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    2000 IPsec tunnels??

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved IPsec
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    • C
      cmb
      last edited by

      At this time, I would not recommend running more than 100 IPsec tunnels with pfSense. Once you get up to 125-150, things get really ugly and unstable. We're trying to find a solution, but this is still an issue right now. It's a long standing FreeBSD issue that we can't seem to get much help on from the FreeBSD developers.

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      • R
        Rich
        last edited by

        Is that with an encryption card? I've had much better results using the hifn cards than without.

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        • C
          cmb
          last edited by

          Encryption cards work great for increasing throughput without hitting the CPU, but they don't do anything to change this FreeBSD bug related to large numbers of SPD and SAD entries.

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          • E
            EmL
            last edited by

            How much is "a large numbers off SPD and SAD"?

            Note that there also seems to be an issue with the hifn chipset (Soekris VPN 1411 MiniPC on a Wrap environment):

            http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,3205.msg21703.html#msg21703

            Against the background of these facts … with 2000 ipsec tunnels i would prefer something like the before discussed dual quad core and may be something like dual or quad intel gigabit server adapter.

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            • R
              Rich
              last edited by

              I haven't had any problems at all with the vpn1411 or vpn1401 cards. I've done ipsec vpns with them on both wraps and soekris boards, and haven't had any problems going to other devices from them such as sonicwalls, or even some little pos netgears. I was thinking about something like the 8155, which is capable of around 2 gb/s 3des and aes performance. The 100 vpn limit wouldn't be a problem right now, but it definately would be within a year. Right now, their 4060 is actually overkill.

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              • C
                cmb
                last edited by

                Rich:  we should have this fixed within a year, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.  ;D

                @EmL:

                How much is "a large numbers off SPD and SAD"?

                As I said above, I wouldn't recommend more than 100. Around 125-150 it will become very unstable or stop working completely.

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                • E
                  EmL
                  last edited by

                  @Rich:

                  I haven't had any problems at all with the vpn1411 or vpn1401 cards. I've done ipsec vpns with them on both wraps and soekris boards …

                  It works also between 2 pfsense (static-dynamic) after IP changes on the dynamic side or do you only have static endpoints?

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                  • R
                    Rich
                    last edited by

                    @EmL:

                    @Rich:

                    I haven't had any problems at all with the vpn1411 or vpn1401 cards. I've done ipsec vpns with them on both wraps and soekris boards …

                    It works also between 2 pfsense (static-dynamic) after IP changes on the dynamic side or do you only have static endpoints?

                    Sorry, didn't notice the extra posts in this thread till now. All the VPNs I'm dealing with are static IPs.

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                    • D
                      databeestje
                      last edited by

                      We can currently sustain about 250 ipsec vpn tunnels and probably a lot more before falling apart entirely. There are however a few issues. Getting the spd policies loaded appears to be a problem when you have large numbers. In my case 400.

                      When you see messages in the logfiles about missing policy entries you have succesfully run into it.

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                      • E
                        eri--
                        last edited by

                        From racoon2 recommandations:

                        1. Recommended system configuration
                        == ================================

                        Both NetBSD and FreeBSD have the kernel state, "net.key.blockacq_count"
                          to setup the behavior how many packet the kernel will block until the
                          suitable SA will be installed.  The state sometimes disturbs
                          retransmission of the key exchange message.  We recommend you to set
                          it to zero.

                        # sysctl -w net.key.blockacq_count=0

                        And FreeBSD also has the kernel state, "net.key.preferred_old" to use an
                          old SA preferred to a new SA.  The state sometimes disturbs
                          interoperability.  We recommend you to set it to zero.

                        # sysctl -w net.key.preferred_oldsa=0

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