ATT Internet AIr
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@stephenw10
I know. Weird…
Is the DHCP info for the interface something that pulled or initiated from the pfsense. Or is it something “sent” from the modem -
@ahole4sure DHCP is always "pulled" by clients through a DHCP request sent as a broadcast message reaching all servers (and clients) on a network. Which means that both the ATT modem and your ISP gateway will respond... Given the latency difference, it's not unlikely that the ATT modem will almost always "win". Regardless, make sure it is turned off in the modem.
I was looking at some info on setting those ATT modems up and it seems like there's more to it than simply "turning on passthrough"? Like choosing DHCP dynamic or fixed, where in the case of fixed you are required to input the MAC of your pfsense interface.
However, the MAC showing in your picture (B0-19-21 etc) is not the MAC you have from pfsense ending with ..68:43. In fact, based on those three octets, it looks like the ATT modem has actually picked up the MAC of your TPLink switch.
So I'm suspecting this may be the cause of your problem...Also, wrt static or dynamic IP from ATT, my guess is they are providing you with a (very) dynamic IP. Typically in mobile networks IP's get released to the "pool" pretty much immediately after a device releases it. So static here probably means it is one single device that should be receiving the IP, in case there are more than one connected to the modem. Which you actually have since the TPLink switch is also a device that can request IP via DHCP...
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Well spotted! Yeah that MAC for the pass through looks wrong.
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Man I am so appreciative of you all helping !!!
I have been pulling my hair out -- didn't see you posts unitl after I had done some more changes based on google (lol - one of my friend's wives is not allowed to google -- it can get you in trouble BUT)I tried enabling ipv6 and look what happened :
My ipv4 gateway came back online
The problem I was having was that in my testing (again I have to send this setup 5 physical hours away form me) - a power off (like with a power failure) would lead to my ATT gateway going offline and then getting "lost"I am very unfamiliar with ipv6 -- this is really weird
Thoughts please
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@ahole4sure said in ATT Internet AIr:
I am very unfamiliar with ipv6 -- this is really weird
Thoughts pleaseI don't use IPv6 so I'm speculating here but I'm assuming you didn't have to make any other changes, like entering the correct MAC in the ATT modem? But with IPv6 things work different, so it may work even if the modem was set to only hand out IP to that specific MAC. As far as I understand it, Pfsense could have figured out an IP based on the network prefix or some router advertisment from the ATT modem?? I'm sure @stephenw10 knows this and can explain?
But, I'm thinking there is a risk that your TPLink may still pick up that IPv4 address when it eventually requests a renewal?? So I'd go back and make sure to put the pfsense MAC in there asap.
And while you are at it, you could try to turn off IPv6 in pfsense and see if things work also on IPv4... with the correct MAC in the modem.
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I noticed that with the interface status that the ipv4 gateway is not being listed , only the ipv6
And no I have not messed with the MAC address settings yet
(? you are talking about MAC address settings in the ATT modem correct??)
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And to reiterate -- there are 2 ATT modems attached to this test setup
The one that is attached directly to a pfsense interface is not behaving like this , only the one connected to the VLAN
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Yes the MAC address in the modem passthrough settings should be the pfSense interface MACand it appears not to be.
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@ahole4sure said in ATT Internet AIr:
And to reiterate -- there are 2 ATT modems attached to this test setup
The one that is attached directly to a pfsense interface is not behaving like this , only the one connected to the VLAN
And the reason may just be that the first one only has one "client" attached, which is pfsense. Whereas this one has two where your TPLink switch happens to be the other. And since the switch connects first, that becomes the MAC it (the modem) picks up...
So if you go back to the UI of the ATT modem and change the MAC listed there, to 00:e0:67:1c:68:43 which is your opt3 MAC, it will likely work the same way as the other modem.
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So I could be being a bit dense here - but are you talking about putting the pfsense trunk interface MAC address? in the ATT settings??
The screenshot I have is from the "working" ATT modem connected directly to the pfsense box. For some reason I can't access the ATT modem connected to the switch (192.168.3.1) even though I got the gateways up to be able to see what is showing up there.
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@ahole4sure Precisely, see how that MAC matches the WAN in pfsense in your picture...
So you just enter the MAC from igb3 for this new ATT modem instead...
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It may just be auto attached to the first device that requests a lease. It's quite common to need to power cycle a modem so it detaches from the current MAC address. So try turning it off and on again.
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@stephenw10 said in ATT Internet AIr:
It may just be auto attached to the first device that requests a lease. It's quite common to need to power cycle a modem so it detaches from the current MAC address. So try turning it off and on again.
Hmm, but if the setting is DHCP-static, which I beleive it is from previous comments by @ahole4sure, and the MAC address already in the setting is for the TPLink switch, I think it will persist?
I think it's probably best to manually change it to what it should be... -
Yes. If it can be set manually. I would assume the MAC of the switch would have been learned there.
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@stephenw10 It probably has, and I suppose that is a way of providing some assistance in the process. But looking at some of the manuals out there, you can definitely set it yourself.
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Still having FRUSTRATING issues
Noticed that I can "set" the MAC address but it doesn't stick when you connect it to another interface -- so the ability to set it seems useless!I am posting a fresh topic for more eyes -- I will link below
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https://forum.netgate.com/topic/195348/vlan-for-a-failover-modem-and-one-of-my-subnet-networks-for-camers
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@ahole4sure It's really strange that the ATT modem doesn't keep the MAC you enter for the passthrough IP. Sounds like it might be a bug, or that it needs a firmware update? Perhaps you should call their support on that one?
But can you try swapping the two modems to see if the other one works, and the MAC sticks on that one? If so, you should be ok, since for the other WAN you only have the parent interface connected.
If not, I suggest you change your setup completely, and don't use VLAN at all on any of the WAN interfaces. Instead change all your VLAN's over to igb1 and connect the switch to that port. Similar to the way I suggested earlier...
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@Gblenn Your last suggestion is probably the way to go -- just so frustrating since it is "supposed" to work.
And I am now sure that I will have to physically go to the other location for the redesign of the network.Just kept thinking that I could (with you guys help) finally figure out what I was doing wrong. The device seems to work well - but I have seen other posts in other places where networking prrofessionals compained about the shortcomings of the modem
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@ahole4sure said in ATT Internet AIr:
Just kept thinking that I could (with you guys help) finally figure out what I was doing wrong
I guess the thing is that you are not doing anything wrong... and it would work just fine if the MAC address you input would just "stick"... Have you tried swapping the modems, just to see if it behaves the same? Or is the other one at the remote location?
[Edit] Perhaps a silly question... in the ATT menu section for passthrough where you enter the MAC, I suppose there is some "Save" button? And have you verified that if you log out and back in again, that it doesn't change?
