Re: my isp has trouble with its own dhcp assignment
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 01:30:09 UTC
22_oct_30_sun 25.23.utc
[ to other readers :
there is a question for you at the bottom of this post .
]
greetings , david ---
sorry for the delay ; my weeks are busy ones .
On 10/21/22 4:16 AM, David Christensen wrote:
> On 10/20/22 15:17, spellberg_robert wrote:> On 10/18/22 12:47 AM, David
> Christensen wrote:
>> when i reply to the list , should i "cc" to the poster , also ?
>
> I CC the OP only if the OP requests it.
>
>
understood .
>>> Regarding getting text file contents into an e-mail message using a
>>> graphical workstation, one method is to open the file in Mousepad,
>>> Notepad, etc., select the desired text, copy the selected text to the
>>> clipboard, switch to the Thunderbird message composition window, and
>>> paste the clipboard contents.
>>>
>>
>> ... the above generated an idea .
>>
>> i do not have the named "pad"s ;
>> but , i tried the following and it worked .
>>
>> open the text_file in a firefox "new_tab" .
>> select from the ul_corner to the lr_corner .
>> <ctrl_c>
>> position the cursor in the thunderbird composition_window .
>> <ctrl_v>
>
>
> I have tried running FreeBSD desktops several times over the years. It
> was a lot of work and the experience was disappointing. As much as I
> would like a FreeBSD desktop, Debian with Xfce is easier to install and
> more Xfce features are supported.
>
>
i thank you for volunteering the info ,
how_ever , i am one of those people who despise point_and_click ;
in my case ,
this is w/ a passion which i can_not even begin to describe .
[ are those squiggles intended to be intuitively_obvious ? ]
in my experience , xterm/xclock are the only p_&_c which work well .
>>> 1. What is the location of your Internet service point?
>>>
>>
>> geographically , we are in rural mc_henry county , illinois , usa ,
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>>> 2. Who is your ISP? Please provide a URL.
>>>
>>
>> https://www.risebroadband.com
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>>> 3. What Internet service plan do you have? Please provide a URL.
>>>
>>
>> https://www.risebroadband,com/residential
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>>> 4. What is the make and model of the access device provided by the
>>> ISP? Please provide a URL.
>>>
>>
>> if you mean the roof_top antenna , then i do not know .
>
>
> It would be good for you to know the make and model of your antenna. I
> suspect it functions as a modem.
>
>
i suspect the same .
perhaps , the isp's customer_service phone_clerks have_been trained
to answer such a highly_technical question ;
we shall see .
>> if you mean the "thingy" , which the isp calls a "router" ,
>> then we do not have one .
>> the gateway box is directly connected to the roof_top antenna ,
>> with rj45 and poe .
>> the gateway does two things , packet_filtering and nat .
>
>
> While building your own gateway from scratch using a general-purpose OS
> is a useful exercise, it is an ISP's worst nightmare. If they attempt
> to support you, they will struggle. Most ISP's will simply refuse to
> support anything except their own equipment.
>
>
a priori , let me be clear ; i do --not-- believe that
you meant that which is suggested by your choice of words .
building these gateways is --not-- an "exercise" .
i have been doing things this way since my "dial_up" days .
they have worked well , always , until --this-- effort .
also , you are not aware [ thus , blame_less ] that
this isp's idea of "support" is that answers to questions begin with :
"first , click on `start'" .
i paid for "support" for , may_be , two months .
they do not know what to do with technically_proficient people ,
such as , i suspect , most of the readers of these fbsd lists .
> I recommend that you buy or lease a residential gateway from your ISP,
> connect it to the antenna, and get it working reliably (with or without
> support from your ISP). Then, connect #5 in a router-behind-router
> configuration (e.g. connect #5 to the LAN side of the ISP gateway). Now
> you can play with #5 all you want, and you still have a working Internet
> connection the whole time. This is what I do.
