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    Pfsense no internet access on Esxi server

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    27 Posts 3 Posters 6.1k Views
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    • C
      craig121
      last edited by craig121

      Thanks again Kom, I have noticed one that if i dont continually ping the router stops i cant ping or do anything afterwards.

      Strange i guess it could be to do with VMware or something. I have checked the logs and nothing in there.

      Is there any kind of hibernation or anything that could cause this?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • KOMK
        KOM
        last edited by

        No, and it shouldn't be doing that. Is it hung or can you access the console?

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        • C
          craig121
          last edited by

          Yeah can still access the console, i just cant ping any longer.

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          • KOMK
            KOM
            last edited by

            If you can still get to WebGUI, check the System log for anything unusual.

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            • awebsterA
              awebster
              last edited by

              @craig121 So the netmask on the WAN interface is it /32 now? The default gateway is what?
              If /32, it would mean they are not on the same subnet and Layer 2 is going to behave strangely.

              I have noticed one that if i dont continually ping the router stops i cant ping or do anything afterwards.

              How did you get it to started working again?

              –A.

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              • C
                craig121
                last edited by

                Hi Awebster, i removed the

                route add -net 51.x.x.x/32 -iface em0
                route add default 51.x.x.x

                from the start up scripts.

                For me to get it working - i logged in via the GUI (web interface) and changed the WAN interface.

                So my current setup is that i have a static ip on the IPv4 address 51.89.243.x my original mask was set to 32. This is ip is a virtual ip from the hosting provider OVH which is has a virtual MAC address, this is set on the ESXI virtual machine NIC adapter (virtual).

                I added the IPv4 Upstream gateway - which is set to the ESXi host ip address. In my case 51.89.227.x. So when i added the gateway i had to change the mask to 16 on the IPv4 address as it was out of the subnet.

                I may have set this wrong as i believe this give full scope of the 3rd mask as well.

                Once i did that hey presto everything works but only for a period of time (around 10 -15mins).

                My new problem is that after that period of time it stop being able to access in the WAN and thats even within the Shell of pfSense. I cant even ping google.com.

                If i navigate into the Web UI and re save the WAN interface it comes back to life for 10 -15mins.

                I am going to have a play around with the ESXi settings in case its anything in there. Overall very impressed with pfSense and will be using it going forward.

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                • C
                  craig121
                  last edited by

                  Ok i have check the system logs (General) and found an entry that seems to be causing the issue:

                  Sep 20 07:27:03 kernel arp.51.89.227.x moved from 00:00:0c:9c:f0:04 to d0:40:d3:01:23

                  It looks like the MAC is being updated by the host for some strange reason, i will post an update when i have fixed and finalised.

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                  • C
                    craig121
                    last edited by

                    I have no idea why this address is changing and i am not sure how to resolve or fix. Is there anything in pfSense that can detect and update accordingly.

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                    • C
                      craig121
                      last edited by

                      I have looked at the Diagnostics / ARP table

                      Interface IP address MAC address . Hostname
                      WAN 51.89.227.x 00:00:0c:9f:f3:04 ns34322.ip-xx-xx-x . Expires in 645 seconds

                      Once this has run out this is when the WAN connection stops working. How do i stop the expiry

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                      • awebsterA
                        awebster
                        last edited by

                        This is an OVH thing. Basically they give you a single /32 and the gateway is on a different subnet.

                        You might try changing the WAN interface mask back to /32, then going into System > Routing > Gateways, add your default gateway and click on the Advanced settings button and scroll down to the bottom.
                        Check on Use non-local gateway.
                        This will allow use of a gateway outside of this interface's subnet.

                        –A.

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                        • C
                          craig121
                          last edited by

                          I have set as you have suggested and it worked after a reboot.

                          I suppose now its a question of time to see if it works :)

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                          • C
                            craig121
                            last edited by

                            Unfortunately the same error - the gateway that i set is to the IP of ESxi server - which is what a tutorial specified.

                            awebsterA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • awebsterA
                              awebster @craig121
                              last edited by

                              @craig121 said in Pfsense no internet access on Esxi server:

                              Unfortunately the same error - the gateway that i set is to the IP of ESxi server - which is what a tutorial specified.

                              I'm not sure that setting the gateway to the IP of the ESXi server is correct. Which tutorial did you follow?

                              –A.

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                              • C
                                craig121
                                last edited by

                                The tutorial that i followed which is very long winded and you have skip a lot is the playlist:

                                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiQNQNdAAdA&list=PLf0swTFhTI8qOAbrJhihZZTWfZA_arTYZ&index=13

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                                • C
                                  craig121
                                  last edited by

                                  Also its very similar to

                                  https://support.us.ovhcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002175944-How-to-Connect-a-VM-to-the-Internet-Using-VMware-ESXi-6-5

                                  https://support.us.ovhcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000096990

                                  I have just tried changing my final gateway ip address octlet to 254. So the first three octlets are the same as the Esxi server and the final octlet is 254.

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                                  • C
                                    craig121
                                    last edited by

                                    Hallelujah - its finally working and sorted - follow the OVH links for a server on OVH.

                                    I wish i had looked at the articles rather than following a youtube video where i shouldn't have configured pfSense by adding static routes etc. Plus the gateway was set incorrectly.

                                    Kom and Awebster - really appreciate your help.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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