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[tickmike]

Odd Connection Problems.
My set up is in my sig below.

I have been trying to put my finger on an odd set of problems I have been having for the last two months or so.

1. For my RangeRover Sat-nav Maps I have to use Windows to download the maps, I normally use a copy of Win7 on my spare laptop with no problems for 3 years, then I started to get problems connecting to the internet both Ethernet or WiFi.
Reinstalled Win7 on a spare hard drive on another machine, then tried Win10 install, It says DNS problem, or Ethernet cable broken etc, etc on both, yet boot into Linux on same machines  = no problems connecting.

2. Both our iPhones and iPads started to take up to 5 minutes to connect.

3. Smart TV on YouTube randomly disconnects some times.

4. Linux laptops sometimes take ages to load a webpage (random).


This morning I booted into Win7 on my spare laptop in the office, no way would it connect to the internet so I took it to the equipment cupboard where my Firewall and Zyxel switch are located, with a new Ethernet cable plugged it into a spare port on the switch, still would not connect 
I then changed the port from my firewall output (green) to a new port on the switch, still would not connect 
Next I plugged the laptop straight into the green output on my firewall and it connected at once. 

The switch was new June 2020, is there any way I can test the switch. ?
No sure if I have any reliable other switches to try.

[burakkucat]

My set up is in my sig below.

Perhaps the grumpy, old, black cat is getting even older but he cannot mentally "see" your current service(s) set-up(s) from --

I have a set of 6 fixed IP's From  Eclipse  isp.BT ADSL2(G992.3) line>HG612 as a Modem, Bridge, WAN Not Bound to LAN1 or 2 + Also have FTTP (G.984) No One isp Fixed IP >Dual WAN pfSense (Hardware Firewall and routing).> Two WAN's, Ethernet LAN, DMZ LAN, Zyxel GS1100-16 Switch.

Reducing your tale of woe to the following two paragraphs we can see that it appears you have a faulty switch.

This morning I booted into Win7 on my spare laptop in the office, no way would it connect to the internet so I took it to the equipment cupboard where my Firewall and Zyxel switch are located, with a new Ethernet cable plugged it into a spare port on the switch, still would not connect 
I then changed the port from my firewall output (green) to a new port on the switch, still would not connect 
Next I plugged the laptop straight into the green output on my firewall and it connected at once. 

The switch was new June 2020, is there any way I can test the switch. ?
No sure if I have any reliable other switches to try.

Last summer, what was the maximum temperature in that cupboard? I wonder if the firewall and switch are both just suffering from a lack of ventilation. 

[tickmike]

Hello.
Right so the switch could be causing the other odd happenings ?.

The firewall CPU is running at 46c with it's outside box fins at 27c and the switch next to it 24c on the outside both are fan-less, the room is 16c now.
I remember last summers heatwave at 43c outside the CPU was at 56c and the room 30c.

Thinking about heat, something has just reminded me there was a burning / getting hot smell about November time I could not trace in that room.

I think I had better order a new switch.
 

[burakkucat]

Thinking about heat, something has just reminded me there was a burning / getting hot smell about November time I could not trace in that room.

Ah, now that could well be significant.

I think I had better order a new switch.

<Nods.> That will probably be a wise move.

As how to test a switch, it really depends upon whether it is a managed device (or not). Upon checking, I see it is an unmanaged switch. So just attach devices to each port and see if each device can connect to all of the others.

[XGS_Is_On]

Given it's unmanaged just attached ports to other ports. In turn 1<>2, 2<>3, 3<>4, etc. You'll find any failed ports that way.

[tickmike]

Given it's unmanaged just attached ports to other ports. In turn 1<>2, 2<>3, 3<>4, etc. You'll find any failed ports that way.

Will that damage it more ?.
How does that work ?.
Please expand.

[tickmike]

So I upgraded to a Zyxel GS1100-24 port switch (£80  ) and things are just the same. 

On Linux that normally connects ok to the internet but sometimes web pages are very slow to load.

Our iPhones and iPads very slow to make a connection, could be 5 minutes or more.

With some of the same computers / laptops that work on Linux, boot into windows and just does not want to make a connection or odd time it will connect to the internet then you start say to look on a webpage then the connection to the internet is stopped by something. 

All these devices get an IP address and are correctly on our home network.

I am now thinking it's got to be something to do with my firewall pfsense 2.6.0   
It's got a 'Pi-hole' package on it but I tried turning it off but still does the same.

Another test was to rig up my spare pfsense firewall to the problem windows laptop

FTTP>ONT>Ethernet cable into spare firewall>Laptop booted to windows.

It worked straight away and stayed connected.
That pfsense is on 2.5.2 Release 

Back to my normal firewall for the home network, I have looked in logs and cannot see anything out of the ordinary.

Does anyone have any idea what to look for on pfsense 2.6.0 .

[burakkucat]

Another test was to rig up my spare pfsence firewall to the problem windows laptop

FTTP>ONT>Ethernet cable into spare firewall>Laptop booted to windows.

It worked straight away and stayed connected.
That pfsence is on 2.5.2 Release 

Could you perform the obvious experiment and downgrade your normal firewall to the above release?

Does anyone have any idea what to look for on pfsence 2.6.0

No, not I. Sorry. 

[tickmike]

Re.Could you perform the obvious experiment and downgrade your normal firewall to the above release?

Yes I did roll it back a few months but it made no difference, will try tomorrow rolling it back to 2.5.2 which was put out on 14 February 2022 .