Am I in over my head?
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I was just doing due diligence since putting in the MAC did not fix the problem. I found an example of a NIC command for promiscuous mode.
I added the line into the config XML.So I was trying to post in the code but I cannot because it flags the post as spam???
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So here is some more information. I switched over from my Frontier FiOS modem to my Spectrum cable modem and now my speed is 100 time faster. That's 0.03mbps to 3mbps.
While that is clearly still broken, why would the two ISPs act differently. The FiOS is tested at >50mbps and the Spectum was tested to >400mbps. (with a direct connection to the PC)
Should I chuck this hardware into the recycle bin where I found it?
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So this whole time I have been running "speed tests" from my browser. All the top ones when you find with a search for "speed test". They all fail or report less then 3mbps. So then I though to go download real world stuff and this is what happened;
(I let each test run for at least 15 minutes)
these were the max speeds reached
Nvidia Geforce driver - 3mbps
Download A game from GOG - 3mbps
Download Windows 10 ISO with the Microsoft media creation tool 1mbpsHere is where it gets weird.
So windows 10 was abysmal and was still at only 1% after 15 minutes so I decide to try to download something big at a torrent site. So I go and turn on my VPN and the Microsoft speed instantly goes to 15mbps. So that's interesting. So I turn off VPN, now I'm getting 30mbps. Ok, so I turn it back on and that kills the download...
So I want to get back to testing stuff after geting derailed by the whole VPN thing. so i just reboot everything and do all the above test over just to make sure its still the same. It is.
Ok I wanted to download a torrent so I turn on VPN and find something big from the top 100 list so there are plenty of seeds.
one torrent = about 1 mbps. I loaded up 3 and got about 3mbpsNow here goes the craziness...
The VPN is off and i open Steam and download a big game "Whitcher 3" and I get 298mbps !!! peak and no less then 250mbps sustained.I turn on the VPN just for fun and nothing changed. (That dip is when I turned the VPN on)
I tried the other test with VPN on and other then that weird spike from the Microsoft too it seemed to have no impact.
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@badfrogg said in Am I in over my head?:
Should I chuck this hardware into the recycle bin where I found it?
Really knowing nothing about the hardware at all Im curious what is slowing your system down so much. None of my boxes do not do wire speed. But even the one box I have that still is running 32bit (soon to be replaced) will easily do the 100mbps connection that the customer pays for.
Remember that 8 bits equals 1 byte. If you are seeing download sizes of 10 MBPS when you are expecting 80mbps that is a difference. 10 megabytes per second is 80 megabits per second. Not something to throw into the mix is it?
pfsense will do 10gbps on the correct hardware. Easily.
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I've been using megabit per second as a unit of measure this whole time. It's that like using the metric system in America? LOL. because I do that too.
Well now I'm off to bed. the hardware can clearly do 300 Mbps (or 37 MB/s). But only downloading the Witcher 3 with Steam.
What that means, I have no idea. I did say I was completely inept with network engineering.
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Sleep well! I know the frustration.
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Hmm, that is odd!
I would setup a local test between clients on WAN and LAN directly and make sure it can hit line rate in a simple iperf test for example. It should be able to do that no problem except the Realtek NICs will probably limit it. Should be far higher than 400Mbps though.
Maybe something defaulting to some low speed. CPU stuck at 100MHz or similar? Does it have a standard BIOS?
Steve
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I am using this NOVA-HM551 motherboard with 8GB DDR3 and1066, Core i7-820QM. It has a UEFI BIOS.
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@stephenw10 said in Am I in over my head?:
iperf test
Could you give a high level overview of how to connect one machine to the WAN side. I'm guessing that I would need iperf to run a server on the WAN (or LAN) and then a client on the other side. But how would a computer get on IP from the WAN port?
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Exactly, one computer WAN side running iperf server and another LAN side connecting to it using iperf client.
You could just set both the pfSense WAN and the server machine using static IP addresses since it's only two thigs to configure and only as a test.
Or you could connect both the pfSense WAN and the server to some other router and use whatever IPs that is handing out via DHCP as long as it's subnet does not conflict with the pfSense LAN. That's what I do here but as you might imagine I am not short of pfSense boxes!
