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    Installing virtual pfsense after update broke router hardware

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Virtualization
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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      If you want to use pfSense in a VM to protect the host as well as other VMs then you need to set the pfSense VM to use the NIC exclusively. Only the pfSense WAN should be in the same subnet as the modem. Everything else including the host should be on the LAN side subnet of pfSense.

      It was your install that broke not the hardware. A software upgrade will never break hardware unless it does something like overclock it, which wasn't the case here.

      Steve

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      • E
        eiger3970
        last edited by eiger3970

        Yes, re update breaking the software.

        I followed this guide https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/virtualization/virtualizing-pfsense-with-proxmox.html to setup the LXC VM pfSense, however I think the LAN and WAN are mixed up with the vmbr0, vmbr1, vmbr2 and the port/slaves eth0, eth1 and eth2?

        The setup:
        LXC host:
        eth0 Network Device. (physical NIC, not sure if LAN or WAN).

        eth1 Network Device. (physical NIC, not sure if LAN or WAN).

        vmbr0 Linux Bridge
        Port/slave: eth0
        inet addr:192.168.1.140 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 Gateway:192.168.1.170.

        vmbr1 Linux Bridge
        Port/slave: eth1.
        This is the LXC host’s physical NIC WAN, that the ISP’s modem connects to.

        vmbr2 Linux Bridge
        Port/slave: eth2
        inet addr:192.168.1.1 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0.
        This is the LXC host’s physical NIC LAN, that the 24 port switch connects to.

        LAN PC connected to the switch:
        inet addr:192.168.1.120 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0.

        Some testing results:
        LAN PC 192.168.1.120 could ping LXC host 192.168.1.140.
        LAN PC could ssh into LXC host.
        LAN PC could not scp into LXC host.

        So I scp’ed from the LXC host to the LAN PC to pull the pfSense.iso image.

        On LXC, created VM and installed pfSense like a charm.
        However, unclear how to connect LAN PC to pfSense GUI and Internet?
        I can only view pfSense welcome screen (black and white shell) in LXC VM pfSense console.
        LAN PC can ping 192.168.1.1, but cannot browse the GUI to configure pfSense.

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        • E
          eiger3970
          last edited by

          Sorry, here’s the VM pfSense details:
          WAN -> vtnet0 (vmbr1)
          LAN -> vtnet1 (vmbr2) -> v4: 192.168.1.1/24.

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          • E
            eiger3970
            last edited by

            Also, I think the LXC host machine’s physical NICs May be mixed up?

            eth0 has RX bytes:16217889 (15.4 MiB) and TX bytes:16914884 (16.1 MiB).

            eth1 has RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) and TX bytes:0 (0.0 B).

            I think the traffic is between my LAN PC and the LXC host, with no traffic to or from the Internet modem WAN.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • johnpozJ
              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
              last edited by

              How many previous threads are we suppose to weed through to try and put together a story..

              Here is what I can tell you for fact.. Pfsense didn't freaking break your hardware..

              I have tried reading through these previous thread and all they do is make my head hurt... There is no comprehensible info here to follow.

              Create a thread with a story of what is your problem and what you have done without 1 liner comments to what works or doesn't work and you might get some people to help you.

              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 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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              • E
                eiger3970
                last edited by eiger3970

                Please ignore other threads, this is why this is a new thread. This thread is relevant about how to set up a vm pfSense.
                The broken router is no longer relevant and will be superseded by the new vm pfSense routing.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  LXC is probably the wrong terminology here since pfSense is not Linux.

                  You should not have assigned any IP information to the Linux bridge for the LAN. That should all be in pfSense.

                  What is eth2? It looks like you expect that to be the LAN IP but at the top say say eth0 and eth1 and WAN and LAN.

                  Steve

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                  • E
                    eiger3970 @stephenw10
                    last edited by

                    @stephenw10 okay, when I have a computer with Internet access, I will update LXC with Proxmox.
                    It’s difficult to communicate on a small mobile screen.

                    I followed post 1’s instructions re eth0, eth1 and eth2.

                    There is a step that says connect another computer to the Proxmox host.
                    I do that, but don’t understand how to connect to pfSense’s GUI?

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                    • E
                      eiger3970
                      last edited by

                      It appears the Netgate guide is for 3 NICs rather than the 2 NICs I thought the guide’s assumptions were suggesting.

                      I have 2 NICs and am trying to configure access to the vm pfSense’s GUI.

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                      • E
                        eiger3970
                        last edited by

                        So, using 2 NICs, how can one fix the vm pfSense WHEN it fails? Proxmox access would be down if the network’s router is down?

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                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          What do you need to protect with pfSense here? Just internal VMs? Or other local real clients on the LAN also?

                          I expect you to be able to share a physical connection between the host and VMs.

                          If you have dhcp enabled in pfSense are clients on the LAN getting an IP from that?

                          If you remove the IP address assigned as the pfSense LAN from the Proxmox config the host itself will not respond on that IP which should allow pfSense to respond if it's configured on that address.

                          Steve

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                          • E
                            eiger3970
                            last edited by

                            Both vm’s and real clients...everything will be behind the pfSense firewall.

                            I do not yet have access to the pfSense GUI.
                            This is where I’m stuck.

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                            • E
                              eiger3970
                              last edited by

                              All fixed and working.
                              The big problem is the Netgate guide suggesting the guide is for 2 NICs (like my setup), however the guide is for 3 NICs. A big difference and complication if it’s your first time.

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                              • stephenw10S
                                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                last edited by

                                The guide is like that because running with only two NICs total is not recommended.
                                It states: Host has at least two network interfaces available for WAN and LAN.

                                If you have used a NIC for the management port then you don't have two available.

                                However it should work with two NICs total and no dedicated management port as you found.

                                Steve

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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