pfSense router not connecting after update

eiger3970 0

Hardware: ALIX-APU-1C4-AMD-G-Series-T40E.
Software: latest until 2018 December 26 update software.

Issue: I saw the available update in the router dashboard and selected update.
Update completed and automatically rebooted router (I hear the electronic sound beeping when boot complete). No Internet.

Troubleshooting: Router Wi-Fi connects to network but no Internet and not sure how to access router GUI via Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi IP Address:192.168.250.3 Subnet mask:255.255.255.0 Router:192.168.250.181.
LAN PC 192.168.1.120 > Shell > arp -a > Enter > no result from pfSense router 192.168.1.170.
192.168.1.120 > Shell > ping 192.168.1.170 > Enter > Destination Host Unreachable.
192.168.1.120 > Shell > ifconfig > Enter > enp3s0 inet addr:192.168.1.120 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0.

I think there’s confusion between the interfaces enp3s0 and eth0, however the router was working before the update?

Additionally, my old pfSense username is not accepted...had to register a new username.

Gertjan

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

No Internet.

You don't know ^^
Because :

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

Troubleshooting: Router Wi-Fi connects to network but no Internet and not sure how to access router GUI via Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi IP Address:192.168.250.3 Subnet mask:255.255.255.0 Router:192.168.250.181.
LAN PC 192.168.1.120 > Shell > arp -a > Enter > no result from pfSense router 192.168.1.170.
192.168.1.120 > Shell > ping 192.168.1.170 > Enter > Destination Host Unreachable.
192.168.1.120 > Shell > ifconfig > Enter > enp3s0 inet addr:192.168.1.120 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0.

You are telling here that you have no LAN ...

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

I think there’s confusion between the interfaces enp3s0 and eth0

Easy to check : swap LAN and WAN cables. What happened ?

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

however the router was working before the update?

The console access was invented. It's time to have a look. Actually, you should always have a look on this one, whatever happens (even when it works).
What do you see when it starts up ? etc.

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

Additionally, my old pfSense username is not accepted...

There is only one : "admin".
True, other can be created - but have they admin rights ?

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

had to register a new username.

So you have access to pfSense ? In that case you can check LAN and WAN settings, etc.

eiger3970 0

Sorry if I was unclear.
No LAN access.
Router’s WAN and LAN cables were correct before update and are correct after update. Yes, I have checked as well.

Re pfSense login failure, I mean the pfSense forum, not the router’s login credentials.

Gertjan

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

Re pfSense login failure, I mean the pfSense forum, not the router’s login credentials.

With your login account on the forum (and the old pfSense forum) you registered with an email.
You should have received a mail, about 6 month ago which announces the new forum.
All is here https://www.netgate.com/blog/introducing-the-netgate-forum.html
To retrieve your account, you need to have access to the mail you used on this (old) forum) : have a new password send over and done.

eiger3970 0

Yes, I tried resetting the password, however no email received.

Once the Internet is back on, I’ll work on the forum login problem.

eiger3970 0

To clarify, no LAN access means no GUI access.
So, how do I find out what’s happened to the router, post update?
When I built the router years ago, I remember using a serial cable to set it up. Is there a way of viewing the GUI...the router sounds like it is booting up okay, probably something is messed up on the IP address.

Gertjan

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

So, how do I find out what’s happened to the router, post update?

This :

@gertjan said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

The console access was invented. It's time to have a look. Actually, you should always have a look on this one, whatever happens (even when it works).
What do you see when it starts up ? etc.

There is something in this part that you didn't understand ?

eiger3970 0

? When the router starts up, I see nothing. Ping error: Destination Host Unreachable.

Gertjan

So you don't understand.

When you build your firewall/router, there was a dsik, RAM, at least two network interfaces, etc.
But no OS - no pfSense.
This means : no network access - no GUI.
How did you set it up ? You couldn't use the NIC's ....

Or consider this situation : your disk became bad : the OS doesn't start anymore, or some network driver becomes unreadable : the result is the same : no more network access.

Again : how did you set up your device when it becomes inaccessible using the network interfaces ?
You throw it away ?
Or you start reading pages like https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/hardware/connecting-to-the-serial-console.html ;)

eiger3970 0

I built the router years ago.
The router had the most recent update, until I saw a new update on 20181226.
The router sounds to be booting correctly, due to the beep sound once booted.
Router has worked fine until this latest update.

Question: is there a way for me to see the router’s GUI...remember ping fails...perhaps a direct video cable into the router?
I’m not sure a serial port screen will show what IP address is on the router for access.

eiger3970 0

How can I see the router’s settings? Ping says Destination Address Unreachable.
I am trying now like the original build, to connect a serial cable from the router to a VGA monitor...is that right?

Gertjan

Answer question from https://forum.netgate.com/topic/139037/pfsense-router-not-connecting-after-update/9 please.
How did you install pfSense in the first place ?
Your device should have a console or serial access. It's actually the most important access to your router. The GUI is a nice thing to have when every thing is up and going, and good for daily maintenance tasks.

Does your router has a graphics card and a USB ? Then hook up a VGA monitor and keyboard. You'll be having the same access and view.

