Setting up PFSense router on BT Broadband

[Pielander]

Hi,

I'm just trying to set up a PFSense router in place of my BT Smart Hub 2.

I've followed the very straightforward setup instructions from other threads (Interface type: PPPoE, username "bthomehub@btbroadband.com", password "BT", all other settings default) but the router just doesn't appear to be connecting to the network. (No IP address associated with the WAN interface, can't ping 8.8.8.8, WAN interface not listed in diagnostics -> routes).

I've checked the obvious stuff, e.g. the WAN cable from the Modem is definitely plugged into a working ethernet port on the router and it also works fine when plugged into the Smart Hub 2. I've also tried other stuff, including swapping the WAN and LAN ports, restarting the router, reinstalling PFSense and even installing OPNsense and following the same steps.

I'm at a loss as to what else to try and how to go about troubleshooting the issue any further. Any suggestions would be very welcome!

Thanks, Pie.

[licquorice]

You would be better posting on a pfSense forum, but it sounds as though you haven't configured an Ethernet port as a WAN port correctly.

[Pielander]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm combing PFSense forums too, and I'll post back here if I solve the problem.

I did configure the appropriate physical interface (re0) as the WAN connection but when I selected the PPPoE option in the WAN interface page, it seemed to assign a new virtual interface (pppoe0) to WAN. If I re-assign re0 to WAN, the protocol defaults to DHCP, then if I set it to PPPoE again it creates another new virtual interface (pppoe1, 2, etc).

I have no idea what's going on!

[licquorice]

If it works when connected to the BT hub, the WAN port must be defaulting to DHCP and requesting and receiving an address from the hub.

[Pielander]

Sorry, to clarify - when I unplug the WAN connection from the PFSense router and plug it back into the hub, the hub works as normal, proving that the WAN connection itself works. 

I don't mean that the PFSense router works when plugged into one of the the LAN ports of the hub. (It doesn't.)

[licquorice]

Ah, ok, I misunderstood your original post.

If it doesn't work when connected to the hub either, it would seem to negate my DHCP theory.

I think your answer will lie with the pfSense community.

[Pielander]

Thanks for the suggestion though. It was another useful thing to rule out.

[Pielander · Accepted solution]

All,

Many thanks for your help. The issue has now resolved itself after the router was left switched off overnight. (The 'reboot' options in pfSense - even the full shut down and restart option - were not sufficient).

I'm still not convinced there isn't an intermittent hardware issue with one of my ehternet adaptors, but I really have no satisfactory explanation and (hopefully) no way to replicate the original fault.

Further information is available in the following Reddit thread:

Setting up / troubleshooting PPPoE on BT Broadband : PFSENSE (reddit.com)