Opt interface cannot access internet

chris32lr · Oct 8, 2013, 1:55 PM

I originally had posted this in the "wireless" section but figured this is more Firewall related now.

I created an Opt-Wifi interface for an access point and am able to connect to it successfully. However, I cannot access the internet connected to WiFi, but I can while directly connected to the LAN. I can ping computers connected to WiFI from the LAN, and can ping computers connected to the LAN from WiFi. I can't ping or access anything outside the network using FQDN or IP. I have the following firewall rule configured:

Under Firewall > Rules > Opt1-Wifi:
Pass
Interface: OPt1Wifi
TCP/IP Version: IPv4
protocol: any
source: any
destination: any
port range: any

I don't see any packets being blocked on the Wifi Interface. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

jimp · Oct 8, 2013, 4:01 PM

Check two things:

1. On the opt1-wifi interface, make sure you do not have a gateway set
2. Outbound NAT, if you're on manual outbound NAT, make sure your outbound NAT rules cover the opt1-wifi subnet. Add rules or expand the existing rules if needed

chris32lr · Oct 8, 2013, 4:24 PM

Hey Jimp,

Thanks for the response. No gateway set. For outbound NAT the mode is: Automatic outbound NAT rule generation. I have nothing under "mappings".

chris32lr · Oct 8, 2013, 7:13 PM

I tried another access point lying around and had the same issue. I took one of the access points and hooked it up to one of the LAN cables and connected to the internet no problem. So something, somewhere, is blocking internet access and I can't find it anywhere! The IP addresses of the access points are 10.0.0.250 and 10.0.0.251. Attached some screenshots. Any help is greatly appreciated

Sabrewarrior · Oct 8, 2013, 11:39 PM

try rule with source Opt1 Subnet to any.

georgeman · Oct 9, 2013, 2:10 AM

I would switch Outbound NAT to manual, and add the apropriate rules…

chris32lr · Oct 9, 2013, 11:38 AM

I tried changing the rule to Opt1 Subnet to any, and nothing changed. If I switch outbound NAT to manual, what impact would that have on the rest of my outbound traffic (from LAN)?

phil.davis · Oct 9, 2013, 4:59 PM

@chris32lr:

I tried changing the rule to Opt1 Subnet to any, and nothing changed. If I switch outbound NAT to manual, what impact would that have on the rest of my outbound traffic (from LAN)?

When you switch to manual, the automatic outbound NAT rules will be put in the manual list. So you don't lose any existing settings, and you get to see what the automatic thinks it was doing. I expect you will see Opt1-WiFi rules when you click on "manual", because pfSense should think that OPT1 is a LAN-style interface and be NATing it.

chris32lr · Oct 9, 2013, 5:53 PM

Hey Phil,

I switched it to manual and don't see a single Opt1-Wifi rule. I attached a screenshot. This is so frustrating… >:(

johnpoz · Oct 9, 2013, 6:07 PM

Your optwifi is same network as your lan? 10.0.0.0/24?

And looks like your opt2 is also on this 10.0.0.0/24 network?

Yeah thats not going to work!!

chris32lr · Oct 9, 2013, 6:20 PM

Johnpoz,

I didn't realize OPT2 was setup on the same network. That's fixed now.

What do you suggest the network for the optwifi interface should be, if this is causing the problem?

johnpoz · Oct 9, 2013, 6:57 PM

What do you want your network segments to be - that is up to you..

if your using 10.0.0.0/24 for your lan, how does 10.0.1.0/24 sound for opt1 and then 10.0.2.0/24 for opt2, etc.. Keeps it easy.

I personally use

192.168.1.0/24 lan
192.168.2.0/24 wifi
192.168.3.0/24 dmz

where the pfsense interfaces are .253 in each segment.. I use .253 because .254 and .1 are common default IPs for many different types of hardware.. So I don't have to worry about conflicts if I plug something in. On my wifi segment my 2 APs are at .252 and .251

chris32lr · Oct 9, 2013, 8:44 PM

John,

Everything was working correctly, until the server realized that the wireless interface was setup to handle DHCP requests, even though I had the firewall rule setup to deny any access to the LAN subnet. I don't have DHCP enabled on the LAN interface, it's handled through windows SBS 2011. Is there any way around this?

chris32lr · Oct 10, 2013, 2:32 PM

Anyone know a way so the server connected to the LAN, responsible for handling DHCP requests, won't see the Opt1 interface as a DHCP server? As soon as the server realizes the opt interface isn't authorized as a DHCP server, it stops the service and kicks everyone connected to the LAN offline. I have a firewall rule on the opt interface to block any traffic from entering the LAN, but that didn't help.

johnpoz · Oct 10, 2013, 3:25 PM

Ya lost me.. So you have a dhcp server on lan that is not pfsense? And you want or don't want to serve up dhcp on optX of pfsense?

