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

    Just moved from the UK to China - problems

    Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    11
    78
    10.6k
    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.
    • W
      Waqar.UK
      last edited by

      @marjohn56:

      Assuming you can now browse to the control panel AND you have connected the WAN cable, you will the need check your wan settings are correct and your lan dhcp server settings are correct before restoring your laptop lan setting to DHCP.

      How do I, do that please? As the internet was set up by the estate agent who only gave me the ssid and password to connect wirelessly.

      Attached is a screen grab of my WAN settings.

      ![WAN in China.png](/public/imported_attachments/1/WAN in China.png)
      ![WAN in China.png_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/WAN in China.png_thumb)

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • ?
        Guest
        last edited by

        What are you connecting the WAN port to?

        Dok, is this you having a laugh?  :o

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • W
          Waqar.UK
          last edited by

          @marjohn56:

          What are you connecting the WAN port to?

          Dok, is this you having a laugh?  :o

          I am connecting my Ethernet coming into my flat to my pfsense box WAN.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • B
            belt9
            last edited by

            This has been super entertaining!

            How certain are you that this WAN cable you are connecting to has a live WAN connection?

            Turn the wifi adapter on your laptop completely off, then plug the ethernet cable you think is WAN into you laptop or desktop.

            Can you access the internet?

            If not, restart the computer and try again.

            If you still can't access the internet, see if you can ping something ubiquitous.

            Try```
            ping www.baidu.com

            
            If that doesn't work, then the cable you think is WAN, is actually not WAN at all.
            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • D
              doktornotor Banned
              last edited by

              @belt9:

              How certain are you that this WAN cable you are connecting to has a live WAN connection?
              If that doesn't work, then the cable you think is WAN, is actually not WAN at all.

              The guy is just NOT reading.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • mtarboxM
                mtarbox
                last edited by

                This is perfect. I'm wondering if he had the interwebs turned on when he moved?
                Would his new location be a part of the issue? Doesn't China proxy everything, to protect its citizens, or is that just DPRK?
                On a lighter note, I too have a Qotom box, however my nics register as re0 and re1.

                @belt9:

                This has been super entertaining!

                How certain are you that this WAN cable you are connecting to has a live WAN connection?

                Turn the wifi adapter on your laptop completely off, then plug the ethernet cable you think is WAN into you laptop or desktop.

                Can you access the internet?

                If not, restart the computer and try again.

                If you still can't access the internet, see if you can ping something ubiquitous.

                Try```
                ping www.baidu.com

                
                If that doesn't work, then the cable you think is WAN, is actually not WAN at all.

                Si vis pacem, para pactum.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • ?
                  Guest
                  last edited by

                  @doktornotor:

                  @belt9:

                  How certain are you that this WAN cable you are connecting to has a live WAN connection?
                  If that doesn't work, then the cable you think is WAN, is actually not WAN at all.

                  The guy is just NOT reading.

                  I still think it's you on a wind-up.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ?
                    Guest
                    last edited by

                    @mtarbox:

                    This is perfect. I'm wondering if he had the interwebs turned on when he moved?
                    Would his new location be a part of the issue? Doesn't China proxy everything, to protect its citizens, or is that just DPRK?
                    On a lighter note, I too have a Qotom box, however my nics register as re0 and re1.

                    I think it all has to go through the Great Firewall of China. Quite surprised he's managed to get this far, but no mention of the party please, otherwise he'll be Peking Ducked.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • ?
                      Guest
                      last edited by

                      @Waqar.UK:

                      @marjohn56:

                      Ok, you should now be able to browse into pfsense. Connect the wan port after you have browsed to the control panel.

                      I have connected my WAN cable (same one that goes into the old tp link router which allows me internet access), but all I get is a orange flashing led with no green led.

                      That could mean that all you have is 100Mbps connection or even 10Mbps ( yuk ).

                      I think I am now understanding that the WAN cable as it comes in is currently connected to the old TP-Link router, for which you have been given the SSID and password.

                      OK, let's see how close I am to the truth, connect the WAN cable to pfSense, go to the pfSense control panel and what does it say about the interfaces, they should both be up ( if your laptop is connected to the LAN port that is! ). Does the WAN show it is connected at all ( Speed wise )?

                      Ideally, you would need to log into the old TP-Link and see how the WAN connection is set-up, it may be a static IP for all you know on the WAN side.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GrimsonG
                        Grimson Banned
                        last edited by

                        @marjohn56:

                        Ideally, you would need to log into the old TP-Link and see how the WAN connection is set-up, it may be a static IP for all you know on the WAN side.

                        Could also be a MAC filter on the other side, trying to prevent the use of different hardware. So it could help to use the WAN MAC of the TP-Link for the WAN interface in pfSense.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • B
                          belt9
                          last edited by

                          If it's just Mac filtering then can set pfSense to spoof the tplink.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • W
                            Waqar.UK
                            last edited by

                            @belt9:

                            This has been super entertaining!

                            How certain are you that this WAN cable you are connecting to has a live WAN connection?

                            Turn the wifi adapter on your laptop completely off, then plug the ethernet cable you think is WAN into you laptop or desktop.

                            Can you access the internet?

                            If not, restart the computer and try again.

                            If you still can't access the internet, see if you can ping something ubiquitous.

