NIC/MAC addresses changing for interface name
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Hello Forum,
Did not see a better location to post this so here goes.
I have the latest pfSense+ running on a PC. Just setup since end of last week.
23.05-RELEASE (amd64)
built on Mon May 22 15:04:36 UTC 2023
FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENTComputer originally had three NICs.
I used one for WAN.
I used one for LAN.
There was one left that I could use for OPT.
I did a screen capture of the MAC addresses on the Assignments screen.
I ordered two dual Intel NICs.
When I went to install those, I noticed that the OPT1 with a certain MAC address now changed to one of the MAC addresses of the newly added cards.
I shutdown and removed the cards, and the MAC address moved back.
I then assigned an IP to that MAC address and renamed the interface to OPT1IP_assigned.
I shutdown and added tthe two cards again.
The MACs shifted again.
Now I did not have an Ethernet cable plugged into that OPT1 interface and therefore no active device (switch or computer) plugged in.
But I don't think these MACs/NICs should be moving around like that.
We are considering purchasing a Netgate 6100 so this will obviously not be an issues as the inerface are there.
But I think this is odd behaviour.
I don't know what would happen if I had something configured and running on that OPT1 port and added NICs to the PC, if it would suddenly move. That would cause some confusion and require unexpect diagnosis.
Any thoughts from an experiences user?
Thank you,
Eric
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@ericreiss said in NIC/MAC addresses changing for interface name:
But I think this is odd behaviour.
Not really - interfaces can come up in different order depending on multiple factors. If you add a card, its quite possible for the order of the cards to change. Especially if they are using the same driver
The guru of this would most likely be @stephenw10, I believe he has given details of how and why this is in previous posts. But would have to try and find one of those.
I believe there are some things you can do to try and prevent order change, especially if the maker exposes the the serial number.. If you search the forum for nic order you fill find that this question has come up multiple times..
But it for sure is a good idea if your going to add a nic, that you make sure the nics are properly assigned after you add them.
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@johnpoz Thanks for the info. I did some searches with @stephenw10 and MAC and NIC. I found some mentioning the same behaviour but nothing specific about why it happens. Just to fix them at the console after booting post New NIC addition.
I would hate to have to deal with this if I had many NICs with dependant rules/services and then had to add another NIC.
How many things might change.
I will just deal with this but I thought I had found a new bug.
Thanks.
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@ericreiss
The operating system orders the NICs according to the bus device number.
With a dual NIC Intel card you have the network port e.g. igb0 and igb1.
If you insert an additional dual NIC card in a slot with a lower number, this new card gets igb0 and 1.So your interfaces can change, e.g.
WAN - igb0 > igb2
LAN - igb1 > igb3But you have to reassign them manually. You can do this in Interfaces > Assignments by selecting the proper network port / MAC.
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The interfaces are assigned in the order they are parsed at boot so if you add NICs using the same driver as a NIC you already have the order may change. Add in NICs are often parsed before on-board NICs which makes this more likely.
It's possible to set the order using PCI device wiring. However doing so is not worth it IMO. If you have to reinstall the ordering would go back to the default until you reapplied it potentially causing more problems than just reassigning the NICs.
Steve
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@viragomann Thank you.
I hear what you are saying but two things.
First, if the interface that you use to administer pfSense changes, you would have to use the console as I found in other posts after @johnpoz mentioned @stephenw10 was a guru on the subject.
The second thing is that my OPT1 MAC that I was not using yet is on the Motherboard of an HP PC. looking up the MAC for manufacturer codes, said it was an HP network card.
The WAN and LAN NICs, one was an Intell PCI-E card and the other a Broadcom PCI-E Card.
But these two cards were at either end of the exxpansion slots. Therre was a Video card in between and two open slots.
I added the Dual NIC cards into those two slots.
So the WAN and LAN MACs did not get shuffled.
It was the HP NIC on the MOBO that moved from the one shown with OPT1 to the end of the list with the new four MACs listed above it and the first Dual NIC MAC selected for OPT1.
Thanks for the support.
Like I said this is not a big problem but I was just surprised. I almost didn't catch it. I was adding the dual NIC cards as I wanted to look at setting up multiple LAN subnets.
Thanks @johnpoz and @viragomann
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@ericreiss The HP is probably a rebranded NIC. The interface displays should show the driver+number used.
IOW when pfSense gets to assigning interfaces, igb0 is OPT1 and igb0 exists so we’re done. If you replaced a card and igb0 didn’t exist it would stop and ask.
Changing hardware will also change your NDI I believe so double check you’re still registered and/or reregister.
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@SteveITS Thanks, will check the registration.
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@SteveITS turns out you were correct about the NDI and having added the two Dual network cards.
I wanted to add some packages and it was not going thru.
Finally ran "pfSense-upgrade -d -c" from a SSH window and received:
pfSense-repoc-static: invalid signature
failed to read the repo data.
failed to update the repository settings!!!
failed to update the repository settings!!!So requested a new subscription rather than asking for the original to get reset or whatever they do.
I think read in another thread that @stephenw10 did that for someone having package issues.
All is now good.
Thank you.
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Either is fine currently. If you have an active support subscription and hit that open a ticket and we can address it.
Steve
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@stephenw10 Thanks.
I will keep that in mind.
I am working hard to verify that pfSense will do all that we need it to do and the boss is pushing my to buy.
So I did not want to wait if you or support was busy.
Just asked sales to give me an actual quote on a 6100 after getting off a virtual meeting with two bosses.
They want me to move forward based on what I ahve tested so far.
Thanks.
Eric
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@ericreiss
Hey @stephenw10, looks like I need to take you up on your offer.Was starting to look at setting up Graylog on another PC and needed to get it online for installing the Ubuntu and getting it up to date. Decided I should just get it up on the one LAN subnet of the pfSense and tried to boot the pfSense PC.
First it POST-ed about the video card but then booted. Then it complained about one of the single port NICs. Shut it down to check that and then it would not boot. FANs just spun up loudly.
A bunch of troubleshooting, pulling one DIMM at a time, there are 8 DIMMS.
Finally gave up and since I have another identical HP Z420, I pulled the network cards and hard drive out and put in the other one.
I have it up and running but now it looks like my NDI is invalid again.
Can you either Reset it or shoudl I just "buy" another free subscription?
Thanks.
Eric
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Send me the old and new NDI in chat and I can update it.
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@stephenw10 I can see the current NDI, but I don't know how to get the previous one.
I did not save it.
I have the previous Activation Token for the last NDI and the original Activation Token but never saved that NDI.
Is there a way to retrieve it?
