PPPoE on WAN link for Centurylink gigabit service

[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>

[stephenw10]

Nice result!

Be aware that setting net.isr.dispatch=deferred will give you better PPPoE speeds but might cause problems with ALTQ if you need shaping.

And, yeah, you need to have powerd (speedstep) enabled on those ADI SG series devices to see the full CPU speed.

Steve

[DonaldColeman]

@billmcg
Worked great !!!
Thx.

[Plittle]

Hi there. Tried to get my protectli modem with pfsense working with centurylink fiber optic(internet only) following the above instructions. I was unable to edit
/boot/loader.conf.local
as I couldnt find it. there is a file
/boot/loader.conf.orig
or loader.conf
I followed the rest of the instructions, but WAN/VLAN not connecting...
Could anyone direct me as to where that file resides or how to figure out what I may be doing wrong?
Much appreciated, thank you.

[Plittle]

Correction-I got the PPoE connection over WAN up...but still cant get internet connection...
any ideas what Im doing wrong?
Status
up
PPPoE
up

Uptime
-
IPv6 Link Local
fe80::2e0:67ff:fe0e:4036%pppoe1
DNS servers
127.0.0.1
MTU
1500
In/out packets
0/22 (0 B/2 KiB)
In/out packets (pass)
0/22 (0 B/2 KiB)
In/out packets (block)
0/0 (0 B/0 B)
In/out errors
0/0
Collisions
0

LAN Interface (lan, bridge0)

Status
up
MAC Address
02:dd:73:83:d4:00
IPv4 Address
192.168.1.1
Subnet mask IPv4
255.255.255.0
IPv6 Link Local
fe80::1:1%bridge0
Subnet mask IPv6
64
MTU
1500
In/out packets
18576/18781 (690 KiB/1.84 MiB)
In/out packets (pass)
18576/18781 (690 KiB/1.84 MiB)
In/out packets (block)
121/0 (11 KiB/0 B)
In/out errors
0/0
Collisions
0

OPT1 Interface (opt1, igb2)

Status
no carrier
MAC Address
00:e0:67:0e:40:38
IPv6 Link Local
fe80::2e0:67ff:fe0e:4038%igb2
MTU
1500
Media
autoselect
In/out packets
0/3 (0 B/304 B)
In/out packets (pass)
0/3 (0 B/304 B)
In/out packets (block)
0/0 (0 B/0 B)
In/out errors
0/0
Collisions
0
Bridge (bridge0)
learning

OPT2 Interface (opt2, igb3)

Status
up
MAC Address
00:e0:67:0e:40:39
IPv6 Link Local
fe80::2e0:67ff:fe0e:4039%igb3
MTU
1500
Media
100baseTX <full-duplex>
In/out packets
48/2 (7 KiB/188 B)
In/out packets (pass)
48/2 (7 KiB/188 B)
In/out packets (block)
20/0 (3 KiB/0 B)
In/out errors
0/0
Collisions
0
Bridge (bridge0)
learning

OPT3 Interface (opt3, igb1)

Status
no carrier
MAC Address
00:e0:67:0e:40:37
IPv6 Link Local
fe80::2e0:67ff:fe0e:4037%igb1
MTU
1500
Media
autoselect
In/out packets
33/2 (5 KiB/188 B)
In/out packets (pass)
33/2 (5 KiB/188 B)
In/out packets (block)
5/0 (550 B/0 B)
In/out errors
0/0
Collisions
0
Bridge (bridge0)
learning

[stephenw10]

You have to create loader.conf.local if it doesn't exist. There are many ways to do that, one is to run:
touch /boot/loader.conf.local

Check ppp logs to see why it's not coming up.

You added the VLAN to use as the parent interface?

Steve

[DonaldColeman]

@plittle
Just a FYI, I did not need to edit or to creat that file for my services to work.
Also, I am connected to the Centurylink ONT Eth port directly to pfSense WAN.
I did enable and set PowerD to HiAdaptive just because, but I didn’t need to change or enable the PowerD because my speeds are only 100MB and I didnt see a difference either way. But I left it enabled on and as another side not I’m running pfSense on a Dell i5 SFF PC w/8GB Mem.

