Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Set static route but cant port forward

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Routing and Multi WAN
    24 Posts 4 Posters 4.2k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • DerelictD
      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
      last edited by

      I do this too. Have a remote site with fiber (Cisco router) and an ADSL into a pfSense for out-of-band access.  For a couple hosts there we place static routes to all RFC1918 addresses back to pfSense (instead of the default gateway) so we can ssh directly to them over OpenVPN.

      So if the fiber goes down we can ssh into something on the subnet and work FROM THERE.

      IP routing just doesn't work like you want it to without an active routing protocol like OSPF on ALL INTERFACES on the subnet.  And even that won't solve your asymmetric routing problem unless you use OSPF to swing the DEFAULT ROUTE from tmg to pfSense for the entire subnet - or at least the destination host in question.

      You might also be able to do something with outbound NAT so, to other hosts on the subnet, connections would appear to come from the pfSense interface on the subnet making routing the return traffic out-of-scope.

      Usually in an outage I'm just happy to be able to get in at all.  Even if I have to chain a couple ssh sessions.

      Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
      A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
      DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
      Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • R
        robina80
        last edited by

        So create a host (linux or windows machine)  on the same lan as the pfsense fw and give the host the pfsense gateway or the gateway of the vlan switch?

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • DerelictD
          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
          last edited by

          To accomplish what?

          Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
          A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
          DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
          Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • R
            robina80
            last edited by

            You said "for a couple of hosts"  and i thought you meant you put couple of pcs on the same subnet as pfsense

            What did you mean by hosts then

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • DerelictD
              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
              last edited by

              Tell your switch to route traffic from 172.16.8.100 to pfSense instead of the default gateway and it will work.

              Put a host on the 10.10.20.0 subnet with pfSense as its default gateway and it will work.

              But you will then have other issues like traffic from the subject host to other local assets.

              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • R
                robina80
                last edited by

                Thanks all for everyones replies really appreciate it thank you

                Rob

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • R
                  robina80
                  last edited by

                  As i have enabled openvpn server on my pfsense fw and i can remotley vpn in to it i can access the remote lan but obviously not the other networks as the static routes dont work

                  I was wondering if i build a host on the same nwtwork ie a linux machine and make that machine use pfsense as the gateway and on the linux machine add static routes to the other network

                  If i install openvpn server on that linux machine will it manage to access the other networks aswell or just its lan network

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • DerelictD
                    Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                    last edited by

                    I can't tell squat from "same network" (same network as what) or "that linux machine."

                    IP addresses, subnets, and routes.  That's all that we need to try to help you.  Specifics.

                    What, exactly, are you trying to accomplish?

                    OpenVPN is extremely flexible - especially with assigned interfaces, but it's still subject to IP routing rules.

                    Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                    A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                    DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                    Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • DerelictD
                      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                      last edited by

                      Using this I can RDP/SSH etc into 172.26.45.100 from 192.168.223.100 and look at the entire network from behind the router if the Metro-E fails.

                      pfSense-Management-VPN.png
                      pfSense-Management-VPN.png_thumb

                      Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                      A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                      DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                      Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • R
                        robina80
                        last edited by

                        Same network i mean same network as the pfsense fw,  its local network

                        And then on the linux machine i install openvpn server and it will be able to talk to the other networks,  as i will add the static routes to the other networks on the linux machine

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • First post
                          Last post
                        Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.