WAN IF disappeared after storm - diagnosis help
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Hi there,
I'm on a a 8200 Max with pfSense+ v23.05.1-RELEASE.
I'm not 100% sure it's related but we got a big storm during the night, one lightning stroke close, and in the morning the WAN IF was not there anymore in the pfSense dashboard.
It's hard to tell if it could have damaged only the WAN ethernet port. (note: No power issue, it was protected behind UPS, but there was no surge protection on the incoming eth line).
I performed a factory reset, but after the basic onboarding setup I can't get an IP from my provider on the WAN IF (it's basic auto DHCP config, nothing special to set). No LED blinking at the WAN port. The Interface status shows no carrier at the WAN interface.
(LAN ports work fine)I plugged another router to check the internet line, I have an IP, so really looks like something happened in the Netgate WAN port.
Is there a way to diagnose the WAN interface/port, to at least make sure it's a hardware issue?
thanks all!
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Do you see link LEDs when you connect it?
Do you see all the interfaces listed in the output of
ifconfig?Do you see them attaching in the boot log?
Steve
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S stephenw10 moved this topic from Hardware on
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@stephenw10 said in WAN IF disappeared after storm - diagnosis help:
Steve
Thanks for reaching out Steve.
In advance I apologize for the dummy questions but I had never faced such an issue before.
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Do you see link LEDs when you connect it?
Nope. Like it can't even negotiate anything. I also plugged the WAN (ix3) into another upstream router and nothing.
The green LED itself works as I saw it blink once when I reboot the netgate but that's it. -
Do you see all the interfaces listed in the output of ifconfig?
(dummy question 1) from which device should I run the command, and plugged in which interface? -
Do you see them attaching in the boot log?
(dummy question 1) Is that in webGUI's Status / System Logs / System / OS Boot ? What line should I look for there?
thanks!
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You can run
ifconfigon pfSense itself in Diag > Command Prompt or directly at the command line.Yes, the OS Boot log should show all 8 NICs at boot. If one is damaged and doesn't show or the driver cannot attach it might change the interface order.
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@stephenw10
mmm...
so ifconfig does show ix3 in the list (only it's with status No Carrier),
and it is also mentioned in the Boot Log.Looks like I'm missing something as stupid as I am.
What bothers me is all was OK until we got this storm, didn't change anything in the config, then SHTF.
How can't I get an IP from the upstream router/ISP after the basic DHCP post-reset set up?
something 's off (if not me
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It could still be the NIC was damaged just not the part that the OS sees on the bus. If there are no link LEDs it likely was.
You can reassign the WAN to ix2, the other combo port, if it's available.
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@stephenw10
Will make some tests! I need to purchase a SFP -> RJ45 module to test that combo port.My 8200 is <1 year, I wonder if this covered by the basic warranty...
I'll update that thread once I know more.
Thanks again Sir
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@jess8bit it was connected using fiber or copper? Fiber shouldn’t be Abe to damage it electrically. FWIW I have in the past seen nearby lightning burn out Ethernet, modems, cable TV, actual TVs, analog phones, etc.
Any port can be used as a WAN, the labels are just labels.
“The default configuration has all ports assigned as WANs and LANs to match the labels on the back of the device. These are only pre-defined labels; any port can be renamed and configured for any purpose.”
Just noting as you may not need to buy anything. -
I was suggesting just using ix2 instead of ix3 as WAN. However it may be possible that the SFP port on ix3 still functions if the damage was only to the RJ-45 port hardware.
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@SteveITS @stephenw10 guys thanks for your messages,
Following up,
@SteveITS It was connected using copper. But it doesn't go directly to my 8200's RJ45 WAN port (ix3). It goes like this:
Outside ONT --> inside Cat5e cable --> intermediary keystone RJ45 coupler --> Cat6a cable --> ix3 RJ45
Strangely enough, there is no apparent damage to the 1st cat5e cable, nor the coupler, nor the cat6a cable.
Looks like only the final RJ45 port has been touched.@stephenw10 Today I received the SFP/SFP+ to RJ45 tranceiver module I ordered, plugged it in the SFP port of ix3, plugged my cat6a cable into it, and... bazinga, it worked immediatly, LED started to blink. So I'm back in business.
So.. bottom line, looks like my RJ45 did suffer.
Now I want to protect my line from surges...
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Nice result!