You can leverage your 1 dhcp server on lan to serve up dhcp to all your pfsense segments via dhcp relay in pfsense. Or you could use lan dhcp server to serve up dhcp on lan, and then pfsense or other dhcp servers to serve up dhcp on your other segments.

There should be no reason that a dhcp server should be seeing broadcasts for dhcp from your other segments unless you have bridging enabled on your pfsense interfaces or have enabled dhcp relay.

Can you draw out your network and placement of your dhcp server(s) and what exactly you want to accomplish.

chris32lr · Oct 10, 2013, 4:02 PM

Sorry Johnpoz,

That is correct. I'm running Windows SBS 2011, with Active Directory and DHCP server amongst other roles. The only way the OptX interface will work if I isolate it from the LAN, is if I enable that interface as a DHCP server. Otherwise, it won't get an IP address that can connect to the internet. I setup a rule on the Optx interface to pass any packets with a destination that is NOT the LAN subnet. However, SBS saw the 10.0.1.0 subnet and shutdown DHCP server service on the server even with that rule in place (Since pfSense is not an "authorized" dhcp server). I don't have bridging enabled or dhcp relay enabled.

DHCP is disabled on all interfaces, and my switch is NOT vlan capable (if that matters).

Here's the network, placement of my DHCP server, and what I want to accomplish…

johnpoz · Oct 10, 2013, 4:11 PM

What?? What is the error you got on your dchp server exactly.. Can you post the info from your event log on why it shutdown?

If you have a rule on your optx interface to not pass traffic to lan.. How would it see anything from the lan, let alone broadcast packets for dhcp?

Does not seem logical to shutdown dhcp services because you see a non authorized dhcp server?? That makes no sense at all..

chris32lr · Oct 10, 2013, 4:30 PM

The error i got on the DHCP server was event 1053. The DHCP service encountered another server on this network with IP address 10.0.1.0.

I think I may have just found the problem, let me know if this sounds right. Before I started this, there were 2 access points, configured as a bridge. The first one, which I changed the IP to 10.0.1.254, is directly connected to the opt interface. I configured the second one with an IP of 10.0.1.253, and is configured as the child access point. However, that access point is connected to one of the LAN ports on the switch. I'm guessing that's the issue right there… if it is, i just realized it, and i want to jump off the building haha

johnpoz · Oct 10, 2013, 4:42 PM

Yeah that sounds more likely than a dhcp server on pfsense that should not have anything to do with your addresses on your lan.

So your using

10.0.1.0/24 as Lan
10.0.2.0/24 as ?
10.0.?.0/24 as ?
etc..

An AccessPoint should NOT run dhcp in the first place.. Now if you connected some wireless router and forgot to turn off its dhcp server than ok that could be a problem of duplication of services on the same segment or even duplicate IP even if not configured correctly.

edit: when you say configured as a bridge for your AP.. What devices are you using exactly. Any wireless router can be used as AP.. It already is a bridge between its lan ports and its wireless ports. You just need to disable its dhcp and connect it via one of its lan ports to be used as AP. Some devices allow you to bridge the wan interface into the bridge between the wireless and lan ports so you don't loose a port when used as AP, etc. Is that what you did? Otherwise I don't quite get the use of bridge term for your APs.

chris32lr · Oct 10, 2013, 5:00 PM

I'll have to try after business hours to make sure that was what the problem was.

10.0.0.0/24 as LAN
10.0.1.0/24 as OPT-WiFi

I'm using two netgear access points. One WAG102 and one WG302. In each access point, you can enable "Wireless bridging and repeating", then select the option to setup a "Wireless point-to-point bridge", specifying the MAC address of the other access point. Just need to make sure you use the same SSID/Channel/Security.

Oh, and I just realized, LAN is bridged with OPT3. This configuration was copied from a Juniper SSG5. I don't even remember setting that up, that's why I said it wasn't enabled. However, the OPT3 interface has no IP assigned and is just connected to one of the ports on the back of the DHCP server in the 10.0.0.0/24 Subnet.