WAN DHCP and Pinging from GUI

AngloSchool

Hi All,

Just wondered if you could help me out.
I have just installed the latest version of PfSense and am having….confusion.

So I have a Virgin supplied router that has DHCP turned off.
This connection has a static IP from Virgin.

This is used for the WAN on the PfSense.

Confusion Numero Uno

With the WAN IPv4 Configuration Type set to DHCP the internet is not accessable.
I am given a IP of 0.0.0.0 and subnet of 255.0.0.0

I have removed the cable joinging the two then rebooted both pfSense and the router.
I still get the same result.

If I set the WAN to a static config and give it any IP address in the range of 192.168.0.* (of course with the exception of virgins router device IP ) I can access the internet.

Very (hopefully) very simple quesiton here; why does this work with, for example, 192.168.0.20 when it is not the Static IP from Virgin.

Second confusing thing

With the WAN set to any static address of 192.168.0.* I can access any internet site through the LAN.
DNS Lookup tests work for both ip addresses or website addresses.

I cannot ping any outside address through the GUI of pfSense however.

Help!

Please move this if its in the wrong place and if I need to supply more info just let me know.

Thanks

KOM

I suspect you're missing some basic network information.

Yes, if the link is set for static IP and you request a dynamic one, you're not going to get one. That's expected behaviour.

If your link is static IP, why are you guessing around with random IP addresses? Contact your ISP and ask them what you need to set for your WAN. Once that is done, all your other problems will go away and their related questions will be moot.

johnpoz

Just because your ISP says your IP is static does not mean your device they gave you is in bridge mode and pfsense would be set to your static IP from your isp.

If your isp is giving you a static IP and you want it on pfsense wan interface.

Then your device needs to be in bridge mode.. (check with ISP on how to do that)

Then you would set the IP and mask and gateway on pfsense per the instructions your ISP gives you for your static IP.

AngloSchool

Hi,

Thanks for the answers, I should have realised that, really is obvious …. :-\

Anyway problem fixed.

My ISP (Virgin) dont allow the router to be in Modem/Bridge mode unless a Dynamic IP is assigned from them.

All good and working now.

Thanks again.

johnpoz

So you went to dynamic mode? Or you just double nat?

AngloSchool

I went for the Dynamic IP in the end.
It has been up and stable since yesterday so all good.

Thanks again.

johnpoz

Here is the thing - unless your shut down pfsense for an extended period.. Your IP should stay the same going forward, since it will just renew its dhcp lease when it hits 50% of the lease time.. On my previous isp I had the same "dynamic" IP for YEARS and YEARS at a time… Only time it changed was when I changed out the device with a different mac... And when they redid their ip space in my area.