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    Problem replacing Cisco ASA with pfSense on Comcast

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    21 Posts 5 Posters 2.0k Views
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    • jahonixJ Offline
      jahonix
      last edited by

      Try a cheap, unmanaged switch between WAN and your modem. Might help with negotiation issues.

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      • DerelictD Offline
        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
        last edited by

        Or a crossover cable.

        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)

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        • J Offline
          jimt97038
          last edited by

          OK, I’ve tried two different dumb switches on the WAN side. I always get “No carrier” but have connectivity lights on the adapter and switches.

          I tried switching interfaces. I have 3: em0, em1, and igb0. I use em1 for the LAN and it works fine. I’ve tried both em0 and igb0 for WAN and get “no carrier” The weird thing also is that on either em0 or igb0 if I try to force them to 1000 or 100 full duplex the interface status still shows auto select. Is there some weird bug with the WAN interface? I’m also using the new stable release 2.4.3, maybe I should try the previous release?

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          • SammyWooS Offline
            SammyWoo
            last edited by

            Are the 2 boxes right next to each other and the only thing connecting the 2 are one simple patch cable?  'Cuz recently there was another post he finally disclosed a buried cable blah-blah.  Do u have access to the SMC box can make conf changes there?  This is so simple it's maddening, the hardware LINK between the 2 is bad.

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            • DerelictD Offline
              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
              last edited by

              No there is no weird bug on the WAN interface. It is something you are doing in your environment. No, do not try an earlier version.

              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)

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              • J Offline
                jimt97038
                last edited by

                Yes, the two boxes are right next to each other with just the one cable connecting them. And I’ve tried several different cables.

                Right now I’ve got things in an isolated test setup since it’s a workday and we need our Internet access (so we’re back on the Cisco for now). I’ve got the LAN connected only to my laptop and the WAN connected to a dumb switch. WAN still says no carrier regardless of whether I use igb0 or em0. Still no carrier on the WAN side.

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                • DerelictD Offline
                  Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                  last edited by

                  Take a KNOWN GOOD 8-conductor cable and loop igb0 and em0 (plug one end into igb0, the other end into em0)

                  Execute this in Diagnostics > Command Prompt: ifconfig -a

                  Post the output.

                  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)

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                  • J Offline
                    jimt97038
                    last edited by

                    em0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
                    options=4209b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum,wol_magic,vlan_hwtso>ether 68:05:ca:7b:42:2b
                    hwaddr 68:05:ca:7b:42:2b
                    inet6 fe80::6a05:caff:fe7b:422b%em0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
                    nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>media: Ethernet 100baseTX <full-duplex>status: active
                    igb0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
                    options=6400bb <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,jumbo_mtu,vlan_hwcsum,vlan_hwtso,rxcsum_ipv6,txcsum_ipv6>ether 70:85:c2:46:81:f9
                    hwaddr 70:85:c2:46:81:f9
                    inet6 fe80::7285:c2ff:fe46:81f9%igb0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x2
                    inet 10.0.160.2 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 10.0.160.255
                    nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>media: Ethernet 100baseTX <full-duplex>status: active
                    em1: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
                    options=4009b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum,vlan_hwtso>ether 70:85:c2:46:81:fb
                    hwaddr 70:85:c2:46:81:fb
                    inet 192.168.1.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255
                    inet6 fe80::1:1%em1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x3
                    nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>media: Ethernet autoselect (1000baseT <full-duplex>)
                    status: active
                    lo0: flags=8049 <up,loopback,running,multicast>metric 0 mtu 16384
                    options=600003 <rxcsum,txcsum,rxcsum_ipv6,txcsum_ipv6>inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128
                    inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x4
                    inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000
                    nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>groups: lo
                    enc0: flags=0<> metric 0 mtu 1536
                    nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>groups: enc
                    pflog0: flags=100 <promisc>metric 0 mtu 33160
                    groups: pflog
                    pfsync0: flags=0<> metric 0 mtu 1500
                    groups: pfsync
                    syncpeer: 224.0.0.240 maxupd: 128 defer: on
                    syncok: 1</promisc></performnud,auto_linklocal></performnud,auto_linklocal></rxcsum,txcsum,rxcsum_ipv6,txcsum_ipv6></up,loopback,running,multicast></full-duplex></performnud,auto_linklocal></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum,vlan_hwtso></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></full-duplex></performnud,auto_linklocal></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,jumbo_mtu,vlan_hwcsum,vlan_hwtso,rxcsum_ipv6,txcsum_ipv6></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></full-duplex></performnud,auto_linklocal></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum,wol_magic,vlan_hwtso></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

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                    • J Offline
                      jimt97038
                      last edited by

                      And in doing this the WAN interface status shows up in the web tool. Weird that with a dumb switch or my cable modem connected it’s down.

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                      • DerelictD Offline
                        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                        last edited by

                        Yeah. Fix your layer 1/2. The igb0 and em0 should both auto-mdx. Hard to say what the problem is from remote.

                        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)

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                        • J Offline
                          jimt97038
                          last edited by

                          Man I think I’m prepared to say I’m an idiot.

                          I think I misread which port was which (someone asked me that early in this thread). I assumed both built-in NICs were em0 and em1 and the add on card was igb0. Reasonable right? After all the hardware for the built-in ports is the same on the motherboard. Well, it looks like one built-in is em1 and the other is igb0 and the add on is em0. Right now I have the add on card connected to the dumb switch and configured as the WAN port and it’s showing UP.

                          Guess I should never assume anything. BTW does the underlying Linux of pfSense have a command line tool to blink the network ports? That would be the final confirmation.

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                          • J Offline
                            jimt97038
                            last edited by

                            I spoke too soon. I think the web interface isn’t updating status properly. Em0 is the WAN port, and it’s showing UP connected to my dumb switch now after doing the cross-connect to igb0.

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                            • johnpozJ Offline
                              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                              last edited by

                              "underlying Linux of pfSense have a command line"

                              pfsense is not linux its on freebsd… Big difference!!!

                              As to your em sure you should be able to use this
                              https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=em&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+11.1-RELEASE&arch=default&format=html#FILES

                              FILES
                                  /dev/led/em*  identification LED device nodes

                              EXAMPLES
                                  Make the identification LED of em0 blink:

                              echo f2 > /dev/led/em0

                              Turn the identification LED of em0 off again:

                              echo 0 > /dev/led/em0

                              igb should be able to do it too
                              https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=igb&apropos=0&sektion=4&manpath=FreeBSD+11.1-RELEASE&arch=default&format=html

                              When get home will validate with my 4860

                              An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                              If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                              Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                              SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8, 25.07.1

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                              • DerelictD Offline
                                Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                last edited by

                                @Derelict:

                                You sure you actually know what port is 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)

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                                • J Offline
                                  jimt97038
                                  last edited by

                                  Yeah, I feel really stupid, especially after the "you sure you know what port…" comment. I wish I knew that blink command yesterday!

                                  Thanks for all the help everyone. Now does anyone know why pfSense would call the two built-in ports em1 and igb0 and the add on card em0? Makes no sense to me at all. That's what tripped me up.

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                                  • DerelictD Offline
                                    Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                    last edited by

                                    The operating system enumerates the ports. It has to do with the PCI bus they are on, etc. Every motherboard is different. You need to look at the MAC addresses and be sure you're talking to the correct port.

                                    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)

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