                            Try```
                            ping www.baidu.com

                            
                            If that doesn't work, then the cable you think is WAN, is actually not WAN at all.
                            

                            I have tried that, by directly connecting the Ethernet cable coming from the wall to my pfsense box, no WAN connection.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • W
                              Waqar.UK
                              last edited by

                              @Grimson:

                              @marjohn56:

                              Ideally, you would need to log into the old TP-Link and see how the WAN connection is set-up, it may be a static IP for all you know on the WAN side.

                              Could also be a MAC filter on the other side, trying to prevent the use of different hardware. So it could help to use the WAN MAC of the TP-Link for the WAN interface in pfSense.

                              I think so too. So how do I by pass this?

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • W
                                Waqar.UK
                                last edited by

                                @marjohn56:

                                @Waqar.UK:

                                @marjohn56:

                                Ok, you should now be able to browse into pfsense. Connect the wan port after you have browsed to the control panel.

                                I have connected my WAN cable (same one that goes into the old tp link router which allows me internet access), but all I get is a orange flashing led with no green led.

                                That could mean that all you have is 100Mbps connection or even 10Mbps ( yuk ).

                                I think I am now understanding that the WAN cable as it comes in is currently connected to the old TP-Link router, for which you have been given the SSID and password.

                                OK, let's see how close I am to the truth, connect the WAN cable to pfSense, go to the pfSense control panel and what does it say about the interfaces, they should both be up ( if your laptop is connected to the LAN port that is! ). Does the WAN show it is connected at all ( Speed wise )?

                                Ideally, you would need to log into the old TP-Link and see how the WAN connection is set-up, it may be a static IP for all you know on the WAN side.

                                I have no WAN connection if I look at Interface drop down in web gui.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • W
                                  Waqar.UK
                                  last edited by

                                  @marjohn56:

                                  @Waqar.UK:

                                  @marjohn56:

                                  Ok, you should now be able to browse into pfsense. Connect the wan port after you have browsed to the control panel.

                                  I have connected my WAN cable (same one that goes into the old tp link router which allows me internet access), but all I get is a orange flashing led with no green led.

                                  That could mean that all you have is 100Mbps connection or even 10Mbps ( yuk ).

                                  I think I am now understanding that the WAN cable as it comes in is currently connected to the old TP-Link router, for which you have been given the SSID and password.

                                  OK, let's see how close I am to the truth, connect the WAN cable to pfSense, go to the pfSense control panel and what does it say about the interfaces, they should both be up ( if your laptop is connected to the LAN port that is! ). Does the WAN show it is connected at all ( Speed wise )?

                                  Ideally, you would need to log into the old TP-Link and see how the WAN connection is set-up, it may be a static IP for all you know on the WAN side.

                                  Sadly, I do not  have access to the old TP-Link router, Only have SSID and WPA2- AES password.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • B
                                    belt9
                                    last edited by

                                    well if it is MAC filtering and you no longer have access to the NIC it's assigned to then I would think your best bet would be to find the network manager and request that your NIC's MAC be added to the list.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • W
                                      Waqar.UK
                                      last edited by

                                      Sadly it looks like that. Attached is a picture of what is connected to the TP -Link wireless router.
                                      Yellow Ethernet is connected to TP -link
                                      Grey Ethernet comes in from wall.
                                      I do not know what that blue thing is.

                                      IMG_20171010_094121.jpg
                                      IMG_20171010_094121.jpg_thumb

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • ?
                                        Guest
                                        last edited by

                                        That is a modem by the look of it. What model is it?

                                        There are ways  to crack this nut. For instance I would start by sniffing the packets coming from the TP-Link to the modem using wireshark, but if you don't know how to use that then you are lost.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • D
                                          DaHai8
                                          last edited by

                                          The Blue thing is Fiber.
                                          That Huawei box is a fiber modem/router. Most likely a EchoLife model of some kind.
                                          Some simlar models:
                                          https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/huawei-fiber-optic-router_60667383784.html?s=p

                                          If it is like other Chinese Fiber routers, it will be serving up 192.168.1.x local IP addresses, and handles all the PPPOE login credentials to your ISP (China Telecom/China Unicom)

                                          Your issue may be that you've assigned the 192.168.1.x subnet to your pfSense LAN and the Huawei box is trying to assign that address to your WAN connection.
                                          Try setting another subnet to LAN1 and see if that allows you WAN to get assigned from the Huawei box.

                                          The model might be listed underneath and that might help finding the specs on that and a user manual - which could help further in troubleshooting this.

                                          But more than likely, you'll be double-nat'd, which sucks, but it should still ultimately work.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • ?
                                            Guest
                                            last edited by

                                            @LianYu4:

                                            The Blue thing is Fiber.
                                            That Huawei box is a fiber modem/router. Most likely a PowerLink model of some kind.
                                            Some simlar models:
                                            https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/huawei-fiber-optic-router_60667383784.html?s=p

                                            If it is like other Chinese Fiber routers, it will be serving up 192.168.1.x local IP addresses, and handles all the PPPOE login credentials to your ISP (China Telecom/China Unicom)

                                            And if that is the case, getting to the login credentials is probably very unlikely. :)

                                            Good advice you have given and a double NAT is probably the only solution.

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