Pfsense won't work with switch.
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I'm new to pfsense. I just installed it on an old machine I had laying around, and it works great when I plug it directly into a computer. However, when I plug it into a little Trendnet 8 port gigabit switch, it shows it's connected for about 2 or 3 seconds, then the connection light on the switch turns off. Any ideas?
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Bad cable?
What do the logs say?
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The cable is good. It's the same one i used to connect to the single computer. And which log should I check?
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System logs.
Status->System Logs.
Plug the cable in, watch the light go out, refresh the logs. That should tell you what the interface is seeing. Usually when a link light goes it it's a physical issue, but not always.
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Okay, here is what the log says. I unplugged it from the computer that worked at 15:39, and plugged it into the switch at 15:31. This is the output between those times before I plugged it back into the computer to check the logs.
Feb 11 15:29:02 kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Feb 11 15:29:04 php: : Hotplug event detected for lan but ignoring since interface is configured with static IP (10.0.0.1)
Feb 11 15:31:08 check_reload_status: Linkup starting re0
Feb 11 15:31:08 kernel: re0: link state changed to UP
Feb 11 15:31:10 php: : Hotplug event detected for lan but ignoring since interface is configured with static IP (10.0.0.1)
Feb 11 15:31:10 check_reload_status: rc.newwanip starting re0
Feb 11 15:31:11 check_reload_status: Linkup starting re0
Feb 11 15:31:11 kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Feb 11 15:31:12 php: : rc.newwanip: Informational is starting re0.
Feb 11 15:31:12 php: : rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 10.0.0.1) (interface: lan) (real interface: re0).
Feb 11 15:31:12 apinger: Exiting on signal 15.
Feb 11 15:31:13 php: : Hotplug event detected for lan but ignoring since interface is configured with static IP (10.0.0.1)
Feb 11 15:31:13 check_reload_status: Reloading filter
Feb 11 15:31:13 apinger: Starting Alarm Pinger, apinger(38604) -
Right, so, computer to computer works which means it's a crossover cable? Which your little Trendnet Gb switch may not like so much. Many crossover cables will only connect 2 pair out of the 4 pairs, which works fine at 100Mb and many adapters will negotiate correctly, but some may not, that includes switches.
Really, I would try a different cable.
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I actually thought that may be the issue as well, but alas… whether it's a regular cable or crossover cable it still doesn't work. Thanks for the suggestion though!
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It may not be relevant - but I had a similar issue some time ago. It wasn't with pfS but the symptoms were similar.
I could not connect a Gb adapter to an older 100Mb switch. In the end I forced the speed down on the adapter and all was fine.
Other possibility - are you using old cables? (CAT4?)
Just a thought in case it helps
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What Realtek NIC are you using exactly?
You might try a 2.1 snapshot that will have newer drivers.I am typing this on a laptop that has an older Realtek 8139 NIC. It works fine almost all the time but I have an SMC switch that it fails to negotiate a connection with. It is independent of OS. It just won't connect.
Not all devices are 100% standards compliant and sometimes you'll find a combination of hardware/software/firmware that will never work.
Probably not the case here but worth baring in mind! ;)
Steve
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Is STP or VTP Mode configured on that switch? It might see your pfsense install as another network bridge and be shutting it down. Not sure if that's even a managed switch or not.
I had the same issue separately with some Realtek NICs going bad on me… ended up having to swap hardware because the port kept bouncing and dropping packets like crazy.
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Does the computer link to the switch OK?
Have you tried forcing the duplex/speed. If the two can't come to a consensus, then they will shut the link down.
