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    ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved DHCP and DNS
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    • patient0P Offline
      patient0 @Vollans
      last edited by

      @Vollans what pfSense version are you using? Don't use KEA in pfSense CE before 2.8.x and pfSense Plus 24.11.

      V 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • V Offline
        Vollans @Gertjan
        last edited by

        @Gertjan said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

        @Vollans

        kea thinks ( ? 😊 ) that 10.0.1.2 is already leased out to some other device (?).
        10.0.1.2 doesn't show up under Status > DHCP Leases ?

        It does - for the solaredge inverter. It even shows the same MAC address. I can't ping 10.0.1.2 because that is the inverter, and it's been given another IP address. It's doing my head in!

        Stop keav4
        Wipe (rename) all the dhcp4.leases files (the file and its copy called dhcp4.leases.2)
        Start keav4

        I'll give it a go manually. I've tried stopping keav4 and flushing the leases via the web front end, and that didn't make a difference unfortunately.

        Your Solar Edge is wired ? In that case, unplug it a moment. As soon as you plug it back in, it will start with a DHCPv4 request.

        I've done that multiple times - it just keeps getting issued another DHCP address from the pool, and never the one in the static allocation. It's really weird - this is the only device I've noticed it with, but probably because the impact is so obvious.

        If not : reboot the Solar edge (you'll loose production ^^).

        And usually brings down the power for the whole house with it wince as it drops the anti-islanding breaker as well for the battery.

        Not related but probably useful : How to change Kea DHCP log level.

        I'll check that out as well.

        GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • V Offline
          Vollans @patient0
          last edited by

          @patient0 said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

          @Vollans what pfSense version are you using? Don't use KEA in pfSense CE before 2.8.x and pfSense Plus 24.11.

          Unfortunately it is the current 2.8.1 version.

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          • GertjanG Offline
            Gertjan @Vollans
            last edited by

            @Vollans said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

            And usually brings down the power ..

            Normally, when you switch a device from DHCP to static for a moment, and then back to DHCP, it will re init the DHCP again.
            So no need to put yourself in the dark.

            For example, set it to static :
            10.0.1.200 gateway 10.0.1.1 DNS 10.0.1.1 - wait a moment, check if communications continues (my brothers solaredge does call home every ones in awhile to update stats), and then switch back to DHCP.

            before you switch back to DHCP : go here : Diagnostics > Packet Capture
            and tell it what you want : DHCP details :

            206264a2-4f6a-4f53-a7ca-da46a48f32a3-image.png

            This will show you all the DHCP traffic on your lAN : the device requests, the pfSense DHCP server answers;
            By the MAC, you will recognize what packets came from, and are send to the solaredge.

            Remember : kea says it found a ".....V4_DISCOVER_ADDRESS_CONFLICT" so the device asking for "10.0.1.2" was refused that IP as another device already uses it.
            Check the already IPv4 allocated leases again.
            Check the packet capturing - byte by byte and check what kea received, and had already stored.

            Probably good news : Solaredge isn't an unknown brand, I imagine it wildly used.
            So you're not the only one using Solaredge and pfSense.
            That you want to set up a static DHCP lease, I fully agree, and it should work.
            The DHCPv4 kea server uses normally (afaik) the MAC as the device ID. This works well for me, as I have about 40 leases like that on my LAN. All devices get the lease/IP I have assigned to them. If there was an issue, it was always 'me' doing things wrong (again ^^).

            If nothing works, go for plan B right away : set it up with a static IP/gateway/DNS and call it a day.

            No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
            Edit : and where are the logs ??

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            • V Offline
              Vollans @Gertjan
              last edited by

              If nothing works, go for plan B right away : set it up with a static IP/gateway/DNS and call it a day.

              Believe me, if I could, I would. That would have been the easiest answer, and I’d have moved on, but the inverter only does DHCP, no putting in static IP addresses. :(

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              • U Offline
                Uglybrian
                last edited by

                This may help or give you some insight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI8lnWF812Y

                GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • S Offline
                  SteveITS Rebel Alliance @Vollans
                  last edited by

                  @Vollans Not sure I'm much help but I'd guess this is one of the more common complains about Kea I see online. I haven't gotten back to testing it again.

                  I am curious though when you switch to Kea I assume you are just importing the existing settings...did you try deleting the reservation in ISC, converting, then adding it again?

                  Only install packages for your version, or risk breaking it. Select your branch in System/Update/Update Settings.
                  When upgrading, allow 10-15 minutes to reboot, or more depending on packages, and device or disk speed.
                  Upvote 👍 helpful posts!

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                  • GertjanG Offline
                    Gertjan @Uglybrian
                    last edited by

                    @Uglybrian said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                    This may help or give you some insight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI8lnWF812Y

                    👍

                    Great.
                    Seems way more promising as

                    @Vollans said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                    but the inverter only does DHCP

                    which I consider as a huge bug, so a Solar upgrade would handle that situation.
                    Btw : My brother living in Holland upgraded his Solaredge inverter a coupe of times.
                    That said, Solar has many devices, I don't pretend to know them all.

                    @Vollans : can you get a DHCP packet capture of the exchange between your Solar and pfSense ?
                    If kea says : "can't give 10.0.1.2" to Solar because some other device is already using it " then this isn't a Solar neither kea bug. Btw : a DHCP will ARP (?) or ping the requested IP first, to check if some device on the LAN isn't already using it. If a ICMP reply comes back, then it will show this message.
                    I propose a test :
                    Disconnect all LAN devices.
                    Power down the Solar (or remove Ethernet connection).
                    Stop the kea DHCPv4 server.
                    Remove all leases on pfSense (brut force by wiping the leases file).
                    Start kea.
                    Start packet capturing as shown above.
                    Connect the Solar.
                    Now, "V4_DISCOVER_ADDRESS_CONFLICT" can't be possible anymore.

                    No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                    Edit : and where are the logs ??

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                    • V Offline
                      Vollans @SteveITS
                      last edited by

                      @SteveITS said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                      @Vollans Not sure I'm much help but I'd guess this is one of the more common complains about Kea I see online. I haven't gotten back to testing it again.

                      I am curious though when you switch to Kea I assume you are just importing the existing settings...did you try deleting the reservation in ISC, converting, then adding it again?

                      Yes, I’ve tried doing that, and it’s a straight crossover from ISC to KEA via the radio button.

                      @Gertjan said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                      @Vollans said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                      but the inverter only does DHCP

                      which I consider as a huge bug, so a Solar upgrade would handle that situation.

                      Hmm. Not going to happen. Doing so would also mean having to comply with today’s export regs and electrical regs, rather than as installed in 2018. That would be a very expensive solution.

                      GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GertjanG Offline
                        Gertjan @Vollans
                        last edited by Gertjan

                        @Vollans said in ISC vs KEA - KEA always wrong:

                        Solar upgrade

                        Not the hardware 😊
                        Just the the firmware.

                        Anyway : I still suspect it isn't a kea issue as it clearly says : 10.0.1.2 can be given as another device is using it.
                        Afaik, kea does a network network broadcast for "who has 10.0.1.2") first and no device should answer. Apparently, some one answered.
                        What about an ARP packet capture to see who answers ?

                        No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                        Edit : and where are the logs ??

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                        • W Offline
                          WN1X @Gertjan
                          last edited by

                          Perhaps you have another DHCP server on your network you are not aware of?

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