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    Mail servers imap behind pfsense not reachable

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Firewalling
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    • johnpozJ
      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
      last edited by johnpoz

      Well then you not sniffing on the right interface, or the correct port?

      Are you using PPPoE for your connection?

      Or maybe there is something in front of your device answering for these ports? If what your saying is pfsense never sees the traffic. Then you have something in front of pfsense answering?

      If your not seeing loads of traffic when you sniff on your wan... Then your sniffing on the wrong interface or you have something wrong with your packet capture.. Do a simple tcpdump from pfsense console.

      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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      • D
        daan
        last edited by daan

        I used these settings
        c32204af-dda3-4113-9070-dc960b91e94d-image.png

        Pfsense is hooked up straight to my ISP modem, my LAN interface goes to a layer 2 cisco switch, the mail server is attached to the switch

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        • johnpozJ
          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
          last edited by johnpoz

          Well do it without 143, do you see lots of traffic?

          If you see lots of normal traffic, and nothing on 143 - then something in front of pfsense is answering for 143..

          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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            daan
            last edited by

            When I do not specify a port I see loads of traffic, HTTPS traffic

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            • johnpozJ
              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
              last edited by johnpoz

              Well then 143 is not getting to pfsense, but something answers on your IP (one connected to the forum with)

              Maybe your ISP intercepts this traffic... But if pfsense never sees traffic to 143, how could it ever forward it?

              This is why step one in any sort of this troubleshooting, is to actually VALIDATE traffic is getting to pfsense.. Pfsense can not do anything with something it never sees.

              You sure pfsense wan is public address? Its not a rfc1918 address?

              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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              • V
                viragomann @johnpoz
                last edited by

                @johnpoz said in Mail servers imap behind pfsense not reachable:

                This is why step one in any sort of this troubleshooting, is to actually VALIDATE traffic is getting to pfsense.

                Mentioned about eight times in this thread, but still seems to be ignored.

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                • D
                  daan
                  last edited by

                  The mail server is on my current IP, but with my previous router it worked fine (Non pfsense).
                  And yes I am 1000% sure my pfsense WAN IP is my public IP, because all of my websites running from this network are up and reachable.

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                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by johnpoz

                    Well something is answering on his IP he is connecting to the forum with, which I would assume his IP... But from his packet capture - nothing is getting to pfsense..

                    Pfsense can not forward what it does not see.. This is basic 101 stuff here..

                    edit: I do not know what to tell you.. This is basic 101 stuff here, if you can not show us pfsense seeing the traffic on its wan... How could it ever do anything with it.. All I can tell you is something answers on 143 when I hit the IP you connected to the forum from..

                    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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                    • V
                      viragomann @daan
                      last edited by

                      @daan said in Mail servers imap behind pfsense not reachable:

                      When I do not specify a port I see loads of traffic, HTTPS traffic

                      You can also limit the capture to multiple port by entering "143|587|993" for instance to take all IMAP ports.

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                      • V
                        viragomann @daan
                        last edited by

                        @daan
                        You can check your real public IP on web services like https://whatismyipaddress.com

                        The IP you get displayed there must match your pfSense WAN IP, otherwise there is a router in front of pfSense.

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                        • D
                          daan
                          last edited by

                          @viragomann I know my it is the same IP as the pfsense WAN interface IP

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                            daan
                            last edited by

                            @johnpoz this is my capture with 143|465|587|993 as ports
                            Screenshot 2020-09-25 1449523.png

                            V P 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • johnpozJ
                              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                              last edited by johnpoz

                              Do a simple sniff on 143 then..

                              Then go to can you see me . org and put in 143..

                              You should see this traffic. Clearly sniffing is working.. But I don't see any traffic for 143.

                              To be honest, sure looks to be working to me.. Whatever issues you might be having with imap has nothing to do with pfsense. I get a connection to 143, and sure seems to be whatever server your running behind pfsense.. reports Dovecot (Debian), which is what your Poste.io server uses for imap..

                              btw I see 993 there in your sniff which would be imap over tls. Maybe your client is just not using 143 when you tested which is why you didn't see on sniff.. Do can you see me . org so you know exactly what port is being sent.

                              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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                                viragomann @daan
                                last edited by viragomann

                                @daan said in Mail servers imap behind pfsense not reachable:

                                this is my capture with 143|465|587|993 as ports

                                Ther is obviously a communiction on 993. Possibly your client switches automatically to 993 (SSL)?

                                However, the traffic may be outbound as well. You're the only one who knows the destination IP, we cannot see it.

                                GertjanG D 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • GertjanG
                                  Gertjan @viragomann
                                  last edited by

                                  @viragomann said in Mail servers imap behind pfsense not reachable:

                                  Ther is obviously a communiction on 993. Possibly your client switches automatically to 993 (SSL)?

                                  Hummm : 993 was already mentioned above.
                                  Check if the mail server "IMAPS" is listening on port 993 on the IMAP server before you NAT that port (TCP).

                                  No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                                  Edit : and where are the logs ??

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                                    daan @johnpoz
                                    last edited by daan

                                    @johnpoz These are my client settings, the settings worked fine with my previous router.
                                    Screenshot 2020-09-25 151153.png

                                    And yes I am using poste.io

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                                      daan @viragomann
                                      last edited by

                                      @viragomann My public IP reports in inbound as well as outbound traffic on port 993

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                                      • johnpozJ
                                        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                        last edited by

                                        Well your client not set to use 143 in that setup. So why would you think you would see traffic on 143?

                                        Not sure what to tell you... Pfsense only job in this is sending the traffic on to where you tell it to send it. Clearly from your sniff that is happening on 993.. So whatever issues you have with imap has nothing to do with pfsense.. Its a dumb doorman in the big picture.. It sees traffic on port X, and sends it on to where you told it to send it.. And then sends the answer back - it has nothing to do with the workings of the conversation.. Nor does it care..

                                        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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                                        • D
                                          daan @Gertjan
                                          last edited by

                                          @Gertjan Yes I did I uploaded a screenshot of it
                                          alt text

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                                          • GertjanG
                                            Gertjan
                                            last edited by

                                            1e7b2090-74e1-4446-8e3b-ca3df2f86c2b-image.png

                                            STARTTLS seems strange when using 993 as there can't be a TLS negotiation - it will be a direct SSL/TLS connection, like your 465 = SMTPS outgoing mail connection.

                                            No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                                            Edit : and where are the logs ??

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