Bridge LAN ports to act like a switch

balubeto

I have found the main problem:

Starting from the default parameters of pfSense and performing the initial setup to make sure that the LAN and WAN interfaces are working with the type of static address, I tried to insert the MAC address of my computer or a MAC fictitious in the MAC address field of the LAN interface of pfSense. Applying these changes and restarting the firewall from the console, Windows 7 SP1 64-bit identifies the connection as a public network not identified. How come?

Thanks

Bye

stephenw10

Because the MAC has changed. However if you then reboot the box again you should find that Windows connects without a warning as the MAC will remain whatever you set it to be.
Windows maintains a list of known networks with the MAC addresses of whatever it talks to on those networks. If it starts talking to a new MAC that isn't in the list it warns you.

Steve

balubeto

@stephenw10:

Because the MAC has changed. However if you then reboot the box again you should find that Windows connects without a warning as the MAC will remain whatever you set it to be.
Windows maintains a list of known networks with the MAC addresses of whatever it talks to on those networks. If it starts talking to a new MAC that isn't in the list it warns you.

Steve

the problem is that, even if I restart the firewall from the console with the new MAC, Windows identifies the new connection directly as a public network not identified without the possibility to change its type.

So, how do I change its type?

Thanks

Bye

matguy

@balubeto:

@stephenw10:

Because the MAC has changed. However if you then reboot the box again you should find that Windows connects without a warning as the MAC will remain whatever you set it to be.
Windows maintains a list of known networks with the MAC addresses of whatever it talks to on those networks. If it starts talking to a new MAC that isn't in the list it warns you.

Steve

the problem is that, even if I restart the firewall from the console with the new MAC, Windows identifies the new connection directly as a public network not identified without the possibility to change its type.

So, how do I change its type?

Thanks

Bye

But, after it's set, do the Windows boxes keep notifying you again, later. From what I understand, it should do it once after you set the MAC, but once Windows identifies it, as long as you don't change the Bridge MAC again, it shouldn't keep bothering you.

balubeto

@matguy:

@balubeto:

@stephenw10:

Because the MAC has changed. However if you then reboot the box again you should find that Windows connects without a warning as the MAC will remain whatever you set it to be.
Windows maintains a list of known networks with the MAC addresses of whatever it talks to on those networks. If it starts talking to a new MAC that isn't in the list it warns you.

Steve

the problem is that, even if I restart the firewall from the console with the new MAC, Windows identifies the new connection directly as a public network not identified without the possibility to change its type.

So, how do I change its type?

Thanks

Bye

But, after it's set, do the Windows boxes keep notifying you again, later. From what I understand, it should do it once after you set the MAC, but once Windows identifies it, as long as you don't change the Bridge MAC again, it shouldn't keep bothering you.

Dropping for a moment the creation of the switch, how do I set a MAC address to the LAN interface preventing Windows 7 from identifying this connection as unidentified public network?

Thanks

Bye

stephenw10

If you are not using a bridge at all then you should not have to do anything with the MAC address of the LAN NIC. It will always use the real MAC read fro the card itself. Windows should only ask you once 'what type of network are you connecting to?'.

Are you still using all statically assigned IPs?

If it's seeing new networks each time you have a different problem.

What hardware are you running?

Steve

balubeto

@stephenw10:

If you are not using a bridge at all then you should not have to do anything with the MAC address of the LAN NIC. It will always use the real MAC read fro the card itself. Windows should only ask you once 'what type of network are you connecting to?'.

Are you still using all statically assigned IPs?

If it's seeing new networks each time you have a different problem.

What hardware are you running?

Steve

I had done the test without bridge only to understand something.

I always use the static IP.

My firewall is http://www.firewallhardware.it/en/appliance_utm2.html . By chance, is there some parameters of the BIOS that could cause my problem?

Thanks

Bye

stephenw10

Hmm, well there are quite a few people using that Jetway motherboard and your appliance has the nicer Intel daughter board which is said to be very good. No one has reported similar problems.

At this point you might consider the cause is something different. How many different Windows 7 machines have you tested this with?

Otherwise please post some screenshots of your not working bridge config. You could post your config.xml after you have removed any information you don't want public, passwords IPs etc. We can get a much clearer idea from that.

Steve

balubeto

@stephenw10:

Hmm, well there are quite a few people using that Jetway motherboard and your appliance has the nicer Intel daughter board which is said to be very good. No one has reported similar problems.

At this point you might consider the cause is something different. How many different Windows 7 machines have you tested this with?

Otherwise please post some screenshots of your not working bridge config. You could post your config.xml after you have removed any information you don't want public, passwords IPs etc. We can get a much clearer idea from that.

Steve

For the moment, I'm trying on 10 Windows 7 machine.

I can not understand what snapshots you want? Where is the config.xml file? How do I view it?

Thanks

Bye

johnpoz

"Unfortunately, Windows 7 does not allow to change the network type"

What? You can change the network type whenever you want.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43629-network-location-set-home-work-public-network.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71408-unidentified-networks-set-private-public.html

Now are these win 7 boxes part of a domain?

balubeto

@johnpoz:

"Unfortunately, Windows 7 does not allow to change the network type"

What? You can change the network type whenever you want.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43629-network-location-set-home-work-public-network.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71408-unidentified-networks-set-private-public.html

Now are these win 7 boxes part of a domain?

No, the computers are in a workgroup.