Steve
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Sorry, I tried. I'm certain that I dont know what I'm doing though. This is what I did:
WAN PC has IP address 192.168.10.100/16
psSence WAN is set to staticIPv4 192.168.10.1/24
psSence LAN is set to staticIPv4 192.168.1.1/24
LAN PC has IP address 192.168.1.100/16WAN PC
C:\iperf3 -sLAN PC
C:\iperf3 -c 192.168.10.100.... Nothing happens.
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Ok. So I changed the subnet mask from /16 to /24 on the computers, I rebooted pfSence and I tuned off the WiFi NIC on the client PC.
One or all of those things may have solved the iperf problem. iperf says I'm getting 900 Mbps. That's fine with me.
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Yeah should have been /24 on everything for that. Otherwise 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.10.100 are inside the same /16 so they try to talk directly.... and fail.
Yeah 900Mbps is what I'd expect there. You'd probably get close to 941Mbps with Intel NICs.
There's clearly nothing fundamentally wrong with your hardware.
Something odd with the connection then somewhere....Steve
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Well. I just ordered the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X. Man I hope it is easier than pfsence.
I will leave the pfsence box on my bench to taunt me. I hear it now.... "you suck....."
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@badfrogg said in Am I in over my head?:
Well. I just ordered the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X. Man I hope it is easier than pfsence.
No - sorry not even close ;)
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Mmm, hard to recommend that on this forum.
I would expect to be able to get that board working with your connection.
The fact you get much better speed over a VPN which is probably UDP rather than straight TCP traffic shouts hardware off loading to me. Try going to Sys > Adv > Networking. Make sure all the hardware off-loading options there are checked (which disables them). Reboot to apply that change.
Steve
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Did you take a look see at the manual and how to do things on the device before purchase? Your going to be very disappointed if you think its easier than pfsense that is for damn sure. While it does have a gui - It is multiple steps to just get a single firewall rule in place. You have to create policy, then you have to attach the rule to the policy in the direction you want, etc..
While I can not say anything bad about it at the price point, and it does route and firewall packets at decent speeds.. Its just not simple to configure..
If your a cli guy, you can do things via that - which is a pfsense is limited in. Is that something your looking for? ;)
Good luck with it - let us know when your ready to come back to pfsense ;)
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Oops, Sorry. Did not intend to troll about a competitor product. I figured that this forum was for the DIY'ers that didn't buy the support. I definitely want to get the pfsense box working, and if for nothing else, to learn.
It is still running here on my bench. I will start reading the manual but everyone here has said that the pfsense should just work pretty much with default setting. Since it doesn't, I'm afraid of wasting time chasing my tail with the possibility that the hardware that I have will never work.
I just wanted something better then the average Best Buy or Walmart router. I would not be able to spend $500 on a Netgate router plus the $400 support just to fool around at home.
I will read the manual. Also. Like I said at the beginning, Anyone who wants to try an make this setup I have work and show me how you did it, I will send you the hardware (you can keep it) I have two of them. Just let me know.
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@stephenw10 said in Am I in over my head?:
better speed over a VPN
No. Let me clarify; the VPN being switched on and then off again created a weird anomaly with just the Microsoft Windows 10 ISO downloader. It was not reproducible and did not occur with any other test.
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Why would you have to buy support? Paid support, while sure anyone can get it - is more geared towards the enterprise where something down cost money.. Do you think your going to get a phone number to call with your ER-X at $60 ;)
To play around, why not get the sg1100.. Or the 3100? All in with the price hike its only $400.. Just ordered our 4th one (sitting on desk waiting for setup). We don't have any support on them - being that I have been using pfsense for 10 some years doesn't really have anything to do with it ;) They are not currently used in a mission critical scenario... If went down for a day or so while it would suck.. Not going to hurt the business in any significant way. Kind of like your home setup.. If the pfsense does blow up, just throw any old $20 wifi router on til you can get it up and running again.
Not sure where are you having difficulties... Looks like you tested the hardware and were getting 900mbps... how can you complain at that with that old hardware?
If your seeing 900mbps through pfsense locally - and slowness on internet - I would look to isp what/how your connecting to your internet.. Duplex mismatch, isp throttling new mac? Did you try the mac clone idea?