>
>
this will not work .
all this does is to shift the failure from my box to theirs .
this isp can [ and does ] take --days--
to fix a "tower_problem" , as they call it ;
presumably , this affects --many-- customers .
when [ not "if" ] their device fails ,
then i am "down" for an in_determinate time ,
while i wait for some "tech" , in a van ,
to drive east , from the big city [ rockford ] ,
across two county lines , to handle "tickets" , in this area .
in general , i need to be "up" 24/7 .
i suspect that a "static ip_address" will solve this dhcp problem ;
but , i do not know
[ i was going to inquire , today ;
but , of course , they are closed on sundays
] .
i suspect that , if it is the solution , then
it will be less expensive than multiple devices from the isp .
again , i believe that you meant well ; but , this is not "play" .
i presume that "#5" refers to natalie/natasha_11.3 .
please note_that : during this past week ,
natalie/natasha was put back on its 12.3 config .
it has the same "rc.conf" over_rides , except for the console entries
[ "kbd" , "font" , "cursor" , et_c . , remain defaulted ] .
>>> 5. You seem to be discussing several computers -- a gateway
>>> computer, a backup gateway computer, and several clients (presumably,
>>> one is a graphical workstation with Thunderbird). Please clarify how
>>> many computers you have and their roles.
>
>> in general , there are many machines , on 192.168.100.0/24 ,
>> but , for now , only three are involved with the out_side world .
>> these are :
>>
>> natasha 192.168.100.200 i386 8.1
>> catherine 192.168.100.143 amd64 11.4
>> 113 192.168.100.113 amd64 11.3
>>
>> natalie 192.168.100.201 amd64 11.3 as user
>> natasha 192.168.100.200 amd64 11.3 as gateway
>
>>> 6. Please pick one computer and let us work on that one. When that
>>> is fixed, pick another computer and start a new thread.
>>>
>>
>> agreed .
>
>
> Let's work on #5.
>
>
as above , natalie/natasha_11.3 is , now , 12.3 .
>>> 7. What is the make and model of the computer? Which CPU? How much
>>> memory? What storage devices? Please provide URL(s).
>>>
>>
>> i build my own mid_tower boxen [ see below ] .
>>
>> the user boxen are i3/5/7 "skylake" , 64_GB ,
>> 1/2/4_TB seagate "constellation_es.3" .
>
>> the new gateways are 16_GB , same seagate .
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>>> 8. Which FreeBSD installer did you use? What questions were you
>>> asked and how did you answer them?
>>>
>>
>> the one which is included
>> with the applicable amd64/dvd or i386/cd image_file .
>>
>> uhhh , ... , all of them and honestly
>> [ to the best of my under_standing ] .
>>
>> broadly_speaking , i install every_thing , including the ports_tree .
>> hard_drives are extensively partitioned , to make full back_ups faster .
>
>> i want to be helpful , here ;
>> if the above is in_sufficient , then please advise .
>
>
> I keep a plain text administrator log file for every computer. I put
> this file plus any system configuration files I create or modify into a
> networked version control system (CVS). I recommend that you do the same.
>
>
> Here is my log entry for a recent FreeBSD install. I recommend that you
> take notes like this whenever you install; they are invaluable for later
> troubleshooting:
>
> February 11, 2022
>
> 1. Use DQ67SW. Insert FreeBSD-12.3-RELEASE-amd64 USB flash drive into
> USB 2.0 port adjacent to FireWire port. Insert Intel 520 Series
> SSD 60 GB into upper rack. Disconnect all other drive SATA cables
> except for optical drive. Boot FreeBSD installer:
>
> FreeBSD - Welcome to FreeBSD Boot Multi user
> FreeBSD Installer - Welcome Install
> Keymap Selection Continue with default keymap
> Set Hostname f4.tracy.holgerdanske.com
> Distribution Selection <unselect all options>
> Partitioning Auto (ZFS)
> Pool Type/Disks stripe: 1 disk
> ada0 INTEL SSDSC2CW060A3
> Pool Name f4_zroot
> Force 4K Sectors YES
> Encrypt Disks YES
> Partition Scheme MBR (BIOS)
> Swap Size 2g
> Mirror Swap YES
> Encrypt Swap YES
> >>> Install Proceed with installation
> ZFS Configuration
> Last Chance! YES
> Enter a strong passphrase ********
> Re-enter password ********
> Root - New Password ********
> Retype New Password ********
> Network Configuration em0
> Configure IPv4 Yes
> Use DHCP Yes
> Configure IPv6 No
> Search tracy.holgerdanske.com
> IPv4 DNS #1 192.168.5.1
> IPv4 DNS #2 208.67.222.222
> CMOS clock set to UTC Yes
> Time Zone
> Region America -- North and South
> Country or region United States of America
> Zone Pacific
> Time & Date - month, year, day <verify>
> Time & Data - time <verify>
> Services to start at boot sshd, ntpdate, ntpd, powerd
> System hardening options <none>
> Add users No
> Final configuration Exit
> Open shell No
> Complete Reboot
>
> Power down during POST.
