USB NIC - WAN Goes Up and Down

[Fmstrat]

Hi all,

Any idea what would be causing this? I'm running PFSense 2.0 in a VMWare session with a USB NIC for the WAN. It works for a while, and then after an hour or so the WAN connection goes up and down over and over about once a second. This works fine if I connect the USB NIC to the host and bridge the connection, but if I assign the USB device to the VM it happens.

Jan 2 21:05:36	check_reload_status: Linkup starting ue0
Jan 2 21:05:36	apinger: Exiting on signal 15.
Jan 2 21:05:36	kernel: ue0: link state changed to DOWN
Jan 2 21:05:36	php: : HOTPLUG: Configuring interface wan
Jan 2 21:05:36	php: : ROUTING: setting default route to 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:36	php: : rc.newwanip: on (IP address: 72.94.58.XXX) (interface: wan) (real interface: ue0).
Jan 2 21:05:36	php: : rc.newwanip: Informational is starting ue0.
Jan 2 21:05:36	php: : DEVD Ethernet attached event for wan
Jan 2 21:05:36	check_reload_status: Reloading filter
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient[59712]: bound to 72.94.58.XXX -- renewal in 3600 seconds.
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: Creating resolv.conf
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: /sbin/route add default 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: Adding new routes to interface: ue0
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: New Routers (ue0): 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: New Broadcast Address (ue0): 72.94.58.255
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: New Subnet Mask (ue0): 255.255.255.0
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: New IP Address (ue0): 72.94.58.XXX
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: ifconfig ue0 inet 72.94.58.XXX netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 72.94.58.255
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: Starting add_new_address()
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient: REBOOT
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient[59712]: DHCPACK from 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:35	dhclient[59712]: DHCPREQUEST on ue0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Jan 2 21:05:34	dhclient[37919]: exiting.
Jan 2 21:05:34	dhclient[37919]: exiting.
Jan 2 21:05:34	dhclient[37919]: connection closed
Jan 2 21:05:34	dhclient[37919]: connection closed
Jan 2 21:05:34	php: : DEVD Ethernet detached event for wan
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient[36473]: bound to 72.94.58.XXX -- renewal in 3600 seconds.
Jan 2 21:05:33	check_reload_status: rc.newwanip starting ue0
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: Creating resolv.conf
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: /sbin/route add default 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: Adding new routes to interface: ue0
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: New Routers (ue0): 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: New Broadcast Address (ue0): 72.94.58.255
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: New Subnet Mask (ue0): 255.255.255.0
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: New IP Address (ue0): 72.94.58.XXX
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: ifconfig ue0 inet 72.94.58.129 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 72.94.58.255
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: Starting add_new_address()
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: BOUND
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient[36473]: DHCPACK from 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient[36473]: DHCPREQUEST on ue0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Jan 2 21:05:33	dhclient: ARPCHECK
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient[32840]: bound to 72.94.58.XXX -- renewal in 3600 seconds.
Jan 2 21:05:31	check_reload_status: rc.newwanip starting ue0
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: Creating resolv.conf
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: /sbin/route add default 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: Adding new routes to interface: ue0
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: New Routers (ue0): 72.94.58.1
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: New Broadcast Address (ue0): 72.94.58.255
Jan 2 21:05:31	dhclient: New Subnet Mask (ue0): 255.255.255.0

Thanks,
Ben

[cmb]

Either a quirk of the driver, or of VMware's USB redirection, or a combination of the two. That doesn't sound like a very good means of operation, I'd much rather use the NIC on the host, make sure it has no protocols checked other than the VMware bridge (so it can't have a v4 or v6 IP on that NIC, and doesn't offer any other services on it, to protect the host), and bridge it to the VM.

[Fmstrat]

@cmb:

Either a quirk of the driver, or of VMware's USB redirection, or a combination of the two. That doesn't sound like a very good means of operation, I'd much rather use the NIC on the host, make sure it has no protocols checked other than the VMware bridge (so it can't have a v4 or v6 IP on that NIC, and doesn't offer any other services on it, to protect the host), and bridge it to the VM.

Yea, I was thinking the VMWare redirect, since I've used the USB NIC on a laptop with PFSense fine. But wanted to see if anyone had the same issue and had worked around it. The reason I like the USB connected to the guest is the isolation it provides. I have it set to bridged, now, though.

Thanks,
Ben