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    PPPoE issue? [SOLVED]

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved 2.2 Snapshot Feedback and Problems - RETIRED
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    • H
      hoanghaibinh
      last edited by

      Have you tried to dial internet directly from your ADSL modem yet? was it successful? Then, when you connect pfsense WAN interface to internet via modem using PPPoE, did you joint pfsense with modem directly or via a switch (or hub)? If you joint them indirectly, it would be fail. Try do it directly.

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      • I
        iFloris
        last edited by

        @badgernaut:

        There was a post about Draytek firmware being buggy, I'll try a different version and see.

        What you are trying to do can be done, as we use a similar setup using two Draytek Vigor 120 modems.
        The modems do pppoa to pppoe conversion. Pfsense load balances between the two dsl lines.
        Both modems are running the stock firmware, or to clarify: I have never updated the firmware on either modem.

        Pfsense version is an old 2.2 snap:
        2.2-ALPHA (amd64)
        built on Wed Sep 11 18:17:37 EDT 2013
        FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE-p11
        (But I will not upgrade till 2.2 release, because angry mob with pitchforks should something go wrong again)

        If there is something I can look up for you to help, let me know.

        one layer of information
        removed

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        • B
          badgernaut
          last edited by

          @hoanghaibinh:

          Have you tried to dial internet directly from your ADSL modem yet? was it successful? Then, when you connect pfsense WAN interface to internet via modem using PPPoE, did you joint pfsense with modem directly or via a switch (or hub)? If you joint them indirectly, it would be fail. Try do it directly.

          Thanks hoang: I'm not going via a Layer2 hub, I'm connecting directly with a crossover cable.

          I tried with a Windows 7 machine, and PPPoE worked fine through the 120… Haven't yet tried authenticating via the modem yet, but assume that will work. Will try later.

          @iFloris:

          @badgernaut:

          There was a post about Draytek firmware being buggy, I'll try a different version and see.

          What you are trying to do can be done, as we use a similar setup using two Draytek Vigor 120 modems.
          The modems do pppoa to pppoe conversion. Pfsense load balances between the two dsl lines.
          Both modems are running the stock firmware, or to clarify: I have never updated the firmware on either modem.

          Pfsense version is an old 2.2 snap:
          2.2-ALPHA (amd64)
          built on Wed Sep 11 18:17:37 EDT 2013
          FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE-p11
          (But I will not upgrade till 2.2 release, because angry mob with pitchforks should something go wrong again)

          If there is something I can look up for you to help, let me know.

          Thanks iFloris: I've just flashed with the very latest firmware from Draytek (3.2.6.1), which claims to have some fixes for PPPoE and PPPoA on the ISP side. A new install of the latest pfSense 2.2 Beta snapshot, tried again… It worked! ...for a couple of hours... Then went back to not being able to establish a PPPoE link again.  :'(

          There's something fruity going on between the modem (in bridge mode) and pfSense. Probably a combination of Draytek's firmware implementing their interpretation of the standard, alongside mpd5 (in FreeBSD, the module pfSense uses) interpreting it a slightly different way... Needs more investigation!

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          • W
            Wolf666
            last edited by

            I have installed pfSense 2.2-Beta (amd64) (release 06OCT) on a box with a Supermicro ASRi-2558 board. I also use a Vigor120 v.2 (my ISP is PPPoA ONLY, Tiscali Italy).

            Everything is working pretty fine, PPPoE authentication from pfSense is straight forward and connection (10/1) is stable.

            Modem Draytek Vigor 130
            pfSense 2.4 Supermicro A1SRi-2558 - 8GB ECC RAM - Intel S3500 SSD 80GB - M350 Case
            Switch Cisco SG350-10
            AP Netgear R7000 (Stock FW)
            HTPC Intel NUC5i3RYH
            NAS Synology DS1515+
            NAS Synology DS213+

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            • B
              badgernaut
              last edited by

              @Wolf666:

              I have installed pfSense 2.2-Beta (amd64) (release 06OCT) on a box with a Supermicro ASRi-2558 board. I also use a Vigor120 v.2 (my ISP is PPPoA ONLY, Tiscali Italy).

              Everything is working pretty fine, PPPoE authentication from pfSense is straight forward and connection (10/1) is stable.

