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    PfSense unable to resolve *.pfsense.org

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved DHCP and DNS
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    • S Offline
      ssanders76
      last edited by

      OK I did a fresh install of 2.2.1-RELEASE on a VM in vSphere.  I connected it to a MetroEthernet line, the other end of the MetroEthernet link is connected to a co-location WAN.  I set the firewall with the correct network info for the co-location.
      I can ping goolge.com, and 8.8.8.8 from it, but the firewall can't check for updates from updates.pfsense.org.  I found the ip address for 208.123.73.82, and the firewall can ping it just fine.  So I think it's some type of DNS problem.

      I installed a 2nd fresh install of 2.2.1-RELEASE at the co-location on the other side of the MetroEthernet link, and it works fine.  So any suggestion on how to work around this problem?

      I have tried adding a static route for updates.pfsense.org -> 208.123.73.82 didn't work.  I also played with the setting in "System > General Setup", "Services > DNS forwarder", "Services > DNS Resolver", not an expert as DNS so some of it was guess work.  When I do "Diagnostices > DNS Lookup" for updates.pfsense.org I get…

      208.123.73.82
      162.208.119.39

      127.0.0.1 No response
      8.8.8.8 33 msec
      8.8.4.4 31 msec

      When I do a "Diagnostices > Ping" of updates.pfsense.org, it works on WAN, LAN, localhost, and default.

      When I do a "System > Packages" I get an error message about SSL certificate could not be verified.

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      • GertjanG Offline
        Gertjan
        last edited by

        This
        @ssanders76:

        127.0.0.1 No response

        is strange. It means the local DNS (DNS Resolver) isn't running.

        Service => DNS Resolver : active it and leave Listen port empty && Outgoing Network Interfaces =  All && Network Interfaces = All (check DHCP Registration && Static DHCP).

        Check Status => Services : is it running :

        Capture-1234.PNG_thumb
        Capture-1234.PNG

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

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        • S Offline
          ssanders76
          last edited by

          @Gertjan:

          This
          @ssanders76:

          127.0.0.1 No response

          is strange. It means the local DNS (DNS Resolver) isn't running.

          Service => DNS Resolver : active it and leave Listen port empty && Outgoing Network Interfaces =  All && Network Interfaces = All (check DHCP Registration && Static DHCP).

          Check Status => Services : is it running :

          I tired that setup no change, the Service is running, I tried restarting it didn't help.

          I tired setting the "System > Firmware > Updater Settings"  to be just IP address, the interface ran very slow, and it didn't fix the problem, just said custom URL could not be found.

          I made 2 png of the error messages I'm getting.

          firmware.png
          firmware.png_thumb
          package.png
          package.png_thumb

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          • KOMK Offline
            KOM
            last edited by

            I'm wondering if your SSL session is being intercepted, and that's what is making the update check fail.

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            • GertjanG Offline
              Gertjan
              last edited by

              @ssanders76:

              I tired that setup no change, the Service is running, I tried restarting it didn't help.

              Sorry, but this is a solid proof:

              127.0.0.1 No response
              

              THis says: their is no DNS server running (better said: accessible, reachable) at 'localhost' == the pfSEnse box itself.
              Of course, weird network setup like IP WAN = IP LAN, complete firewall-rule-madness or strange NAT rules could also explain that pfSense (== 127.0.0.1) can't connect to pfSense (==127.0.0.1).
              But: out of the box, clean install, nearly no setup except "connect WAN" => it works.

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

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • S Offline
                ssanders76
                last edited by

                @Gertjan:

                @ssanders76:

                I tired that setup no change, the Service is running, I tried restarting it didn't help.

                Sorry, but this is a solid proof:

                127.0.0.1 No response
                

                THis says: their is no DNS server running (better said: accessible, reachable) at 'localhost' == the pfSEnse box itself.
                Of course, weird network setup like IP WAN = IP LAN, complete firewall-rule-madness or strange NAT rules could also explain that pfSense (== 127.0.0.1) can't connect to pfSense (==127.0.0.1).
                But: out of the box, clean install, nearly no setup except "connect WAN" => it works.

                I didn't do any fancy setup, just did the setup wizard, and turn off IPv6, it not supported by the IPS.

                But I think KOM might be right the SSL being intercepted.  I didn't notice at first, but I can't get to a lot of web sites that use SSL;  pfsense.org being one of them.  I send an e-mail off to my ISP asking about it.

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                • GertjanG Offline
                  Gertjan
                  last edited by

                  Keep this in mind: if DNS isn't working, certificates can't be checked against their "authority", so you will have troubles looking at SSL (https) sites.
                  Again: the problem is IN your box. Not your IPS.
                  Remember: without your pfSense box, "Internet" was doing well - and I bet you could visit https://updates.pfsense.org/ just fine.

