephenw10 said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

There isn't anything like the same logging that mpd gives. Yet. I would run a pcap on the parent NIC and see whats actually happening. I would think it has to send from the CARP MAC since it clearly doesn't us the actual VIP IP.

Are you talking about the mpd backend or the new one? On the new one, when selecting the CARP VIP, the pcap on the parent interface naturally shows nothing — the new backend simply can't configure itself properly and doesn't start at all.

Interesting. I switched back to mpd, leaving the settings with the VIP that were configured for the new backend — and now PPPoE doesn't want to work even with mpd. Something is definitely wrong with the configuration conversion between the two backends.

In the log, it also looks like it's connecting through the wrong interface:

2025-04-08 18:55:45.407053+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	[wan] Bundle: Interface ng0 created
2025-04-08 18:55:45.406382+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	web: web is not running
2025-04-08 18:55:44.495307+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	process 36089 terminated
2025-04-08 18:55:44.446476+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	[wan] Bundle: Shutdown
2025-04-08 18:55:44.403502+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	waiting for process 36089 to die...
2025-04-08 18:55:43.401537+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	waiting for process 36089 to die...
2025-04-08 18:55:42.400289+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	[wan] IPV6CP: Close event
2025-04-08 18:55:42.400259+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	[wan] IPCP: Close event
2025-04-08 18:55:42.400219+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	[wan] IFACE: Close event
2025-04-08 18:55:42.400117+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	caught fatal signal TERM
2025-04-08 18:55:42.399979+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	waiting for process 36089 to die...
2025-04-08 18:55:42.399687+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	process 56619 started, version 5.9
2025-04-08 18:55:42.399135+03:00 	ppp 	56619 	Multi-link PPP daemon for FreeBSD
2025-04-08 18:54:43.826132+03:00 	ppp 	36089 	[wan] Bundle: Interface ng0 created

but nothing on LAGG
Ok next step...
I booted into the previous snapshot from February, launched PPPoE and pcap there —
Here’s an example of one of the packets:
fe185dda-f2c3-4c3d-80d8-901a39268f20-{210A497D-BC63-4013-96FD-9CE837955757}.png

b4:96:91:c9:77:84 is just active ethernet card ixl0 MAC form LAGG (FAILOVER) I have used for CARP VIP.

stephenw10

Hmm, well I can certainly see why that might fail. Setting it on a VIP really makes no sense for a L2 protocol. It seems like it worked 'by accident'. I'm not sure that will ever work with if_pppoe. I'll see if Kristof has any other opinion...

kprovost

@stephenw10 I don't see how setting a carp IP on a PPPoE interface would make sense, no.

It doesn't make sense on the underlying Ethernet device (because it's not expected to have an address assigned at all), and also doesn't make sense on the PPPoE device itself, because there's no way to do the ARP dance that makes carp work.

w0w

@kprovost said in New PPPoE backend, some feedback:

It doesn't make sense on the underlying Ethernet device (because it's not expected to have an address assigned at all), and also doesn't make sense on the PPPoE device itself, because there's no way to do the ARP dance that makes carp work.

The whole point is to use the status of the parent interface to bring up the PPPoE interface. To determine the status of the parent (underlying) interface, the CARP VIP on the parent interface is exactly what's needed — to identify which node is the master and where to bring up PPPoE. Honestly, I have no idea why it even worked before. But if it's not supposed to work and never will, then of course I won't insist on this approach :)

Ideally, there would simply be a feature to bring up the PPPoE WAN session only if the firewall is the MASTER.
I doubt I'm the only one whose ISP doesn't appreciate users trying to initiate more than one PPPoE session.

dsl.ottawa

I've recently upgraded to the latest beta 2.8, and switched to the new PPPOE backend.

I really didn't have any issues with the previous one other than performance. I recently upgraded to 3gig fiber and have been struggling to get full speed when using pppoe on the pfsense box.

I have found no difference from the old to the new backend. Performance still seems to be the same. The odd thing is that I get full speed on the upload, but only about half to 2/3rds on the down. I.e. I get 3000-3200Mbps upload, but download is usually around 1700-1900Mbps.

I've tried it with an intel X520 card, and an X710 card. No difference.

What I have noticed, and I'm not sure if this is the reason for the performance hit, is that on the upload or the tx side it seems to use all the queue's available to it. but on the rx side it only uses the first queue. I tried tweaking the queue's on the x710 and didn't make any difference.

Here's an example

[2.8.0-BETA][root@router]/root: sysctl -a | grep '.ixl..*xq0' | grep packets
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq07.packets: 2550054
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq06.packets: 2444906
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq05.packets: 542271
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq04.packets: 781264
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq03.packets: 2216896
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq02.packets: 2738515
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq01.packets: 5394
dev.ixl.0.pf.txq00.packets: 8645
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq07.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq06.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq05.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq04.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq03.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq02.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq01.packets: 0
dev.ixl.0.pf.rxq00.packets: 6262688

at the moment I have this in my loader.conf.local file

net.tcp.tso="0"
net.inet.tcp.lro="0"
hw.ixl.flow_control="0"
hw.ix1.num_queues="8"
dev.ixl.0.iflib.override_qs_enable=1
dev.ixl.0.iflib.override_nrxqs=8
dev.ixl.0.iflib.override_ntxqs=8
dev.ixl.1.iflib.override_qs_enable=1
dev.ixl.1.iflib.override_nrxqs=8
dev.ixl.1.iflib.override_ntxqs=8
dev.ixl.0.iflib.override_nrxds=4096
dev.ixl.0.iflib.override_ntxds=4096
dev.ixl.1.iflib.override_nrxds=4096
dev.ixl.1.iflib.override_ntxds=4096

If I could fix this issue the rest seems to be rock solid.