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    Super Odd Issue With Android Devices and pfsense DHCP/DNS

    DHCP and DNS
    dhcp android,tablet disconnects dns
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    • B
      brownatron
      last edited by

      I seem to have a really odd problem with Android devices when pfsense is set as the DHCP/DNS server.

      Here's the scenario:
      I have 2 SSID's running off of a single TP-LINK AP:

      • MyWifi (VLAN 1)
      • list itemMyWifi Guest (VLAN 20)

      MyWifi is WPA-E and points to a Windows DHCP/DNS server environment, with the pfsense box being the default gateway.
      Android clients connect to this fine and chug along all day happy as larry.

      MyWifi Guest is an open network secured by the pfsense captive portal vouchers (great feature!).
      The DHCP/DNS is handled by pfsense and traffic from MyWiFi Guest to MyWifI/LAN is blocked.

      When Android clients connect to the guest network they disconnect and reconnect themselves every few seconds (the interval is totally random, could be 5 seconds, could be 30).
      No other devices have any issue whatsoever (looped pings etc run from Windows/Linux clients)

      At first I suspected the AP and replaced it however I'm still getting the error with a brand new AP. 😶

      After a LOT of testing, I found that if I set a different DHCP/DNS (for example using an old router or spin up a linux box) I don't get these dropouts. 😵

      I am totally stumped as to what could be causing this, I've tried to look at the logs on my phone but Sony seem to have locked them down tighter than Area 51 :(
      Why would this only affect Android devices? And what the hell could it be about DHCP/DNS that's causing the device to disconnect from the WiFi?

      Things I've tried so far:

      • New AP
      • Multiple devices (only Android devices affected)
      • Remaking the VLAN and Guest network in pfsense
      • Disabling LAN Windows DHCP servers temporarily (on seperate VLAN's but worth a shot)
      • Making a wish when blowing out my birthday candles.

      Does anyone have any thoughts on this or perhaps someone has seen something similar?

      Thanks in advance
      Steve

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      • B
        brownatron
        last edited by

        Here's some snips that might help:

        Interface setup
        0_1535825194214_guest.PNG
        0_1535825254928_LAN.PNG

        DHCP
        0_1535825404886_DHCP.PNG

        DNS
        0_1535825472979_DNS.PNG

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