Re: IPv6 networking problems in 14.3

Have you considered simplifying everything to the most basic setup first. It’s hard to keep up with what you’re doing. If it were me, I would use a different box with a new install of a release version of 14.3 and test a direct connection to the ONT (no switch, just a cable). Knowing whether that works will dictate your next steps. Surely you can find an old piece of hardware to put a clean install on that you can locate right next to the ONT. If it doesn’t work, then try a new install of the release version of 14.2. If that doesn’t work, try 14.1. Get a standard and simple setup working and then work your way backwards.

Simplifying is key. Removing as many unknowns is key.

Tom

> On Sep 20, 2025, at 10:39 AM, Chris Ross <cross+freebsd@distal.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> On Sep 18, 2025, at 16:36, Chris Ross <cross+freebsd@distal.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> On 17 Sep 2025, at 14:20, Chris Ross <cross+freebsd@distal.com> wrote:
>>> So, on the idea of trying to back-date the whole machine, I have ZFS
>>> snapshots of the whole root from just before the first upgrade,
>>> Aug 7/8.  […]
>> 
>> [...]  I’ve set bootfs to the older 14.1 system and gotten that running.
>> 
>> It [...] out SOLICIT6 messages and [..] if I waited long enough (2ish
>> hours in my case), it eventually did get an answer!
> 
> And, this is where things went odd again.  The above attempt in older
> filesystem, I had during boot menu chosen my ROUTER custom kernel.  Just
> a config I traditionally use that has fewer devices in it occupying memory.
> So, thinking it shouldn’t make a difference I rebooted into the default,
> GENERIC, kernel on the system.  The default kernel had problems [1], so I
> chose the boot/kernel.generic on the fs.
> 
> Sadly, it did not work.  I get the same state where the router LL is
> unroutable, ndp -an shows no MAC for it, and I have no IPv6.  So,
> despite thinking the kernel config wasn’t key detail, I booted back
> into kernel.router.  Now I have no IPv6 there either.  I tried just
> shutting down dhcpcd overnight to see if it ISP was confused, but no help.
> 
> So, it certainly could be the ISP, but the fact that I’m getting RA’s
> (and dhcp6 responses) which dhcpcd is processing, but then the MAC for
> the routers LL isn’t available to the system, makes me think it’s _not_
> the ISP.  I can’t imagine why a working rootfs and kernel could
> show a system level problem intermittently, though.
> 
> Thoughts again invited.  Not able to reproduce success now, I don’t
> know that I can actually _test_ anything, but I’d love to hear thoughts
> about any options/possibilities.
> 
>                   - Chris
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [1] Sadly there is something wrong with /boot/kernel in that fs.  When
>  I boot it I get a number of:
> 
>  KLD uhid.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch
>  KLD ums.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch
>  KLD usbhid.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch
>  KLD uhid.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch
> 
>  errors late in boot.  That kernel is 14.1-RELEASE-p7 (despite the fs
>  freebsd-update made named zroot/ROOT/14.1-RELEASE-p8_2025-08-08_074410).
>  The rest of the kernels I have on the fs are 14.1p5. something must be
>  off with that one.  So I booted /boot/kernel.generic, 14.1p5, and it
>  boots fine.
> 
> Current output log of dhcpcd: note "fe80::3e8a:b0ff:fe3e:4dce is unreachable”.
> That’s a kernel routing issue, and I think the primary problem.
> 
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: vlan0: REPLY6 received from fe80::3e8a:b0ff:fe3e:4dce
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: vlan0: renew in 3600, rebind in 5760, expire in 7200 seconds
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: lo0: adding reject route to 2600:4040:2c9c:2d00::/56 via ::1
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: vlan0: writing lease: /var/db/dhcpcd/vlan0.lease6
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: vlan0: delegated prefix 2600:4040:2c9c:2d00::/56
> Sep 20 10:20:32 [30273]: vlan0: executing: /usr/local/libexec/dhcpcd-run-hooks BOUND6
> Sep 20 10:29:08 [30273]: vlan0: Router Advertisement from fe80::3e8a:b0ff:fe3e:4dce
> Sep 20 10:29:08 [30273]: vlan0: no global addresses for default route
> Sep 20 10:29:08 [30273]: vlan0: executing: /usr/local/libexec/dhcpcd-run-hooks ROUTERADVERT
> Sep 20 10:30:15 [30273]: vlan0: fe80::3e8a:b0ff:fe3e:4dce is unreachable
> Sep 20 10:30:15 [30273]: vlan0: delaying IPv6 router solicitation for 0.7 seconds
> Sep 20 10:30:16 [30273]: vlan0: soliciting an IPv6 router
> Sep 20 10:30:16 [30273]: vlan0: sending Router Solicitation
> Sep 20 10:30:16 [30273]: vlan0: Router Advertisement from fe80::3e8a:b0ff:fe3e:4dce
> Sep 20 10:30:16 [30273]: vlan0: executing: /usr/local/libexec/dhcpcd-run-hooks ROUTERADVERT
> 
> 
>