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    Captive Portal- Clients often can't open Yahoo mail and other sites

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Captive Portal
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    • T
      tracker
      last edited by

      Please help, I'm using PF CP, for a hotel and often I receive calls that client cannot open some websites. Other sites are available except for yahoo mail, hotmail and so other sites. Please help…

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      • GertjanG
        Gertjan
        last edited by

        :o

        I’m using pfSense for more then 2 years now.
        On the LAN section, I have several PC's and other devices.
        The OPT1 interface is followed by a 12 port switch, hooking up all my RJ45 cable conn (for clients) en AP's. On the OPT1 I have also CP running.

        Our hotel isn't that big at all (132 rooms) and our personnel record is 28 connection on the CP, but I never have heard about the fact that 'some sites' couldn't be accessed.
        We do not use WEP, WPA or what so ever, the radio connexion from the AP's is non-coded.

        Problems do arrive when:
        The client forgot to activate the Wireless on his PC,
        The PC of the client has a static IP - or the Windows XP wireless network driver meshed up 'ones again',
        Some personal firewalls just doesn't like our 192.168.2.0/24 IP range, used for the CP, it has to be marked as trusted 'somewhere' in it’s interface, but the client is already lost, phoning the reception that the Wifi isn’t working.
        Better yet, they do not own their PC (a company PC), and use a proxy or VPN, but, then again: "our connexion isn't working  ;)

        Maybe ones or twice in 2 years I saw actually that an AP was 'brain-dead'. 'I'm using 6 WRT54GS (Linksys) with an adapted firmware.
        What also can happen: I edited the code; and I messed up.

        BUT: when the CP connexion comes up (the client passes the CP using the pfsense user manager), everything works. No trace of remarks likes "can browse site X" or "can't retrieve my mail"
        ("can't send my mail" is an exception, but we all know why  ;D).

        Can you give me some URL's, so I can test from my place?
        I'm using one of the latest 1.2.1 Betas.

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

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        • T
          tracker
          last edited by

          Thanks for the reply, Gertjan the sites that cannot open are www.mail.yahoo.com and www.shiplink.com especially :(. Sometimes the site will open and all of the sudden (2hrs or more later stop working) >:(. I would have to restart pf and 5 min later or more the sites will start opening ???.

          There's another problem that I'm having with PF, creating tickets for guests. I normally use corel draw to create tickets then I'll have to key in all of the user names and passwords to the user tab in cp. Is there an easier way of doing this? and also to specifying time like 1hr, half day, 1 week etc… Please reply. Cheers!

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          • S
            shaunfriend
            last edited by

            I'd check that you don't have an incorrect MTU specified either on PFSense or on your WAN Router…

            I've seen sites such as Hotmail fail when this has been incorrect. Check with your internet provider if you are not sure what they use.

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            • C
              cybrsrfr
              last edited by

              You might want to connect to pfSense and run Diagnostics and see if you can ping www.mail.yahoo.com or mail.yahoo.com. This problem is not likely related to captive portal. It is more likely a DNS issue, a routing issue with your route on the Internet, or a client issue.

              As far as additional features to captive portal I suggest you might consider sponsoring them with a bounty.

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