Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    23 Posts 4 Posters 3.2k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • P
      PzrrL
      last edited by PzrrL

      pfSense 2.4.5-RELEASE, a VM running on UnRAID.
      Passthrough an NIC (INTEL I350-T4v2)
      My Setup: Modem -> pfSense -> Switch -> Other devices

      It works fine all the time, until I reboot. No matter if I reboot from the Web GUI or restart the VM, I am having the same problem.

      After restart, these are what I got:
      2020-05-28 14_22_56-Window.png

      2020-05-28 14_22_49-Window.png

      I do have a LAN interface, but it is not shown in the photo above.

      I need to unplug and plug in the cable from modem to WAN port every time after restarting in order to let the pfSense to get a WAN IP. Can anyone please give me some advice on this? I don't want to do the plugging every time after restart. Cheers.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • DaddyGoD
        DaddyGo
        last edited by

        This is probably some kind of speed negotiation (Auto-negotiation) issue on the part of the modem. (ethernet controller to ethernet controller compatibility issue, the I350 doesn't usually have this problem)

        As a result, the DHCP request does not get lease time.
        When you unplug the cable, you interrupt the communication (such as a cold start), physically separate the two units, when you reconnect the default state is restored.

        Anyway, these are just guesses as to what might happen
        What matters is what you see in the DHCP log in this case..

        what about that:

        b2eb3ebb-1798-4bdb-80a1-d3fa1e0dc416-image.png

        Cats bury it so they can't see it!
        (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

        P N 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • P
          PzrrL @DaddyGo
          last edited by

          @DaddyGo said in pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot:

          Anyway, these are just guesses as to what might happen
          What matters is what you see in the DHCP log in this case..

          So you mean I should provide the DHCP log?

          what about that:

          b2eb3ebb-1798-4bdb-80a1-d3fa1e0dc416-image.png

          What do you mean sorry?

          DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • DaddyGoD
            DaddyGo @PzrrL
            last edited by DaddyGo

            @PzrrL

            so no one can help if you don't provide log data as we don't know your system... ☺
            Like:

            bf70bb79-be29-4f01-8702-f6ad7641507e-image.png

            The Gateway Monitoring Daemon is important because it monitors the existence of your WAN connection

            a5118489-f623-4b0f-87b8-aeec01ceb880-image.png

            and

            aad7bff6-354f-4617-bed9-d5445326a254-image.png

            Cats bury it so they can't see it!
            (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • P
              PzrrL
              last edited by PzrrL

              @DaddyGo

              Thanks for your reply. Sorry I was not knowing which log should I provide. Here is the log of after rebooting, then wait for awhile then re plug the WAN cable.
              igb3 is WAN, igb2 is LAN.

              1.png
              2.png

              BTW may I know why your WAN RTT is so low? Mine is around 14-15ms which i think is quite high.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • DaddyGoD
                DaddyGo
                last edited by

                there is more (T) in the log, let's go step by step ☺

                So, if you disconnect and reconnect, you get a lease this is the fact...
                I am still thinking of a link speed - negotiation (Auto-negotiation), so please do this and see what happens (set WAN to 100baseTX full-duplex, because your modem eth. port offers this):

                2d489311-e802-4462-ba35-c612386c9d6a-image.png

                there are more things, what I wouldn't do on the LAN like this,
                for example, if you have only few devices on your LAN network, set up DHCP Static mapping for all (it’s an older issue and I just suggest it)

                for learning:
                https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/9383

                PS: (you shouldn’t have edited the image so much ☺

                -it would have been easier for you to log, if you connected from static IP to pfSense box and nothing else, so there would be less data and we only scan the WAN

                -broadcast addresses do not need to be obscured ☺

                Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • DaddyGoD
                  DaddyGo
                  last edited by DaddyGo

                  @PzrrL: BTW may I know why your WAN RTT is so low? Mine is around 14-15ms which i think is quite high.

                  (14 - 15 ms RTT is not bad, many would be happy about that........)

                  BTW - WAN RTT (really good):

                  -since this is an Altice Network GPON FTTH 1000/1000 (ISP)
                  -a purely CloudFlare setting, almost everywhere.... + ExpressVPN
                  -the data center is located two blocks away from my place (this is the most important)
                  -and a pretty serious Supermicro Epyc 3151MOBO on which I built pfSense + Intel I350-F4

                  37dc0af3-55f5-4be8-a4aa-1f1e0d5e0cda-image.png

                  Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                  (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                  P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • P
                    PzrrL @DaddyGo
                    last edited by

                    @DaddyGo said in pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot:

                    there is more (T) in the log, let's go step by step ☺

                    What is this (T)?

                    So, if you disconnect and reconnect, you get a lease this is the fact...
                    I am still thinking of a link speed - negotiation (Auto-negotiation), so please do this and see what happens (set WAN to 100baseTX full-duplex, because your modem eth. port offers this):

                    Will get back to you and see if it works.

                    there are more things, what I wouldn't do on the LAN like this,
                    for example, if you have only few devices on your LAN network, set up DHCP Static mapping for all (it’s an older issue and I just suggest it)

                    I am actually setting up DHCP Static mapping for my devices, but still tracing which one is which. And btw I see there is a static ARP setting provided. After some research, I don't still get the use of static ARP. Does it means that only device without setting a static IP and its MAC address is in my table, will be able to connect to my LAN?

                    PS: (you shouldn’t have edited the image so much ☺

                    -it would have been easier for you to log, if you connected from static IP to pfSense box and nothing else, so there would be less data and we only scan the WAN

                    Sorry for that. I am stilling setting up the static DHCP.