>
> Remove installation media.
>
>
oddly enough , this is what i do [ every question , every answer ] ,
except that i do this in pencil on two sheete of letter_size paper .
i was not about to type all of that in ,
unless you asked for some_thing , specifically .
how did you generate this data ?
is the installer creating this , as a file , and not telling me ?
for me , a new box takes two days to create
[ assemble parts , install os , edit config_files , et_c . ] .
any_thing which accelerates that process , ... .
>>> 9. Please run the following commands and post your complete console
>>> session -- prompt, commands entered, output printed:
>>>
>>> # freebsd-version ; uname -a
>
>>> # cat /etc/rc.conf
>
>> powerd_enable="YES" # common
>> hostname="natasha.ntrprnr.com"
>> ipfilter_enable="YES"
>> ipnat_enable="YES"
>> ipmon_enable="YES"
>> ifconfig_em0="DHCP"
>> ipv4_addrs_re0="192.168.100.200/24"
>> sshd_enable="YES" # common
>> ftpd_enable="YES" # common
>> gateway_enable="YES"
>> keymap="us" # common
>> keyrate="fast" # common
>> cursor="blink" # common
>> font8x16="iso-8x16.fnt" # common
>> font8x14="iso-8x14.fnt" # common
>> font8x8="iso-8x8.fnt" # common
>> blanktime="NO" # common
>> moused_enable="YES" # common
>> dumpdev="AUTO" # common
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>>> 10. If the computer is graphical, which window manager or desktop
>>> environment are you using?
>
>>> 11. Are you using ports or packages? What ports and/or packages have
>>> you installed?
>
>> packages .
>
>> xorg 7.7_3 not_used ; never_configured
>> firefox 67.0.2_2,1 not_used
>> thunderbird 60.7.1 not_used
>> m4 1.4.18_1,1 not_used
>
>
> Okay.
>
>
>> natalie/natasha 11.3 has two rc.conf files :
>> all development is done on natalie ; then ,
>> change one sym_link , power_down , swap cables , boot as natasha ;
>> same name , same 1918_address , make dhcp request .
>> when done testing ,
>> change the sym_link , power_down , swap cables , boot as natalie .
>> the development process is fairly simple and
>> this procedure mimics the expected future routine operation .
>>
>> note_that : when the 11.3 box is natasha ,
>> then natasha 8.1 remains booted ,
>> but , its network cables [ .200 , dhcp ] are plugged into 11.3 ;
>> also , the natalie cable [ .201 ] is detached and un_connected .
>
>
> I install 2.5" SATA mobile racks in my machines and have a stack of
> small 2.5" SATA SSD's, with one OS instance per SSD. This makes it easy
> to mix and match:
>
> https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/hsb220sat25b
>
> https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/s25slotr
>
>
a separate question :
do you find "startech" plug_in cards to be reliable ?
> The fact that the MAC address remains constant when I boot one computer
> with several different OS disks can confuse DHCP and DNS caching.
i do not see these as issues .
if the entries are in_valid , then , replace them .
only natalie runs unbound or bind ;
only natasha runs dhclient .
besides , there is only one os , on the hd .
