What's happening with PFSense? This is confusing!
What's happening with PFSense? This is confusing!
I've been using Pfsense as my router for about six months now. Recently, the built-in DNS resolver stopped working, and I can only fix it by keeping a tab open on a computer with the Pfsense Dashboard. It's really odd—closing the tab after a minute makes it stop again. I tried switching back to the regular DNS forwarder, but it didn't help. - I'm running Pfsense 2.4.2 (amd64).
I replaced my old HDD with a cheap SSD from China, but I'm pretty sure that didn't cause the issue. My UniFi Pfsense setup is broken—even after shutting it down, it still doesn't load properly. - Internet works fine when I use 1.1.1.1 on my PC. I'd prefer using the built-in one inside Pfsense for better performance.
I've faced a comparable situation... I deploy PFsense in a VM and sometimes after an upgrade it shows the same issues (except when the dashboard is open). Even after restarting the VM, it functions properly for about an hour before problems return. Restoring to a previous snapshot produced the same outcome. The only workaround I found was checking the interfaces tab, releasing the lease on my modem (for the WAN interface), waiting roughly 60 seconds, then renewing it. After that, everything works again. I'm still trying to identify the root cause, as these incidents occur very infrequently... I wasn't sure if this was related to running PFsense in ESXI or not. I hope you can resolve this soon.
It seems you're looking into potential ARP cache or pfBlocker/DNSBL issues, possibly related to virtual switching. Are you using any switching methods beyond virtual ones? Do your internal interfaces have VLANs set up? Also, confirm whether other devices on your network are trying to use your IP address or the pfSense servers' addresses—this should appear in the logs.
I don't have any VLANs configured, but I do have pfblocker installed. Unfortunately, it's currently disabled. I reviewed the IP list and checked each device on the network—no conflicts were found. To be sure, I can reach the internet, and all computers display the correct ARP tables. The issue seems to be with the DNS server, which only responds when the dashboard is open on a device. I've tried this approach without success. Your feedback is helpful in clarifying the problem.
Backup your configuration first. Delete pfBlocker to remove the DNSBL part and restart the pfSense unit to confirm it isn’t contributing to the issue. Share the DNS Server details from System > General Setup, and paste the DNS Resolver configuration from Services > DNS Resolver. Include the DNS Resolver log found in Status > System Logs > DNS Resolver. If you’re using DNS Forward instead of the resolver, provide the DNS Forwarder settings from Services > DNS Forwarder.
You tried to delete something, but Pfsense reports you lack installed packages, even though you have them.
Backup current settings before applying changes. Disable DNSSEC for all outgoing interfaces in general options. Adjust advanced settings with specific values: Message Cache size to 4MB, Outgoing TCP buffers at 10, Incoming TCP buffers at 10, and disable unwanted reply threshold. In the Access List tab of the Resolver, click Add. Enter a name such as 'InternalSubnets' for clarity. Provide a description for reference. List all internal networks you've configured, including IPv4 addresses like 192.168.0.0/24. Include every network on your internal interfaces, even if using IPv6. Save the configuration. Restart the DNS Resolver service. Verify UDP 53 is permitted in each outbound rule set. If missing, set up the following: Source 'Internal Subnet Network', Source Port 'ANY', Destination 'ANY', Destination Port UDP53.