Can ping & traceroute 'pfsense.mydomain.me' but can't access in browser as URL (times out)

[johnpoz]

@phantom99 and that screams your browser is not using your dns, ie its using doh.. Because clearly your OS just doing a query for that resomves it to the ip

So from you cmd line on your os when you do a ping pfsense.home.arpa it comes back with that IP right.

[phantom99]

@johnpoz Yup.

phantom@MAC-client ~ % ping pfsense.home.arpa
PING pfsense.home.arpa (192.168.10.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.10.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.431 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.10.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.580 ms

And yet...
Through DHCP: DNS server is set to LAN
Search domain: home.arpa

********** STOP PRESS ***************
You have solved this!!

OM*G - After a clean install, I somehow knew there was something basic at the heart of this. Of course it takes knowledge and expertise to narrow down on where the issue might lie.
And that is what you have done.
On top of that, you have had the patience and grace to stick this out and not fob me off, whilst undoubtedly doing the same for many others.
I am most grateful.

I now can access (firstly using hostname), and now also FQDN.
Without security warnigns of course. ;)

I suspect there was something else I had clutzed that started this entire thread....prior to the clean re-build , but again it was your help that guided me to the right place.

After your definitive statement that it was Browser not using pfsense DNS, I found I could access using hostname on others browsers - Safari, Chrome, but had been using Brave. Somehwere down the line I suspect I had followed a tip on Privacy of DNS searches and changed Braves security/DNS settings to use OpenDNS. (Embarrassed. )

For completeness I am posting the Brave setting.
Thanks again, @johnpoz you are a legend and DNS God. <Nows, tips hat and swirls hand in a manner fit to introduce a King>

Finally, I hope this is not considered a waste of your time. You have taught me quite a bit along the way

[johnpoz]

@phantom99 just glad you got it sorted.. I could talk for hours and hours about dns ;)