I advice also that you read the book, and look up everything that is related to this access.

Btw : are you reay using versions like "20181226" on a device that you actually use ? Dev versions are ok for investigation, and tests ...
Strange : the ones who use dev versions are able to kick start their router when ever needed : the just go back to the version before, or solve the bug. All this using the console or local (screen) access.

eiger3970 0

Well, this is the first occasion the router is not accessible via my LAN computer.

The hardware I listed at the top of post 1 will show if there’s a graphic card in the hardware (remember I have no router, hence no Internet).

I can’t remember exactly as I built the router years ago. I installed pfSense onto a memory card on my computer with a memory card reader in the computer’s USB port. I then placed the memory card into the router and installed via serial cable screens. This bit I can’t remember exactly.

The date 20181226 (YYYYMMDD) is not a version. I can’t remember the version details, so I listed the date of the most recent software on the router, before the latest update broke the router.
I used the YYYYMMDD format to avoid confusion as some parts of the world have not yet progressed to this universal format. E.g.: UK DDMMYYYY, US MMDDYYYY. This is another discussion, however YYYYMMDD is universal and works best (just try naming your files with a non-universal format and see what happens).

I have just connected a serial cable into the router and the other end of the cable fits into my cimputer’s USB port. The router has booted up (I hear the beep sounds), however the computer recognises no device.
I might need to use puTTY, but I can’t download puTTY as the computer has no Internet. Would a shell like Terminal from my Linux Mint machine connect?

eiger3970 0

On my computer with the router connected with a serial to USB cable, Shell > arp -a > Enter > ? (192.168.1.170) at <incomplete> on enp3s0

This looks promising as 192.168.1.170 is the router’s LAN IP address.

eiger3970 0

Hmm, same arp result with the router’s USB cable disconnected from the computer?

eiger3970 0

I just tried a router serial cable to a VGA monitor, however no output on the monitor?

eiger3970 0

So, is there a way to check the Transcend 8GB 10 microSD HC card has a working pfSense operating system on it?
The computer sees the card as /dev/sdc.

Gertjan

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

ALIX-APU-1C4-AMD-G-Series-T40E

Found the doc.
Also the operating manual https://pcengines.ch/pdf/apu1.pdf

There is a serial "RS232" bull modem cable access.
A soon as the cable access works (a serial cable can not be connected to a VGA screen - it should be connected to a serial cable plug on your PC, or you use a Serial to USB converter) you have access to the boot sequence of your device.
If pfSense boots, you will wind up with a screen like this :

pfSense - Netgate Device ID: 20bb46df95386fe7e087

*** Welcome to pfSense 2.4.4-RELEASE-p1 (amd64) on pfsense ***

 WAN (wan)       -> rl0        -> v4/DHCP4: 192.168.10.11/24
 LAN (lan)       -> fxp0       -> v4: 192.168.1.1/24
                                  v6: 2001:470:1f13:5c0:2::1/64
 PORTAL (opt1)   -> sis0       -> v4: 192.168.2.1/24
 HENETV6 (opt2)  -> gif0       -> v6: 2001:470:1ee2:5c0::2/128
 VPN (opt3)      -> ovpns1     -> v4: 192.168.3.1/24
                                  v6: 2001:470:ccea:2::1/64
 OPT4 (opt4)     -> fxp0.10    -> v4: 192.168.9.1/24

 0) Logout (SSH only)                  9) pfTop
 1) Assign Interfaces                 10) Filter Logs
 2) Set interface(s) IP address       11) Restart webConfigurator
 3) Reset webConfigurator password    12) PHP shell + pfSense tools
 4) Reset to factory defaults         13) Update from console
 5) Reboot system                     14) Disable Secure Shell (sshd)
 6) Halt system                       15) Restore recent configuration
 7) Ping host                         16) Restart PHP-FPM
 8) Shell

Enter an option:

But you will probably see "problems" that disables the boot.
You be anything like bad ram, bad disk.
The system would boot some BIOS first. This BIOS will start setting up the serial connection - see manual for settings. These settings should be the same on your PC, like speed etc.
The BIOS will find all attached drives, and if one is bootable, it will load the OS from it = pfSense.
Then the OS kicks in.

No need to remove the drive and test it : you should check if you can boot (and thus at least : is it readable) from it.

Btw : myself, I don't use a device like an APU, I have an old PC loaded with network cards, an old fashioned hard disk, it has a graphics card and so my console access is a VGA screen + keyboard : no need to use the serial access.

edit : See https://forum.netgate.com/topic/138898/apu2c0-usb-install-of-2-4-2-release-fails-with-fatal-trap-9-general-protection-fault-while-in-kernel-mode for another APC thread and an example of the console access.

https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/solutions/sg-2220/connect-to-console.html

https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/solutions/apu/index.html

eiger3970 0

Thanks. I tried a serial cable in the router and a USB cable into the computer, however no device recognised.

eiger3970 0

It appears the Linux computer needs the Shell Terminal to have ‘cu’ installed, so the serial cable will read the router.
This means I have to unbridge the modem so the computer can receive Internet.