                    DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • P
                      PzrrL @DaddyGo
                      last edited by

                      @DaddyGo

                      No wonder you got a good RTT with all these combined. So you use 1.1.1.1 as your DNS server (without DNS resolver), plus ExpressVPN? So why don't you use ExpressVPN's DNS?

                      DaddyGoD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • DaddyGoD
                        DaddyGo @PzrrL
                        last edited by DaddyGo

                        @PzrrL
                        slang: T = thing ☺

                        DHCP Static Mapping = useful for few devices therefore (old thing):
                        https://forum.netgate.com/topic/115482/frequent-unbound-restarts

                        I am very interested in this WAN DHCP issue so i will be waiting for your results!!! (this is also an old topic, for a long time I was investigating a DOCSIS cable modem was the problem)

                        and this is necessary:

                        82bfef9a-0205-4531-9649-1293c9f1e2fd-image.png

                        use the ARPWATCH package for tracking

                        Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                        (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                        P 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • DaddyGoD
                          DaddyGo @PzrrL
                          last edited by DaddyGo

                          @PzrrL No wonder you got a good RTT with all these combined. So you use 1.1.1.1 as your DNS server (without DNS resolver), plus ExpressVPN? So why don't you use ExpressVPN's DNS?

                          for greater safety:

                          -DNS resolv. is slightly slower via ExpVPN DNS
                          -and otherwise I use DoT (DNS over TLS) + DNSSEC (Unbound), this is not provided by ExpVPN

                          this is the configuration:

                          547d4c33-31d7-4e4e-8cfb-89d6418e6bf1-image.png

                          04fd72b9-0264-4b62-82c5-b6c306c899e1-image.png

                          d6fa52cb-c623-4c78-822c-a664c55abdba-image.png

                          so, finally:

                          in principle, CloudFlare stores DNS logs for 1 day and does not analyze ...
                          Who knows?
                          Is it better, if ExpVPN to store logs? / Who knows?
                          so at least DoT and DNSSEC work

                          Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                          (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                          P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • P
                            PzrrL @DaddyGo
                            last edited by

                            @DaddyGo said in pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot:

                            I do have around 20-30 devices, so is it still a good idea to make all of the recognized devices static? Cuz I am planning on segregate IoT /Guest devices to another VLAN (not familiar with it), so I think I might possible to keep only reserved devices on LAN, and others goes to IoT VLAN.

                            and this is necessary:

                            82bfef9a-0205-4531-9649-1293c9f1e2fd-image.png

                            use the ARPWATCH package for tracking

                            May I know where can I find this setting? And tracking of what? I know what is DHCP Static mapping, like mapping devices to my desired IP. But what about ARP?

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • P
                              PzrrL @DaddyGo
                              last edited by PzrrL

                              @DaddyGo said in pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot:

                              this is the configuration:

                              Thanks for letting me know. Will try replicate it HAHA. Since my setup was up only few days ago (though I did research for months already), I am still working on it and adding more "features" on it.

                              And I thought people generally use DNS resolver on pfSense instead of 3rd parties.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • P
                                PzrrL
                                last edited by

                                @DaddyGo Great news I brought you (and to myself)! set WAN to 100baseTX full-duplex works! Thanks!!!! But what is the reason behind?

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • DaddyGoD
                                  DaddyGo
                                  last edited by

                                  What I wrote above is that the different ethernet controllers (chip) (one is the modem eth. port the other is the pfSense WAN port) can't match the link speed properly, since I have seen that when it works you are on 100base, so you should be forced the WAN port not to use the Auto-negotiation.

                                  @PzrrL PzrrL
                                  "And I thought people generally use DNS resolver on pfSense instead of 3rd parties"

                                  with this I too have experimented a lot over the years and all my systems are built that way
                                  so I can control everything and in the greatest security I think

                                  You know (privacy is a myth):

                                  3e96153b-c865-4f89-956e-3b60ef7b563e-image.png

                                  @PzrrL
                                  May I know where can I find this setting?

                                  6744b52a-1713-46e8-aa3c-c543636b19a1-image.png

                                  Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                                  (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                                  P 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • P
                                    PzrrL @DaddyGo
                                    last edited by

                                    @DaddyGo said in pfSense cannot get WAN IP after reboot:

                                    and this is necessary:

                                    82bfef9a-0205-4531-9649-1293c9f1e2fd-image.png

                                    use the ARPWATCH package for tracking

                                    Do you usually turn this on or off then?

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • P
                                      PzrrL @DaddyGo
                                      last edited by

                                      @DaddyGo Really huge thanks to you, thank you!

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • DaddyGoD
                                        DaddyGo
                                        last edited by

                                        @PzrrL Do you usually turn this on or off then?
                                        for a static entry always on

                                        Cats bury it so they can't see it!
                                        (You know what I mean if you have a cat)

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • N
                                          NinthWave @DaddyGo
                                          last edited by

                                          @daddygo I have the same problem but my pfSense is running in Proxmox. I have a 30 Mbs connexion and the only option I have in the interface config is 10baseT.

                                          Any option ?

                                          714144a2-ee2a-4d69-84c9-d45587b6be3d-image.png

                                          N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • N
                                            NinthWave @NinthWave
                                            last edited by NinthWave

                                            @ninthwave
                                            Is there a way to use pastebin ?

                                            https://imgur.com/i7GsbW0

                                            GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.