Running 2.7.2-RELEASE (amd64) on a Dell Optiplex with an i5-4590 CPU and using an Intel i350-t4 NIC.
My pfSense box WAN port is connected to a Arris CM8200 Cable Modem (NBN in Australia), I don’t have access to any config on this modem. Speeds I get are 100mb down /50 mb up. I’ve followed Toms bufferbloat youtube guide for traffic shaping which I suspect isn’t causing this.
So far I have tried the following:
IPV6 is completely disabled.
In Wan DCHP Config under DHCP Client Configuration changing the advanced config preset to ‘FreeBSD default’
Adding in supersede dhcp-server-identifier 255.255.255.255 under Option Modifiers
In the Gateway I have enable and disabled “Disable Gateway Monitoring” and “Disable Gateway Monitoring Action” in different configurations/
Have changed the Monitor IP from my ISP provided IP to 1.1.1.1 etc
Essentailly all steps in these threads:
The only thing I haven’t tried is “Use non-local gateway” as I’m not entirely sure if this is safe?
Issue finally reoccured during waking hours. Short answer Yes.
Plugged in a PC directly into the cable modem and had full internet access, assigned it an ipv4 address.
The WAN_DHCP Gateway showed 100% loss, then after I unplugged the PC and reconnected the pfSense box it stuck on a Status of ‘Unkown’ for a few minutes. I tried restarting the gateway service but it still stayed as ‘Unkown’. So I rebooted pfSense and the gateway went back to Online. The logs are quiet long and I didn’t remember to note the times I did all of this inbetween running running between rooms, but can post if needed.
I’ve enabled the “Use non-local gateway through interface specific route.” in the WAN_DHCP. The packet loss is still there and the connection still drops out, but only for about 45 seconds as opposed to 5 minutes.
I suspect this is because I have “Disable Gateway Monitoring Action” unchecked and the gateway is restarting based on the below log entry under System > General
Update after a month or so of troubleshooting and testing for anyone else that might have the same issue, specifically Australians with HFC NBN connections.
Tried various cables/NIC’s in pfsense, different router(s), direct cable connections to a PC. Changed ISP from Optus (useless insisted it was a ‘you’ problem) and switched over to Aussie Broadband. Fortunately they have a decent account/app that has a few diagnostic tools, one of these records ‘flaps’.
ABB notcied this was an issue and got an NBN tech out to me house and he identified pretty quickly that the issues were caused by a low signal coming into the Arris Modem / NTD. This was cuased by a left over coax splitter from Foxtel (cable tv) in the NBN unit at the front of the house. He’s removed it replaced the modem with a new one, just incase. 24 hours later and I’ve noticed no signifigant packet loss in monitoring.
TLDR; NBN HFC signal loss caused by foxtel splitter in the NBN panel, which being NBN property can only be accessed by NBN approved techs, was cuasing signal loss.
Whenever I have an Issue like this it’s always most likely a fault in the network of my ISP. I would say most of the time it’s either a shitty modem (those ISP at least here in Europe cheap out hard with those) or something else in their network.
Here in Austria we have a pretty big coax Network with tons of repeaters, and it just needs one unplugged line that has no end resistor on it and you get ton’s of interference into the network.
Already talked with a technician about that and those coax networks are extremely notorious for such faults.