PfSense - Connecting to ADSL2+ via bridged modem?
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Hi,
I'm trying to setup a pfSense to connect via ADSL2+.
The pfSense server is a Hacom Mars II 1U server with pfSense 2.0.1 installed.
On the WAN interface, I have a Billion 5200 ADSL2+ modem.
I've configured the modem in bridge mode, and given it a fixed IP of 192.168.1.1, and disabled the modem's DHCP server (the DHCP options are disabled, enabled and relay).
The pfSense server has an IP of 192.168.2.1. (I also tried with 192.168.1.2)
I've set the pfSense WAN interface to PPPoE, and entered in the ADSL2+ username and password.
However, it doesn't seem to actually get a connection. In the PPP system logs, via the web interface, I just have:
Jul 21 16:57:35 ppp: [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to '' Jul 21 16:57:44 ppp: [wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds Jul 21 16:57:44 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: DOWN event Jul 21 16:57:44 ppp: [wan_link0] LCP: Down event Jul 21 16:57:44 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 11 in 4 seconds Jul 21 16:57:48 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 11 Jul 21 16:57:48 ppp: [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to '' Jul 21 16:57:57 ppp: [wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds Jul 21 16:57:57 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: DOWN event Jul 21 16:57:57 ppp: [wan_link0] LCP: Down event Jul 21 16:57:57 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 12 in 3 seconds Jul 21 16:58:00 ppp: [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 12 Jul 21 16:58:00 ppp: [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to ''If I set the ADSL2+ modem itself to PPPoE instead of bridge, and enter in the same username and password there, it connects fine and I can browse the internet.
Also, if I set it to bridge, and connect it to a Windows PC, I'm able to authenticate using Window's PPPoE client and the bridged modem and can also browse the internet there.
So the issue seems to be something to do with pfSense and the PPPoE connection there?
Cheers,
Victor -
Have you tried shutting down the modem for at least 60 seconds after you set it in bridge mode? The username and password were already associated with the modem's MAC address. Simply switching to bridge and then adding the credentials to the pFsense WAN interface will not work. If not then try cloning the modem's WAN MAC address to your pFsense WAN interface.
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Have you tried shutting down the modem for at least 60 seconds after you set it in bridge mode? The username and password were already associated with the modem's MAC address. Simply switching to bridge and then adding the credentials to the pFsense WAN interface will not work. If not then try cloning the modem's WAN MAC address to your pFsense WAN interface.
I suspect this advice might be more appropriate to a cable modem than an ADSL modem.
I tried to get two different ADSL modem/routers (Zyxel and Billion 7300) to act as modems only but couldn't get pfSense PPP to startup. The limited reporting capabilities of the modem/routers made it difficult to debug. I figured it was a better use of my time to buy a ADSL modem (Tenda D820 for the local equivalent of about US$20). It worked straight away.
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heya,
In this case, it is just a simple ADSL2+ modem - Billion 5200 SRD modem - it cost just $27 from MSY…lol.
We actually had a Netgear N600 ADSL2+ modem/Wifi router as well - however, I wanted the Billion modem in order to do full-bridging.
I've just changed from pfSense 2.0.1 to pfSense 2.1-BETA0, so I might give it a shot under that. It's a shame there isn't more verbose logging on why exactly the connection is failing, apart from a "timeout"...hmm.
Is there any way to increase verbosity of logging somewhere? Or some other diagnostics I can run from pfSense, such as trying the PPPoE negotiation manually from the console? Or would a packet capture help somewhere? Not even sure how to do that under FreeBSD...lol?
Is would be nice to get PPPoE working =). What other setups are you guys using for working PPPoE?
Cheers,
Victor -
In this case, it is just a simple ADSL2+ modem - Billion 5200 SRD modem - it cost just $27 from MSY…lol.
Sorry, last time I looked there didn't seem to be many "just" modems. Many of the cheap boxes advertised as modems seemed to be modem/routers.
I've just changed from pfSense 2.0.1 to pfSense 2.1-BETA0, so I might give it a shot under that. It's a shame there isn't more verbose logging on why exactly the connection is failing, apart from a "timeout"…hmm.
Your other post on DHCP on the Hacom suggested to me there was a problem in the communication between the modem/router and Hacom. Perhaps if that has been cleared up with pfSense 2.1 you might find PPPoE on pfSense 2.1 works.
Is there any way to increase verbosity of logging somewhere? Or some other diagnostics I can run from pfSense, such as trying the PPPoE negotiation manually from the console? Or would a packet capture help somewhere? Not even sure how to do that under FreeBSD…lol?
You can do a packet capture by running tcpdump in a shell session or from the web GUI: Diagnostics -> Packet Capture. Depending on what you are looking for, a packet capture on either the ppp interface (pppoe0) or the physical interface (em0?) or both might be useful.
What other setups are you guys using for working PPPoE?
I have use the configuration described in http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Accessing_modem_from_inside_firewall so I can access the modem web server from my home network on the other side of the pfSense box. This has been occasionally useful for troubleshooting.