Help! Esxi experts

[xxsinxx]

Hi. I'm having trouble getting esxi configured using pfsense to handle nat. I've setup two virtual switches
vwsitch0-external - which is connected to physical adapter vmnic0
vswitch1-internal - which isn't connected to any physical adapter

I have pfsense installed as a vm with 2 nics. 1 nic connected to vswitch0, and one is connected to vswitch1. I've connected an xp vm to vswitch1 and am receiving an ip from pfsense, but I cannot access the internet. Can anyone tell me if this is an esxi configuration error or pfsense misconfig. I've included a picture of my esxi network layout. Thanks.

[AhnHEL]

Vswitch1 isnt connected to a physical network adapter. TWO physical NICs should be required to access internet.

To the right of vswitch1, select Properties.
Select the Network Adapters Tab
Click Add and select your vmnic1 adapter and then click Next twice and then Finish to save your work.

I have the vswitch that is connected to the Management Network setup as my internal interface which connects to my physical LAN switch.  You have it setup in the opposite way.

I attached a pic of my Network Configuration but keep in mind my setup has Untangle as a transparent bridge behind pfSense.


[EddieA]

@onhel:

Vswitch1 isnt connected to a physical network adapter. TWO physical NICs should be required to access internet.

Only if the OP wants to connect to another physical machine.  For virtual only, what he has set should work.  Although accessing the Management Network could be problematic.

My guess is that NAT isn't set correctly.  Please post your NAT and Rules.

Cheers.

[xxsinxx]

Thank you for both of your responses. I cannot add another nic to this server as I do not have physical access to the server. Here are pics of all of my network and nat settings. Thanks.

wan firewall rules

lan firewall rules

network settings shown in control panel

network settings of my management network

pfsense wan interface settings

Is there any way to check internet connectivity from the pfsense web panel?

[EddieA]

@xxsinxx:

Is there any way to check internet connectivity from the pfsense web panel?

From the Diagnostics panel you can "ping" or "traceroute".

You mention that the XP box get's it's IP from pfSense.  What does it get for DNS and Gateway.  Can you get to external sites by IP address.

Cheers.

[xxsinxx]

@EddieA:

From the Diagnostics panel you can "ping" or "traceroute".

You mention that the XP box get's it's IP from pfSense.  What does it get for DNS and Gateway.  Can you get to external sites by IP address.

Cheers.

Both ping and traceroute return no results from the diagnostic panel of pfsense. I'm not sure what else to set my pfsense wan interface to other than what is listed in my esxi management network settings.

I cannot get to sites by name or ip address.  I tried setting static dns on the vm to google's free dns servers ( 8.8.8.8 ). Still no luck.

[EddieA]

What is the NIC, on the ESXi box connected to.  How does it provide an IP to a machine connected to it.

Your Network Properties screen shot is showing the Management Network, which is used to connect the vSphere Client to ESXi, to manage the server.  It has nothing to do with connectivity to the internet.

You set the WAN interface, on pfSense, to the correct setting for whatever is connected to the real NIC, usually DHCP, not the IP of the Management Network.

Cheers.

[xxsinxx]

@EddieA:

What is the NIC, on the ESXi box connected to.  How does it provide an IP to a machine connected to it.

Your Network Properties screen shot is showing the Management Network, which is used to connect the vSphere Client to ESXi, to manage the server.  It has nothing to do with connectivity to the internet.

You set the WAN interface, on pfSense, to the correct setting for whatever is connected to the real NIC, usually DHCP, not the IP of the Management Network.

Cheers.

Ok that clears up why I cannot use that ip for my wan interface within pfsense. I don't know what my servers nic connects to, but I do not think dhcp is active anywhere on my network aside from pfsense. When I disable pfsense and connect a vm to the network I am not receiving a ip address. The only way that I have successfully connected a vm to the internet is by static setting with one of my ip failovers. I tried assigning one of my ipfailovers to the wan interface within pfsense as well, with no luck. I am teh lost :(.

[EddieA]

For any other box you put on the network, what do you use for an IP.  Are you assigned static ones, internally.  If so, then use that IP in pfSense.

BTW  Where did you get the IP to use for the Management Interface from.

Cheers.

[xxsinxx]

@EddieA:

For any other box you put on the network, what do you use for an IP.  Are you assigned static ones, internally.  If so, then use that IP in pfSense.

BTW  Where did you get the IP to use for the Management Interface from.

Cheers.

For any other box that I put on the network I receive no ip. The only time I am able to connect to the internet is when I static set an ip from one of my failovers. I tried to add my failover ip to the wan interface of pfsense and was unable to ping or traceroute.

[AhnHEL]

This might be better answered on your VPS Hosting site's forum.

http://forum.ovh.co.uk/index.php

[bman2883]

hi xxsinxx,

If you set the WAN interface on pfsense to one of your extra external IP's, say x.x.133.60/24 (because .59 is your vmware management IP) and you have the gateway set to x.x.133.254, then from within pfsense can you ping the gateway address? (diagnostics > ping > interface WAN > x.x.133.254)

if you can ping then run a traceroute from the WAN interface to say Google DNS 8.8.8.8, if the hops don't get past your gateway you may have the wrong address as a gateway (or it's not properly routing your subnet/ip)

if both of those respond properly then the problem is likely with the NAT/rules

Hope this helps!