PPPoE on WAN link for Centurylink gigabit service

[superweasel]

I received CenturyLink Gigabit Internet service two weeks ago and was able to immediately replace the C2000T with pfSense for use with the service. It was simple to setup.

Here are the steps:

• Create a VLAN with ID 201, Interfaces>Assign>VLANs

• Assign the VLAN to the WAN parent interface

• Create a PPP interface for the WAN, Interfaces>Assign>PPPs

• Make the following PPP settings:

Link type - PPPoE
            Link interface(s) - WAN interface with VLAN, e.g. igb1_vlan201
            Provide the Username and Password for the CenturyLink account
            Save

At this point, the WAN interface will connect to the CenturyLink service.

I have noticed that the C2000T is about 20 percent faster on download speed tests and on parity with upload speed tests when compared to pfSense running on a SG-4860. Not exactly sure why that would be the case. Still investigating.

Screenshots of the settings below.


[johns1]

superweasel, thank you for posting some detail. For some reason new post to thread notifications were not reaching me so I was not aware that new posts had been made.

I tried to follow your instructions and even went so far as to do a complete new install of 2.2.3 to make sure old configuration changes were not affecting me but I still can't get pfsense to work with Centurylink. By following your advice I have made more progress than before. I was unclear about what the WAN link should be set to on Interfaces (assign) so I put it to the PPPoE option created by following your instructions. pfsense then gets an IP address on the WAN link but clients on the LAN can't get to the internet. Screen shots are below, note in PPPtoWAN image that pfsense gets and IP address, can tell it is on the current release but the 1000baseT full duplex is missing. When I set the WAN back to em0 (default) I get the 1000baseT link full duplex but no IP address.

I am sure there is some minor setting I am missing, and I would appreciate any further advice you have.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

[superweasel]

With an IP address from CenturyLink, the WAN side of the house is all set. IP address from CenturyLink is the critical piece. With PPPoE, pfSense does not report connection speed or duplex.

Make sure the PPPoE Gateway is set as the Default Gateway (System>Routing, see image below). You might also want to add the CenturyLink DNS servers to your DNS list (System>General>DNS servers, see image below).

As for the LAN side, most likely a firewall issue or route issue. Make sure you are not blocking routes to the WAN from LAN (see image below). Just to verify, take a look at Diagnostics>Routes to see if LAN can route to WAN.

Last one, in researching the speed issue with pfSense and gigabit PPPoE connections, I opened a support ticket with pfSense. As of v2.2.3, pfSense will not attain gigabit speeds with PPPoE (https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4821).


[johns1]

superweasel, many thanks for your posts. I am now up and running on pfSense!. It turns out the inability for clients to access the WAN was because CenturyLink was moving the IP the assigned to me at the same time I was trying to browse the web from a client. With others asking "when is the internet going to be up again?" instead of taking time to make sure things were right I just assumed there was some setting I was missing.

As to your bug report, I would like to help prove an issue as my pfSense system is yielding about 1/3 to 1/2 the performance I get when using the technicolor modem. I will message you directly about that.

Thank you again for the detail you provided. I appreciate it.

[dburkland]

I am guessing the PPPoE requirement is region specific as I did not need to set this up here in the Twin Cities (Support also confirmed this as well).

Cheers,

Dan

[dopey]

@superweasel:

Last one, in researching the speed issue with pfSense and gigabit PPPoE connections, I opened a support ticket with pfSense. As of v2.2.3, pfSense will not attain gigabit speeds with PPPoE (https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4821).

Thanks for tracking this down.  I've been wondering why I can't get gigabit over centurylink but was able to between hosts on the WAN and LAN interfaces.  Didn't think that PPPoE would have been the factor here.

[Heavyb]

Can anyone confirm that the PPPoE performance issue has been addressed in v.2.3?

Thanks!

[Bagoette]

I have just upgraded to CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit as well, and after getting pfSense to connect to the PPPoE, I can only manage at most 300 Mbps Down and 350 Mbps Up.

My CPU info is included in attachment.

I have both Gigabit NIC's on the LAN and WAN.

When I hook up the CenturyLink C2100T I can get 700+Mbps Up and Down. Can anyone pull high speeds with pfSense?


[Spirundik]

I had the opposite problem.  I got ~900 up/down when my pfSense was connected directly to the ONT and establishing the PPPoE connection, but only get ~700 up/down when the C2100T is in place to provide routing for my /29 subnet.

attached is my cpu info.

