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    Issue Connecting to Zen ISP (UK) from pfSense SG-3100 via PPPoE

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • M Offline
      MichaelCropper
      last edited by

      UK based. ISP is Zen Internet, on a Full Fibre package, aka. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) which has an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) --> pfSense SG-3100 WAN Port via RJ45 (aka. mvneta2).

      Which has the WAN Interface connected to the Network Port (under Interfaces > Interface Assignments) for "PPPOE2(mvneta2) - Zen Internet - No VLAN Tag", which is the bit configured under Interfaces > PPPs > PPP Interfaces, where this is "pppoe2 - mvneta2 - Zen Internet - No VLAN Tag" where the Username + Password are configured along with a Null Service Name and with Dial-on-Demand Mode enabled (seemed to be needed from some online guides, but tried both on and off and made no difference)

      I'm 99% sure this is some quirky ISP stuff as in the UK it's a right mess between different ISPs and different technologies, everything always seems to require some obscure janky setting to be configured which is never in the docs from the ISPs.

      But posting the question here in the mean time to see if anyone can think of anything dumb I'm doing and/or to test?

      I've also tested the different VLANs on the WAN interface, on the off chance that the docs are wrong, but made no difference. Still couldn't get pfSense to authenticate with PPPoE to the ISP.

      B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • B Offline
        bigsy @MichaelCropper
        last edited by

        @MichaelCropper Zen FTTP works fine with pfSense, there's nothing "quirky" or "janky" about it šŸ˜

        Depending on where you live, Zen uses Openreach or CityFibre for their infrastructure. I believe that CityFibre requires tagging VLAN ID 911, but no VLAN setting is required for Openreach connections in pfSense.

        Do you know which you're using?

        M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • M Offline
          MichaelCropper @bigsy
          last edited by

          @bigsy Not sure which one I'm on as it doesn't seem to say anywhere that I can find. But I've tried creating a VLAN from mvneta2 (aka. WAN Port) with No VLAN Tag, with VLAN 911 and also with VLAN 101. Then updated the WAN Interface Assignment to those new ones in turn to check if things work - and still no connection.

          What's weird is that when I am on the Status > Interfaces page, I click on the Connect WAN button, and it appears to connect then I refresh the page and it is showing as Down again.

          And when I'm viewing the Logs, I'm seeing this;

          Aug 23 18:38:58	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] LCP: Down event
Aug 23 18:38:58	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 80 in 4 seconds
Aug 23 18:39:02	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 80
Aug 23 18:39:02	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to ''
Aug 23 18:39:11	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds
Aug 23 18:39:11	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: DOWN event
Aug 23 18:39:11	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] LCP: Down event
Aug 23 18:39:11	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 81 in 4 seconds
Aug 23 18:39:15	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: reconnection attempt 81
Aug 23 18:39:15	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to ''
Aug 23 18:39:24	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] PPPoE connection timeout after 9 seconds
Aug 23 18:39:24	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: DOWN event
Aug 23 18:39:24	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] LCP: Down event
Aug 23 18:39:24	ppp	38152	[wan_link0] Link: reconnection attemptĀ 82Ā inĀ 1Ā seconds

          Which according to Google's AI....

          AI Overview
The error pfsense [wan_link0] PPPoE: Connecting to '' blank means your pfSense PPPoE connection is failing to establish because it is configured to connect to an empty Service Name, and you haven't selected the option to configure a NULL Service Name. To fix this, go to your WAN interface settings, find the PPPoE configuration, and check the "Configure a NULL ServiceĀ name"Ā box

          Re-tested that, and made no difference either way.

          What is most annoying is that I had this pfSense box setup at a previous property, and the only difference was that I was previously on FTTC, so had a Dreytek Modem sitting in front of it in Bridge mode. Now I have the ONT.

          B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • B Offline
            bigsy @MichaelCropper
            last edited by

            @MichaelCropper Does your external box or ONT say Openreach or CityFibre? That might be a clue.

            Does your service work with the Zen supplied router?

            M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • M Offline
              MichaelCropper @bigsy
              last edited by

              @bigsy Just checked ONT, it's an Openreach one.

              Never got a Zen router, but I have another router which the connection has been working fine with for 2 years - TP Link - AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 Router

              Same username and password being used on both.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • M Offline
                MichaelCropper
                last edited by

                All sorted. SUE..... šŸ¤¦

                Turns out ethernet doesn't work that well over a 300m long cable..... šŸ¤£

                Interesting though, the RJ45 Cable Tester did work so that was a bit confusing. Anyhow, good to know for the future and all sorted now.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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