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    Multiple WAN DNS issue when primary fails

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Routing and Multi WAN
    24 Posts 9 Posters 18.5k Views
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    • C
      cmb
      last edited by

      That seems to be correct, without having a more complete view of the system I can't say for sure but definitely looks fine. You'll have a route for each DNS server out the appropriate WAN. Pinging from the console, or Diag>Ping choosing LAN, to the DNS server IPs will verify you have connectivity. Trying to dig directly to each will verify DNS connectivity to them.

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      • K
        KyferEz
        last edited by

        @cmb:

        That seems to be correct, without having a more complete view of the system I can't say for sure but definitely looks fine. You'll have a route for each DNS server out the appropriate WAN. Pinging from the console, or Diag>Ping choosing LAN, to the DNS server IPs will verify you have connectivity. Trying to dig directly to each will verify DNS connectivity to them.

        Ok, thanks. I'll look into that. Assuming I still can't get it to work, would you be willing to login to the box and take a look around?

        Home Lab:
        Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
        Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
        Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
        HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
        28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
        24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
        24port Catalyst Switch
        Cicso 1900 router
        OPNsense
        Sophos UTM
        6 NetScaler VPX3000
        2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
        Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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        • K
          KyferEz
          last edited by

          Well, it's setup and working, but the fallover doesn't work, so if either dsl modem fails, the whole thing craps out. I have no idea why.

          Home Lab:
          Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
          Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
          Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
          HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
          28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
          24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
          24port Catalyst Switch
          Cicso 1900 router
          OPNsense
          Sophos UTM
          6 NetScaler VPX3000
          2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
          Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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          • H
            heper
            last edited by

            Allow DNS server list to be overridden by DHCP/PPP on WAN = CHECKED  <– uncheck this

            also you could try setting 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 as dns server without having a gateway specified (but this shouldn't be necessary)
            you could try to traceroute the dns servers themselfs when you unplug either and see where it goes wrong

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            • L
              lolek
              last edited by

              Hello KyferEz,
              I have read your topic, I have the same problem as you, I tried the suggestions from the post but nothing resolved.
              Have you resolved the problem?
              Thanks

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              • K
                KyferEz
                last edited by

                Nope. none of the suggestions helped. I think it may be a bug in the release…

                Home Lab:
                Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
                Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
                Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
                HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
                28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
                24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
                24port Catalyst Switch
                Cicso 1900 router
                OPNsense
                Sophos UTM
                6 NetScaler VPX3000
                2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
                Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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                • C
                  cmb
                  last edited by

                  @KyferEz:

                  I think it may be a bug in the release…

                  it's not.

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                  • K
                    KyferEz
                    last edited by

                    @cmb:

                    it's not.

                    So what do I try next then?

                    Home Lab:
                    Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
                    Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
                    Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
                    HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
                    28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
                    24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
                    24port Catalyst Switch
                    Cicso 1900 router
                    OPNsense
                    Sophos UTM
                    6 NetScaler VPX3000
                    2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
                    Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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                    • J
                      jfine
                      last edited by

                      I ran into a similar issue today when a manhole fire fried some of our fiber. The connection failed over as expected but DNS didn't.

                      One of the things I noticed is that you can't apparently use the same DNS servers on multiple WANs. Can someone confirm this? I'd really like to use the same DNS servers on both WANs.

                      Also like @KyferEz noted, although the routing shows each DNS IP associated with the appropriate gateway (Diag->Routes), the interface status (Status->Interfaces) shows all DNS IPs with the first WAN connection, which I believe might be a bug.

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                      • S
                        Supermule Banned
                        last edited by

                        redmine.pfsense.org and report it there….

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                        • pttP
                          ptt Rebel Alliance
                          last edited by

                          I don't know if this can help to "KyferEz" with his problem, but i have configured my pfSense this way, and don't have noticed DNS issues

                          pfS_DNS.PNG
                          pfS_DNS.PNG_thumb

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                          • J
                            jfine
                            last edited by

                            @ptt Would you mind taking a screen shot of two additional pages to help confirm what I'm seeing? Diagnostics -> Routes (IPv4 table) and Status -> Interfaces. I'm curious how your four DNS servers get assigned.

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                            • pttP
                              ptt Rebel Alliance
                              last edited by

                              Here the Routes SS ( DNS marked in red )

                              In Status -> Interfaces, all DNS servers are listed in WAN1,  WAN2 doesn't show any DNS ( the "ISP DNS servers" dont even appear in WAN2 )

                              pfS_Routes.PNG
                              pfS_Routes.PNG_thumb

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                              • L
                                lolek
                                last edited by

                                Hello,
                                I see the @ptt routing table, I think the dns are correct, just in my routing table.
                                I noticed in my pfsense machine, that the default route in Diagnostics -> Routes (IPv4 table) remains the same whatever WAN is online(I unplugged every WAN to test), maybe a problem in Gateway Groups, look in my gateway groups, I think is correct.
                                Also for my 2 gateways I don't check "default route" for these.
                                Regards

                                gw.jpg
                                gw.jpg_thumb
                                gw1.jpg
                                gw1.jpg_thumb

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                                • luckman212L
                                  luckman212 LAYER 8
                                  last edited by

                                  I didn't read this entire thread word for word but, I have seen similar issues.  It seems (am I correct??)  that pfSense assigns static routes to specific DNS servers if a specific gateway is selected on the General setup page.  I assume this is so 'apinger' can detect if a GW is really down when pings to that monitor IP start failing instead of sending them over the other connection??  not sure.  but add me to the "me too" list of people who would like to know the "correct" way to assign these values.

