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

    Clients on different switches cannot talk to each other

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
    6 Posts 5 Posters 1.5k 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
      pr3dict
      last edited by

      I posted this in a reply to my other thread but I figured it was a new issue so should have a new thread:

      The way my setup is currently is:


      |PFSENSE|
      –---|----
              |Trunk port (All Vlans)
              |

      |L3 Switch1| ---------- Access port (Vlan10)

      |
            |Trunk port (All Vlans)
            |

      |L3 Switch2|--------- Access port (Vlan 10)

      /         
          /           
          /             
        /                Access Port (Vlan10)
        /
      Access port (Vlan 5)

      The devices all get their IP addresses via DHCP correctly from PFSense and can ping the default gateway correctly. They can also Ping each other if they are connected to the same layer 3 switch. BUT as soon as a client on switch 2 needs to ping someon on switch 1, it breaks. And Vice versa.

      The first switch is a ubiquiti edgeswitch and the 2nd is a Vmware Vswitch.

      Any ideas?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • H
        heper
        last edited by

        this can only mean that clients are not on the same layer2 network (or some other layer2 shenanigans are going on)

        in no way pfSense is involved in this.

        perhaps your switches have some sort of layer2 client isolation enabled ?

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • P
          pr3dict
          last edited by

          I want to believe this and I think I do haha I just cannot understand why its not working. I imagine its something to do with the ubiquiti switch but I cant seem to isolate the issue.

          EDIT: Ok, so the machines won't answer to ping requests but I just put a quick webserver up on one of htem and I was able to navigate to it. So ICMP requests are getting blocked but the traffic is still getting there. I still don't know why haha.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • jahonixJ
            jahonix
            last edited by

            local firewall on that machine maybe? Windows loves doing that.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • M
              marvosa
              last edited by

              Assuming it's a windows web server, it's because ICMP echo reply is blocked by default.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                last edited by

                Why are you calling them layer 3 switches if your just using them in layer 2?

                if you are not routing on them, then they are just layer 2.  what is trying to talk, stuff in the same vlan or between vlans.  If pfsense is routing between the vlans then you need to allow for the firewall rules.

                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

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