Thanks

Bye

johnpoz

Well then there is no reason why you could not change the type of network your connected too. And it for sure would have NOTHING to do with pfsense if you couldn't

stephenw10

@balubeto:

Where is the config.xml file? How do I view it?

The config.xml file can be obtained using the backup function under Diagnostics: Backup/Restore:
It contains everything about your pfSense install. Including some stuff you probably don't want to post publically so you should remove that it you do post it here.

I am confused though. :-
Please tell me what state your box is in. Did you get the bridge setup correctly in switch mode? What is working? What is not working?

Steve

balubeto

@stephenw10:

@balubeto:

Where is the config.xml file? How do I view it?

The config.xml file can be obtained using the backup function under Diagnostics: Backup/Restore:
It contains everything about your pfSense install. Including some stuff you probably don't want to post publically so you should remove that it you do post it here.

I am confused though. :-
Please tell me what state your box is in. Did you get the bridge setup correctly in switch mode? What is working? What is not working?

Steve

I have noticed that, until step 4 of your procedure, my computers can access the firewall and get onto the Internet. While if I perform step 5, I can not do anything more.

So, I have attached the config.xml configuration file of my firewall so that you can understand where is the problem.

Also, I noticed that, with this configuration, I can not open the 31950 port even if the firewall log shows that it is open. How come?

Thanks

Bye

Firewall_-NAT-Port_Forward-_Edit.png_thumb

Firewall_-NAT-_Port_Forward.png_thumb

Firewall_-Rules-_WAN.png_thumb

Status_-System_logs-_Firewall.png_thumb

Pluto_-_Port.png_thumb
config.xml.txt

stephenw10

Ah OK. Thanks for that.
Two things I notice straight away:

Your WAN has a /8 subnet which is far too large. It should probably be /24.

Your WAN address is in a private IP range so you must have 'Block private networks' unchecked in Interfaces: WAN:
I'm not sure if you have done that already from the config file.
Edit: Now I see you have have unchecked that so ignore that remark.
Is your WAN connected to another router? If so you will need to have port 31950 forwarded on that also.

I see you have not yet added em1 to the bridge, is that because this file is taken after step 4 in my instructions?
Adding the interface to the bridge as in step 5 should have no effect of the other interfaces. Perhaps you are adding it incorrectly? Is there anything connected to em1?

I see you have not spoofed the MAC address yet in this file.

Steve

extide

I believe that you need to be using DHCP, otherwise windows will not allow you to change from public network type. However if you set the bridge MAC to the same as the real mac on the NIC then Windows clients should not even know you changed anything.

stephenw10

Really? That would be odd. What public network uses static IPs? If are using static addresses it's almost certain to be a private network. :-\

If you set the bridge MAC to one that already exists you will have two devices on the network with the same MAC. Thus will lead to problems.

Steve

extide

Well, it is categorized as a 'Public Network' because that is the most secure profile, however what it is really identified as is "Unidentified Network" I believe this is because it uses the mac address of the DHCP server in order to identify the network.

You would think it could also use the mac of the default gateway, but I don't believe it does, however I haven't tested this fact.

balubeto

@stephenw10:

Ah OK. Thanks for that.
Two things I notice straight away:

Your WAN has a /8 subnet which is far too large. It should probably be /24.

Your WAN address is in a private IP range so you must have 'Block private networks' unchecked in Interfaces: WAN:
I'm not sure if you have done that already from the config file.
Edit: Now I see you have have unchecked that so ignore that remark.
Is your WAN connected to another router? If so you will need to have port 31950 forwarded on that also.

I see you have not yet added em1 to the bridge, is that because this file is taken after step 4 in my instructions?
Adding the interface to the bridge as in step 5 should have no effect of the other interfaces. Perhaps you are adding it incorrectly? Is there anything connected to em1?

I see you have not spoofed the MAC address yet in this file.

Steve

If I move the LAN interface in the brigde and I set to "none" his configuration type, my computers access no more my firewall and internet (I also tried with a conputer with XP).

In the WAN, because I have set to 24 its netmask when the its address is 10.0.0.2?

Connected to the WAN there is a adsl router (10.0.0.1) configured so that all its ports are open. To be sure, as I can test this with the firewall?

So, where I'm wrong?

Thanks

Bye

stephenw10

Ok in step 5 you add the remaining NIC (that was previously assigned as LAN) to the bridge so that you can then use it the same as the other ports. In your case it will be em1. Here is what you should be doing:

Go to Interfaces: (assign): in the webGUI.
Click the '+' button to add another interface. It should appear as opt4.
Use the dropdown selection to set it as em1. It should already be em1 for you as that's the only NIC you have unused.
Go to Interfaces: OPT4: Click enable, set it as type 'none'. Save and apply.
Now go to Interfaces: (assign): Bridges: and edit bridge0. Add OPT4 to the bridge. Save and apply.
Done. :)

You can use 10.0.0.2/24 for WAN. That will mean that tries to talk directly to IP addresses ranging 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.255. That includes your WANGW address, which is the only address it has to talk to.

Having ports open on your modem is not enough they need to be forwarded also.
It is better to have your modem set to bridge mode so that pfSense receives a public IP or if that's not possible you can sometimes use a DMZ connection. I can't really help you with the modem as they are all different. You could test it by connecting a client directly to the modem (at a 10.0.0.X address) and re run the port test.
Your port forwards and firewall rules in pfSense look good.

Steve