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

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • KOMK Offline
                    KOM
                    last edited by

                    I didn't notice at first, but I can't get to a lot of web sites that use SSL;

                    This implies that he can get to other non-HTTPS sites.  If his problem was DNS, he would not be able to go anywhere at all.

                    Edit: not

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                    • S Offline
                      ssanders76
                      last edited by

                      @Gertjan:

                      Keep this in mind: if DNS isn't working, certificates can't be checked against their "authority", so you will have troubles looking at SSL (https) sites.
                      Again: the problem is IN your box. Not your IPS.
                      Remember: without your pfSense box, "Internet" was doing well - and I bet you could visit https://updates.pfsense.org/ just fine.

                      Well at first I thought I could go to other web sites I could get to https://google.com, but then I started try others and they didn't work.

                      I can also plug the VM box into the WAN for our local internet and it works OK.

                      I'm still waiting on a reply from the ISP.

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                      • KOMK Offline
                        KOM
                        last edited by

                        Can you go to any HTTP sites at all?

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                        • S Offline
                          ssanders76
                          last edited by

                          @KOM:

                          Can you go to any HTTP sites at all?

                          Yes; no problems getting to http port 80.

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                          • KOMK Offline
                            KOM
                            last edited by

                            OK, that rules out DNS definitively.  I'd start by looking at the certificate error you're getting with HTTPS sites and see if the cert matches the site.  Your datacentre may be transparently proxying your SSL traffic.

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                            • S Offline
                              ssanders76
                              last edited by

                              @KOM:

                              OK, that rules out DNS definitively.  I'd start by looking at the certificate error you're getting with HTTPS sites and see if the cert matches the site.  Your datacentre may be transparently proxying your SSL traffic.

                              In firefox it give me the message
                              "Secure Connection Failed"
                              An error occurred during a connection to www.pfsense.org.  The server rejected the handshake because the client downgraded to a lower TLS version then the server supports. (Error code: ssl_error_inappropiate_fallback_alert)
                              The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified.
                              Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem.

                              Chrome just give an error about took too long to respond.

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                              • D Offline
                                doktornotor Banned
                                last edited by

                                You'd better have a long angry talk to your ISP.

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                                • KOMK Offline
                                  KOM
                                  last edited by

                                  A quick Google shows that lots of people are having this same type of problem specifically with Firefox, but you mentioned Chrome times out.  It shouldn't time out.  What happens if you use IE <shiver>?  Are you running any local antivirus solution that has URL-scanning or SSL-filtering options?</shiver>

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                                  • S Offline
                                    ssanders76
                                    last edited by

                                    @KOM:

                                    A quick Google shows that lots of people are having this same type of problem specifically with Firefox, but you mentioned Chrome times out.  It shouldn't time out.  What happens if you use IE <shiver>?  Are you running any local antivirus solution that has URL-scanning or SSL-filtering options?</shiver>

                                    IE took a very long time to give a time out error.  No antiviruses, just another VM running windows 7 plugged into the same vlan as the pfsense box LAN.

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                                    • KOMK Offline
                                      KOM
                                      last edited by

                                      Hmm, I don't know what else to check.  Perhaps ask your colo support about the symptoms and see if they are doing anything.

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                                      • S Offline
                                        ssanders76
                                        last edited by

                                        OK, the ISP say they are don't do any type of filtering, and they don't know why I would be having this problem.

                                        The guys at the co-location are saying they don't support having a firewall on my side of the metro E link.  They want me to setup a a firewall at the co-location and then connect my management network over the metro E link.  That seems link a security risk to me, but they assure me all there other clients do it, and it perfectly safe.  I have never used a metro E link before, so should I be worried?

                                        I going to setup a test and see if it will even work they are suggestion either today or tomorrow.

                                        [edit]
                                        OK I did the test of putting the firewall on the other side of the metro E link.  And connecting the windows 7 test machine on the other side of the metro E link.  Same problem, no change other then I can now get up dates from pfsense.org, for the firewall.

                                        [edit]
                                        OK the guy at the co-location put a sonic wall inplace of the pfsense, same problem.

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                                        • KOMK Offline
                                          KOM
                                          last edited by

                                          I didn't think it was a pfSense problem.  Now yo know for sure.

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                                          • S Offline
                                            ssanders76
                                            last edited by

                                            @KOM:

                                            I didn't think it was a pfSense problem.  Now yo know for sure.

                                            It was a issues with the switch at the co-location.  My tests now show it working so going to go live with the changes this weekend.  Thanks to everyone. :)

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