[teeler123]

I have tried everything suggested in this thread - VLAN201 on WAN, PPPoE on VLAN201, and input username and password. It then says that it is "up" but no IP address is received and not internet.

Any thoughts for further actions?

Thanks,

Tyler

[yuckey2d]

Bump… Gave this a try last month, hoping for a solution, or advice for how to build the PPPoE with multithread available.

[w0w]

According to https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4821 it is related to igb driver, are you all using Intel igb NICs? Currently solution is only to change the hardware — more powerful CPU that can handle 1Gbit with single core and/or other Intel card, that uses em(4) driver.

[PfKomrad]

@teeler123:

I have tried everything suggested in this thread - VLAN201 on WAN, PPPoE on VLAN201, and input username and password. It then says that it is "up" but no IP address is received and not internet.

Any thoughts for further actions?

Thanks,

Tyler

What version of pfsense do you have? 2.4.1 had a bug that didn't not let the VLAN interface work. 2.4.2-RELEASE  fixes that and it should work. I just set my up as VLAN 201 interface on the WAN hardware port, PPoE interface on the VLAN 201 interface, and finally assign the PPoE interface to the WAN port under interface assignments


[billmcg]

This post is deleted!

[billmcg]

I finally got this setup working with my sg-2440, but there's NO WAY this device supports a gigabit connection as claimed in the literature. Default CL modem sees speeds around 860/775 wheras setup with my sg-2440 I'm getting 450/450.

[chrismacmahon]

Have you tried the work around in this Redmine ticket: https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4821

You should be able to get a lot more speed out of the 2440.

Can you verify your PowerD settings; it should be enabled and either Hiadaptive, or Maximum should be the profile.

[billmcg]

@chrismacmahon said in PPPoE on WAN link for Centurylink gigabit service:

https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4821

I have tried the workaround. I'm currently running with the following /boot/loader.conf.local and max out around 530mbps:

hw.igb.fc_setting=0
net.isr.dispatch=deferred
net.inet.tcp.tso=0

I'm not sure what powerD is. I'll have to look into that now...

[billmcg]

Oh wow! Enabling powerD and setting to maximum really helped. I'm seeing 820/820 which is about as good as I think I can do given that my fiber run zigzags across 6 different poles and then I have about a 70ft cat6 run from the ONT. I consider this resolved.

Thanks for the tips!

[chrismacmahon]

Glad we got you sorted out.

[billmcg]

So, here's documentation of the entire process of getting CenturyLink Gigabit GPON service working at full speed with pfSense. This applies only to PPPoE "internet only" service from Century Link. The internet+prism TV service uses IPoE and is configured differently.

The hw.igb.fc_setting=0 below disables flow control for the Intel NICs in the Netgate SG-2440. Different hardware will require a different option. Other than this, the instructions below should be hardware agnostic. Assuming your hardware is fast enough, you should see performance comparable, or very near to CL supplied hardware.

Diagnostics -> Edit File
Path to file: /boot/loader.conf.local
Click Load to load the existing file.
Add:

net.isr.dispatch=deferred
net.inet.tcp.tso=0
hw.igb.fc_setting=0

Save and Reboot

In the pfSense GUI:

System -> Advanced -> Miscellaneous -> Power Savings
Check "Enable PowerD" and set to "Maximum" or Hiadaptive" for all power states.

Interfaces -> Assignmnents -VLANs
Add a new VLAN interface. In the edit dialog:

Parent Interface: <the physical interface of your WAN port>
On the SG-2440 this is most likely igb0, so we'll assume that for the rest of this config.

VLAN Tag: 201
Save

Interfaces -> Assignments -> PPPs
Add a new PPP
Link Type: PPPoE
Link Interface: igb0.201
Username: CenturyLink Supplied
Password: CenturyLink Supplied
Service name: <leave blank>
Configure NULL service name: checked
Save

Interfaces -> Assignments -> Interface Assignments
WAN: select PPPoE0(igb0.201) - < CL Username > from the drop down
Save

Interfaces -> WAN
verify that IPv4 Configuration Type is PPPoE

Under PPPoE Configuration
Verify Username and Password are present
Save

Status -> Interfaces
Verify WAN Interface (wan, pppoe0)
Status: up
PPPoE: up
IPv4 Address: <is present>