> Therefore, I try to limit myself to one computer when experimenting with
> OS's and I use IPv4 addresses rather than host names when experiementing.
>
>
again , choice of words [ i am not angry ] ; this is not an experiment .
there has been , only , one box , natalie/natasha ;
once it works , then it will be cloned twice .
if i was in_sufficiently clear , then , i apologize .
>> --how_ever-- , when the user_machines are going through the 11.3 box ,
>
>
> To get #5 working as a gateway, I recommend that you dedicate the
> machine to that purpose
already done ; from the beginning .
and do a fresh install of
> FreeBSD-12.3-RELEASE-amd64.
created in 22_may ;
re_installed during this past week , for an un_related reason .
Unfortunately, the FreeBSD installer UI
> does not have an option to limit the amount of disk space used -- it
> uses the whole disk. Get a small SSD, USB flash drive, or SDHC card
> ("16 GB" devices are more than adequate). Keep meticulous notes.
always do .
Use a
> version control system for your notes and any system configuration files
> you touch.
no need for this .
many years ago , i created that which i call a "shadow" tree .
this tree replicates the entire directory_tree ;
but , only for directories which have config_files .
an example :
in /etc :
rc.conf -> ../+shadow/etc/d.rc^^^^____rc__dot_conf/l.active
in /+shadow/etc/d.rc^^^^____rc__dot_conf
l.active ->
d^^^__30w11____x86_64__f_12_3__natasha^^^^^____rc__dot_conf____03
t_bird's --stupid-- 72_column wrap_around reared its ugly head , here .
to revise ,
copy d*03 to a like_named e*04 ; edit e*04 ; change the sym_link .
the carets fill unused chars in a fixed_width field .
by this means ,
--all-- of --my-- config_files are in --one-- place , /+shadow
[ if i do not change some_thing , then it does not get moved ] .
by extension ,
there exists a "+shadow" directory
at the top of every partition mount_point , where necessary
[ e . g . , /var , because of named ] .
last , i create short shell variables for each location ;
typing "set" helps to remind me of these .
also , some directories can be many levels deep .
Use dd(1) to take raw binary images of the disk as you go,
> so that you can easily revert changes.
>
>
i suppose ;
but , changing a sym_link strikes me as being easier and faster ,
especially w/ command_line up_arrow "history" capability .
find a line which is substantially similar and edit a few chars ; done .
> I recommend these books:
>
> https://mwl.io/nonfiction/os#af3e
>
> https://mwl.io/nonfiction/networking#n4sa
>
>
> David
>
at this point ,
i come to why i stared at your post ,
for over two hours , this morning ,
before i commenced to writing .
the above is interesting and/or useful and
there --are-- some ideas which will be added
to my "if i ever find the time , then it would be nice if" list .
i have observed that you never address
that which i believe to be my most important observation .
on natasha_11.3 ,
when i type the "ifconfig add" command ,
using the 69. address which was assigned to natasha_8.1 ,
then natasha_11.3 works beautifully .
when i type the "ifconfig delete" command ,
then natasha_11.3 reverts to working poorly ,
because it has , only , the 172. address .
i am not the least bit convinced that
this is not an important observation .
this is why i am prepared to spend some money
[ in --this-- economy , yet ] ,
on a so_called "static address" , for a_while , any_way ,
just to see if it works .
if so , then i have eliminated the dhcp concept , entirely .
please do not get me wrong ;
i appreciate the time which you have taken .
the nature of your questions led me to believe that
you were going in a certain direction ;
but , your response to my answers has gone else_where .
thus , i am confused , some_what .
would you care to add any_thing further to this
or to any_thing else ?
to other readers :
would any_one care to comment on my "ifconfig" observation
[ about 30 lines above ] or
on any_thing else , in this thread ?
i have difficulty imagining that
the dhcp designers have failed to consider the possibility of
replacing failed hardware w/ backup hardware ,
which backup hardware is identically configured .
tia
rob