Cannot reach docs.pfsense.org or forum.pfsense.org from the pfsense 2.4 web gui... did the linked addresses change?

[lewisNET]

I'm also experiencing issues where sometimes I can reach Amazon.com and then other days it won't connect at all as if the site has disapeared. I think it's also weird that the small blue "?" icon and the links in the help tab do not work. Is there an update to the OS or package that I'm missing?

I've tried white listing the following with no success:

.aws.amazon.com
.amazon.com
.amazonaws.com
.pfsense.org
.pfsense.com
docs.pfsense.org
forum.pfsense.org
docs.pfsense.com
forum.pfsense.com

I'm running the latest stable versions of these packages:

pfSense 2.4.3
pfBlockerNG
Snort
I'm using internal dns server and github.com/SteveBlack hosts lists for blocking as well as the pi-hol lists.
I am GEOip blocking every country but the US
I only use IPv4

I see pfsense.org on the DNSBL but not on the Deny list.

I've looked for OS/package updates, I've updated/reloaded the dnsbl, I've cleared the state tables, I've restarted the router, I've cleared my computers dns (ipconfig /flushdns)... what am I missing?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Gertjan]

Hi,

These need attention :
@lewisnet said in Cannot reach docs.pfsense.org or forum.pfsense.org from the pfsense 2.4 web gui... did the linked addresses change?:

freeBSD 2.4.3
pfBlockerNG
Snort

First of all, FreeBSD 2.4.3 doesn't exist anymore. Recent pfSense versions uses FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE-p10. Check this

I advise you to disable Snort and pfBlockerNG. I'm willing to bet some good money that everything starts to work right after that.
As soon as you have a workable situation, activate just one package, on keep on testing after each time you change settings (using foreign lists, whatever). You'll be knowing exactly when things go wrong and thus why.

Btw : I guess this is not a general pfSense question - your pfsense works just fine. It's a package question.

@lewisnet said in Cannot reach docs.pfsense.org or forum.pfsense.org from the pfsense 2.4 web gui... did the linked addresses change?:

I am GEOip blocking every country but the US
I only use IPv4

Impressive ....

[jimp]

forum.pfsense.org and doc.pfsense.org no longer exist, but they redirect to their new locations under netgate.com. The help icons throughout the GUI work OK for me and others here when testing. It may be something local to you there. The sites are in the same IP space as before, just under netgate.com instead of pfsense.org.

[lewisNET]

@jimp

Thanks for responding....

Is there a hostname (instead of IP) link listed within the pfsense software that links incorrectly? Even if I try to go to the domains (docs.pfsense.org or netgate.com or pfsense.org or pfsense.com) I'm unable to access these sites. I have their domains entered into my Whitelists and I'm not seeing anything in Snort or the Deny lists.

Something is blocking these domains and I cannot find the issue. If disabling pfBlockerNG or Snort is the fix, then what's the purpose of having those packages if I need to disable them?

Any further assistance is greatly appreciated.

[lewisNET]

@gertjan

Thanks for responding.

I mistakenly said FreeBSD 2.4.3... what I meant was pfSense 2.4.3...

If disabling pfBlockerNG and/or Snort is the fix, then what’s the purpose of having those packages if I need to disable them?

I now must question if I'm receiving package updates because If I can't reach docs.pfsense.org or pfsense.com or netgate.com... am I really connecting to the update servers?

I know that the pfSense (FreeBSD) is updating because it's not erroring or timing out.

Any further assistance is greatly appreciated.

[Gertjan]

I guess by now you figured out that neither pfBlockerNG nor Snort will not block sites like docs.pfsense.org or netgate.com or pfsense.org or pfsense.com, neither the servers needed for updating.
If these sites are not accessible I advise you to redo your setup. After factory settings, activate only WAN, nothing else.
This concerns probably a general (DNS) settings issue.

[RonpfS]

@gertjan said in Cannot reach docs.pfsense.org or forum.pfsense.org from the pfsense 2.4 web gui... did the linked addresses change?:

pfBlockerNG nor Snort will not block sites like docs.pfsense.org or netgate.com or pfsense.org or pfsense.com

Well it depends on what people use as list ... nothing prevent someone from putting those domain names in a list