              Hi Wolf,

              That's promising! Could you tell me the exact Draytek firmware you are using? Also, was it on a factory reset (using factory defaults) on the Vigor 120 v2 modem, or have you changed any of the settings?

              Thanks  :)

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              • W
                Wolf666
                last edited by

                @badgernaut:

                @Wolf666:

                I have installed pfSense 2.2-Beta (amd64) (release 06OCT) on a box with a Supermicro ASRi-2558 board. I also use a Vigor120 v.2 (my ISP is PPPoA ONLY, Tiscali Italy).

                Everything is working pretty fine, PPPoE authentication from pfSense is straight forward and connection (10/1) is stable.

                Hi Wolf,

                That's promising! Could you tell me the exact Draytek firmware you are using? Also, was it on a factory reset (using factory defaults) on the Vigor 120 v2 modem, or have you changed any of the settings?

                Thanks  :)

                I updated the firmware to:

                Vigor120_v2_v3.2.6.1_A_STD –--> Annex A for modem code 321311. (Standard)

                I then made a factory reset and let those default settings (included GUI user and blank password). I only set up parameters of my ISP PPPoA connection (excluded user and PWD, of course) and activated PPPoA<–->PPPoE function (PPPoE Pass-through) and changed Modem IP to a different subnet. (Modem 10.0.0.1, Routers 192.168.x.x).

                Save, power cycle.

                I then first tested the modem with a Netgear3700 (OpenWRT) and R7000 (DD-WRT), just to check connectivity with several and working FW type, everything was ok.

                Last I connected Vigor to pfSense unit (Switched OFF) I then switched on the pfSense unit (previously set up WAN with PPPoE, my ISP login and auto dial ON) waited for boot sequence and in few second it got connection.

                I totally renewed my LAN (adding pfSense and this new modem), everything is up and running from 3 days.

                Modem Draytek Vigor 130
                pfSense 2.4 Supermicro A1SRi-2558 - 8GB ECC RAM - Intel S3500 SSD 80GB - M350 Case
                Switch Cisco SG350-10
                AP Netgear R7000 (Stock FW)
                HTPC Intel NUC5i3RYH
                NAS Synology DS1515+
                NAS Synology DS213+

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                • B
                  badgernaut
                  last edited by

                  @Wolf666:

                  I then made a factory reset and let those default settings (included GUI user and blank password). I only set up parameters of my ISP PPPoA connection (excluded user and PWD, of course) and activated PPPoA<–->PPPoE function (PPPoE Pass-through) and changed Modem IP to a different subnet.

                  When you say you activated PPPoA-PPPoE function, which setting was that? In mine it appears to be all set correctly after a factory reset with default values. Have I missed a setting? (I leave the 'PPPoE Client (enable/disable)' enabled; the PPPoA-PPPoE Bridging is already ticked but also greyed out so I couldn't change it.)

                  I'll try your steps in the same order, tonight. Thanks!

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                  • B
                    badgernaut
                    last edited by

                    Finally got it all working  :D

                    Latest firmware, and leaving the PPPoE Client Mode to default-enabled (an old forum post said that this should be disabled) seemed to work.

                    I think there may still be a small issue with successful PPPoE connections/links being dependent on the order in which the devices are booted up (e.g. modem has to be booted up first, then pfSense box); I don't have time to do a thorough investigation at the moment, though. I would hope that the order wouldn't matter, but from experience I know this takes extra effort and isn't always implemented.

                    Thanks for everyone's help! :)

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                    • C
                      casinmirad
                      last edited by

                      For me PPPoE client on pfsense have issues on connecting, same setup with a Windows machine as PPPoE client connects ok.

                      Something you could try for troublshoot is doing this is SSH

                      tcpdump -i [interface]

                      or

                      tcpdump -i [interface] pppoed

                      Where [interface] is your interface name, e.g. em0; em0_vlan5

                      The second command will output the negotiation packets of a PPPoE session so you can pinpoint where exactly it fails.

                      In a single case I have a pfsense box that will only connect when and only when I run the tcpdump command, most probably something went bad with the installation of pfsense, but anyway it happened and only affect PPPoE sessions.

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                      • B
                        badgernaut
                        last edited by

                        I haven't got around to using TCPdump, will have a look over the weekend.

                        That is weird: have you changed iptables?

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