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                                  • C
                                    cmb
                                    last edited by

                                    @luckman212:

                                    I didn't read this entire thread word for word but, I have seen similar issues.  It seems (am I correct??)  that pfSense assigns static routes to specific DNS servers if a specific gateway is selected on the General setup page.  I assume this is so 'apinger' can detect if a GW is really down when pings to that monitor IP start failing instead of sending them over the other connection??  not sure.  but add me to the "me too" list of people who would like to know the "correct" way to assign these values.

                                    You must have at least one DNS server pointing to each WAN if you're using the DNS forwarder as your clients' DNS server. The WAN you pick sets a static route so the firewall goes out that WAN to reach that DNS server. You cannot use a single DNS server IP on more than one WAN (though I'm not sure offhand if there's input validation to prevent that, it won't work). There are exceptions to that if you get into policy routing traffic initiated by the firewall but that's more complex than what most people will get into.

                                    If you're not using the DNS forwarder, your internal DNS servers must be going out of a failover or load balancing gateway group so you still have DNS when one fails.

                                    @jfine:

                                    Also like @KyferEz noted, although the routing shows each DNS IP associated with the appropriate gateway (Diag->Routes), the interface status (Status->Interfaces) shows all DNS IPs with the first WAN connection, which I believe might be a bug.

                                    That's just how it's displayed, all the system's DNS servers show there.

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                                    • J
                                      jfine
                                      last edited by

                                      @cmb
                                      Thanks so much for that clarification. It makes sense now.

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                                      • K
                                        KyferEz
                                        last edited by

                                        FINALLY FOUND THE SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM TODAY!!!

                                        In every guide and instruction sheet I have read for configuring multiwan, not once was there instructions that included this necessary and very important step in a way that a beginner could easily understand: Edit the default LAN rule in Firewall->Rules by clicking edit on the rule that has a row that contains "LAN net". Then change Gateway setting drop-down to whatever you named the gateway you created with the Wan1 fallover to Wan2.

                                        Here is a link to a simple and basic working guide for multiwan setup on pfSense 2.0. The top of the guide is for 1.2, but scroll about half-way down to see the 2.0 guide: http://skear.hubpages.com/hub/Dual-Wan-Router-How-To-Build-One-On-a-Budget. Combine that info with the other guides out there for setting up traffic shaping and it works great!

                                        Thanks!

                                        Home Lab:
                                        Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
                                        Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
                                        Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
                                        HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
                                        28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
                                        24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
                                        24port Catalyst Switch
                                        Cicso 1900 router
                                        OPNsense
                                        Sophos UTM
                                        6 NetScaler VPX3000
                                        2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
                                        Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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                                        • jimpJ
                                          jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
                                          last edited by

                                          The instructions for 2.0 here:
                                          http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Multi-WAN_2.0

                                          Mention using the rules twice – once in the summary of required steps, and again later under "Firewall Rules"

                                          It even mentions editing your existing rule and changing the gateway.

                                          Not sure what doc you were reading that skipped it.

                                          Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

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                                          • K
                                            KyferEz
                                            last edited by

                                            You misread my statement. I said it's not there in a way a beginner with pfSense can understand what to do. I did not understand what exactly was meant by those instructions (and had thus gotten it wrong) until I read the guide I linked to where the writer detailed Exactly How to create the Firewall Rules…

                                            That step is just confusing in the 2.0 docs. (edit: likely because I'm not engrossed in large corporate network configuration daily ;) I tend to work with smaller companies with 3-10 employees, but this one had outgrown a single dsl line)

                                            Home Lab:
                                            Dell r310 Quad core 32GB RAM & 4 3TB SAS
                                            Intel Server 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 2TB SAS
                                            Dell r410 Dual Hex core 24GB RAM & 4 1TB SAS
                                            HP Proliant DL380 Gen7 2 Quad core 24GB RAM & 6 1TB SAS
                                            28port POE Gb Cisco SG300-28P
                                            24port POE Gb Managed Netgear
                                            24port Catalyst Switch
                                            Cicso 1900 router
                                            OPNsense
                                            Sophos UTM
                                            6 NetScaler VPX3000
                                            2 VOIP phones Cisco SPA500
                                            Cisco Air SAP1602 AP

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