PPPoA

[Gibbo]

Firstly, sorry if this is posted in the wrong spot.

After much searching and hunting I have been unable to find a definitave answer as to wether or not PFSense can be used with a PPPoA connection.

All I have at the moment is an ADSL modem and was using the wonderous PFSense with PPPoE. Havent found a better product actualy  ;D

Now however I moved house and ISPs to a PPPoA connection (not connected yet still waiting) and I would LOVE to keep using PFSense, but I am unsure if my ADSL will be supported.

Does anyone know if PFSense has/will have soon PPPoA support, or how it can be added in?

[sullrich]

I've hard people using it ok, but give it a test to make sure.

[Gertjan]

@Gibbo:

Now however I moved house and ISPs to a PPPoA connection (not connected yet still waiting) and I would LOVE to keep using PFSense, but I am unsure if my ADSL will be supported.
Does anyone know if PFSense has/will have soon PPPoA support, or how it can be added in?

A small explanation might be useful here.

PPPoE: See it like this: your (ADSL) device is a simple modem, like the old RTC days. It's just converting information from one type of physical stream - the phone line - to another one - ATM paquets over Ethernet. The next device in chain (your pFsense box) handles the login and other connection stuff.

PPPoA: Your modem is doing the PPPoE stuff and the login etc. This modem becomes something more: it will be a router with one or more LAN and-points (some of them have even a switch integrated). It will be a (the !) gateway for your network, often with NAT, DHCP etc. Your pFsense will be just a router-behind-a-router.
This will work well - if you keep in mind that a "PPPoA mode" doesn't really exist for pFsense. Its WAN network card must be activated as a static (or DHCP) local LAN IP - like 10.0.0.1 or 192.168.1.1…. (Please, let this wan be different as your real LAN IP's, 'behind' the pFsense box).
Things are getting nice if you want to pinhole your routers (for incoming connections’): you have to deal with them twice!!
A nice solution is the Outbound Natting - you will be having access to your PPPoA modem/router by its telnet and/or web interface - you gona need this access for changing settings (password, DHCP server, Firewall, NAT etc).

Conclusion: you prefer PPPoE when working with pFsense, and your ISP will often offer this access method, even if it isn't making clear that it's offering this service. Just try.

[Gibbo]

…PPPoA: Your modem is doing the PPPoE stuff and the login etc...
...if you keep in mind that a "PPPoA mode" doesn't really exist for pFsense...

So if I understand this correctly, PFSense itself does not support PPPoA. The only way to use PPPoA is to have a modem/router in one that supports it and place PFSense behind said modem/router.  :-\

…I've hard people using it ok, but give it a test to make sure...

Is this with {ADSL} –> router/modem --> PFSense (the configuration stated above) or with just {ADSL} --> modem --> PFSense ?

…Conclusion: you prefer PPPoE when working with pFsense, and your ISP will often offer this access method, even if it isn't making clear that it's offering this service. Just try...

I'll give PPPoE a 'bash' when I finaly get the service connected. crosses fingers

Thanks muchly for the help so far :D

[Justinw]

Yes, try to get PPPoE working, your performance will improve greatly under a heavy load.  Often times the routing tables on modems can't hold all that much, they tend to all but crash after a couple thousand states hit it.  My ISP says they offer PPPoA only.  Here is how you see if you can run PPPoE anyways.  Set your modem to transparent bridge, that makes it just a media converter basically.  Then just set your wan on pfsense to send your PPPoA user/pass.  My experience has been that it works just fine, althought I haven't tested it with that many ISPs.