I only did the following from the above post:

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

Parent Interface: <the physical interface of your WAN port>

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>

*** FIREWALL LAN RULE OPEN TO ALL ***

[DonaldColeman]

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

Hi there. Tried to get my protectli modem with pfsense working with centurylink fiber optic(internet only)

If I understand your above, I don’t know why you’re going into the Provider Modem, then to your pfSense.
Try going directly to the pfSense WAN from the Centurylink (Fiber Box) ONT Eth Port your Modem is currently connected to and remove the Provider Modem all together.

If I’m mistaken please disregard :)

[billmcg]

@Plittle did you create the VLAN interface in igb0 with VLAN tag 201?

[Plittle]

Thanks for all the responses folks...I appreciate the support and patience with me getting through this...I'm still trying to learn the home networking bit, so my questions are probably going to be pretty basic...

To answer the various questions people have asked:
-not trying to route through the centurylink modem-trying to route directly from the CL fiberoptic converter into my pfsense device
-I followed the instructions as laid out by davidcoleman and others above-including adding the VLAN to use as the parent interface
-its listing status as UP, PPoE as UP
-I don't, however see an IPv4 address listed under the status -> interfaces...lists an IPv6 Link Local, but there is no line referencing the IPv4 under WAN Interface

-I went and executed shell command touch /boot/loader.conf.local, then inputed the directed text under Edit File

-After completing all of that, the WAN status window shows
status down, PPOE down (When I gave up yesterday before posting online I had yet to add the /boot/loader.config.local file, and at that time it said Status UP and PPOE UP, though I still could not access the internet...I tried pressing the connect button, no change....I also went back and made sure all the PPoE account information is still entered under PPP and under the Interfaces-->WAN tab

-I believe the FIREWALL LAN Rule is open to all:
from the Firewall-->Rules page

States
Protocol
Source
Port
Destination
Port
Gateway
Queue
Schedule
Description
Actions


1 /3.52 MiB

*
*
*
LAN Address
443
80
*
*

Anti-Lockout Rule



21 /3.13 MiB

IPv4 * 
LAN net 
* 
* 
* 
* 
none 
  
Default allow LAN to any rule 



0 /0 B

IPv6 * 
LAN net 
* 
* 
* 
* 
none 
  
Default allow LAN IPv6 to any rule 

Any ideas what Im getting wrong here? Is there a log I can cut and paste to help figure out whats missing?
Thanks again for all the help folks!

[Plittle]

Here is the PP Log after completing all of this:
Mar 13 22:39:34 ppp [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 7223
Mar 13 22:39:34 ppp [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to ''
Mar 13 22:39:43 ppp [wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds
Mar 13 22:39:43 ppp [wan_link0] Link: DOWN event
Mar 13 22:39:43 ppp [wan_link0] LCP: Down event
Mar 13 22:39:43 ppp [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 7224 in 2 seconds
Mar 13 22:39:45 ppp [wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 7224
Mar 13 22:39:45 ppp [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to ''
Mar 13 22:39:55 ppp [wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds
Mar 13 22:39:55 ppp [wan_link0] Link: DOWN event
Mar 13 22:39:55 ppp [wan_link0] LCP: Down event

[Plittle]

From the general system log
Mar 13 23:07:11 php-fpm 44860 /status_interfaces.php: Starting rtsold process
Mar 13 23:07:13 rtsold 67962 <ifconfig> failed to get link layer information for pppoe1
Mar 13 23:07:13 rtsold 67962 <main> failed to initialize pppoe1
Mar 13 23:07:13 php-fpm 44860 /status_interfaces.php: The command '/sbin/ifconfig 'pppoe1' -staticarp ' returned exit code '1', the output was 'ifconfig: interface pppoe1 does not exist'
Mar 13 23:07:13 php-fpm 44860 /status_interfaces.php: The command '/usr/sbin/arp -d -i 'pppoe1' -a > /dev/null 2>&1 ' returned exit code '1', the output was ''