How to configure WAN with static IP

stratagem · Apr 5, 2016, 8:59 PM

pfsense 2.2.6
Old ISP: modem (bridge mode) –> pfsense WAN interface (1 static IP, PPPoE)
New ISP: modem --> cisco 860 (bridge mode)--> pfsense WAN interface (1 static IP)

static ip: a.b.c.82
netmask: 255.255.255.252 (/30)
gateway: a.b.c.81
DNS 1: x.y.1.10
DNS 2: x.y.15.105

No problems with the old setup/ISP, just slow. New ISP works fine with a Windows 7 laptop setup with the above static IP configuration when connected directly to the cisco. pfSense shows the gateway (a.b.c.81) up. Ping test fails.

I setup a test box with a fresh pfSense install and went through the web configuration. Same problem.

It's been a long, frustrating day. I'm hoping I've missed the obvious and will realize whatever it is tomorrow morning - can someone tell me what that is? Or, ideas on the troubleshooting steps to try?

johnpoz · Apr 5, 2016, 9:02 PM

did you reboot the modem after connecting pfsense? Quite often you have to reboot modems when you change the device connected to them when in bridge mode.

stratagem · Apr 5, 2016, 9:10 PM

That was fast. Thanks.

Not the first few times :). The gateway came up (a.b.c.81) after rebooting the modem but that's as far as I can get. Cisco is locked down by ISP.

marvosa · Apr 6, 2016, 6:01 AM

As johnpoz noted, you typically need to power cycle the modem any time you connect a new device.

Triple check your settings, then presuming you haven't made any typos, this is what I would do:

Turn off both PFsense and the Modem
Disconnect the patch from the PFsense WAN
Power up your Modem
Wait until the "internet" or "online" indicator is solid green on the modem
Re-connect the patch to the PFsense WAN
Boot up PFsense

At this point, you should be online, but have to verify a few things. Are you actually not connected to the internet or simply just can't resolve DNS? Check your routing table and make sure the default gateway is what you're expecting to see. Verify you can ping both 8.8.8.8 and resolve google.com from PFsense. Triple check the settings that your DHCP server is handing out.

stratagem · Apr 6, 2016, 5:33 PM

@marvosa:

As johnpoz noted, you typically need to power cycle the modem any time you connect a new device.

Triple check your settings, then presuming you haven't made any typos, this is what I would do:

Turn off both PFsense and the Modem

Disconnect the patch from the PFsense WAN

Power up your Modem

Wait until the "internet" or "online" indicator is solid green on the modem

Re-connect the patch to the PFsense WAN

Boot up PFsense

I think this is very good advice. I won't be following it today because: When I checked in this morning, I was told "It works!". It must work this month. It can mostly work next month.

I'm an embedded and Windows geek, mostly, with a bit of Slack/Gentoo/Red Hat/Ubuntu thrown in for flavour. My FreeBSD days involved Walnut Creek and CD-ROMs (here's lookin' at you, ixSystems ;)). Can anyone suggest likely places to look for evidence that I did not power-cycle the ISP doodads…or otherwise? I prefer not to practice faith-based computing.

johnpoz · Apr 6, 2016, 6:58 PM

Rebooting the modem on change of device connected to it is not faith based computing.. You have to clear its cache of the mac of the device it connected too.. Since they give you no interface into the things, the only way to reset that is reboot it.

The instructions laid out marvosa are correct order of how you would swap out a device.

What I do to get around having to reboot the modem when I play with different distros for firewall/router - I always go back to pfsense, but like to see what the other guys are doing every now and then. Or if want to play with different version of pfsense, or want to try some with clean install of pfsense is just make sure all the VMs always use the same mac that is connected to the modem. This way I don't have to reboot the modem and always have my same public IP as well.