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    LAN Interface keeps going Down and Up

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • G Offline
      gbitglenn
      last edited by

      Hi,

      Starting suddenly about a month ago, the LAN interface on a long-running PFSense install keeps going down and up - and usually in quick succession. This has the result of it killing the internal routing since if it happens enough in a short period, nothing NATs past the WAN interface, mobile and inter-branch VPN's stop working - even with the LAN interface showing back up, I have to reboot.

      I have tried changing the network cable, changing switch ports, and finally, thinking it now had to be a bad NIC on the 4 year old box, I replaced the box. (It was a built-in NIC so I can't just replace a card). New box is a small PC, which has a brand-new NIC card in it. However, the issue continues.

      I mean, replacing the entire computer AND brand-new NIC card, new network cable, different switch port and it STILL drops all the time I'm pretty much out of options here.

      The LAN port is tagged with a VLAN, (OPTVLAN20) however that's been the case for a while.

      Snippet from system.log. The NIC is re0.

      Jun 15 10:23:05 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:05 firewall kernel: re0: watchdog timeout
Jun 15 10:23:05 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:05 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:05 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:06 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for OPT1VLAN20(opt1) static IP (192.168.20.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:06 firewall php-fpm[339]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (10.5.0.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:06 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:06 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:10 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:10 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to UP
Jun 15 10:23:10 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to UP
Jun 15 10:23:10 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for OPT1VLAN20(opt1) static IP (192.168.20.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (10.5.0.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall check_reload_status[378]: rc.newwanip starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall check_reload_status[378]: rc.newwanip starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:11 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:12 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: Info: starting on re0.
Jun 15 10:23:12 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: Info: starting on re0.20.
Jun 15 10:23:12 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 192.168.20.1) (interface: OPT1VLAN20[opt1]) (real interface: re0.20).
Jun 15 10:23:12 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 10.5.0.1) (interface: LAN[lan]) (real interface: re0).
Jun 15 10:23:12 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0: watchdog timeout
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0: watchdog timeout
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:15 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:16 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (10.5.0.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:16 firewall php-fpm[339]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for OPT1VLAN20(opt1) static IP (192.168.20.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:16 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:16 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:20 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:20 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to UP
Jun 15 10:23:20 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to UP
Jun 15 10:23:20 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for LAN(lan) static IP (10.5.0.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.linkup: Hotplug event detected for OPT1VLAN20(opt1) static IP (192.168.20.1 )
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall check_reload_status[378]: rc.newwanip starting re0.20
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall check_reload_status[378]: rc.newwanip starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:21 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:22 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: Info: starting on re0.20.
Jun 15 10:23:22 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: Info: starting on re0.
Jun 15 10:23:22 firewall php-fpm[61857]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 192.168.20.1) (interface: OPT1VLAN20[opt1]) (real interface: re0.20).
Jun 15 10:23:22 firewall php-fpm[340]: /rc.newwanip: rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 10.5.0.1) (interface: LAN[lan]) (real interface: re0).
Jun 15 10:23:22 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Reloading filter
Jun 15 10:23:25 firewall check_reload_status[378]: Linkup starting re0
Jun 15 10:23:25 firewall kernel: re0: watchdog timeout
Jun 15 10:23:25 firewall kernel: re0: link state changed to DOWN
Jun 15 10:23:25 firewall kernel: re0.20: link state changed to DOWN
      G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • G Offline
        gbitglenn @gbitglenn
        last edited by

        @gbitglenn Seems that after a recent PFSense upgrade, and no changes to either the hardware it runs on or the network switch it's connected to, the LAN connection now requires forcing speed and duplex on both the PFSense NIC config and switch port.

        Annoying how this is now magically needed after a few years running on same gear, but it fixed the problem.

        S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • S Offline
          SteveITS Rebel Alliance @gbitglenn
          last edited by

          re is going to be RealTek. I've read several posts on this forum over the years talking about how RealTek cards/drivers are problematic in FreeBSD, though the one NIC I know we've used has been fine for years. IIRC there were several networking changes in FreeBSD 12 so it's probably something related to that and/or the newer driver.

          Good to know a fixed speed helps.

          Only install packages for your version, or risk breaking it. Select your branch in System/Update/Update Settings.
          When upgrading, allow 10-15 minutes to reboot, or more depending on packages, and device or disk speed.
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          G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • G Offline
            gbitglenn @SteveITS
            last edited by

            @steveits Yup. Unfortunately RealTek holds a huge market share for NIC chips, including in embedded devices and IT appliances, and in my case, the integrated NICs on the motherboard I'm using. Hard to avoid, therefore perhaps should be better supported in FreeBSD.

            I'm no stranger to FreeBSD and they are notorious for seemingly arbitrary and sudden driver breakages after updates and I'm not entirely convinced the problem wouldn't happen to Intel one day either. Unless they've decided that's the only card they test - which would be short sighted. Too bad this has to run on FreeBSD and not Linux but I do understand why.

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