My PlusNet gateway is no longer responding to ICMP (pings)

[#1]

For a number of years (like many on here I suspect) I have used the Broadband Quality Monitor provided by Thinkbroadband.com.

Yesterday (13/4/2017) at approximately 16:30 their monitor indicated that my connection was no longer responding to any ICMP requests.. My internet connection remains fully functional. However this state of affairs (ICMP unresponsive) is continuing as I write.

ThinkBroadband Monitor graph here

Whilst its not the end of the world, I do appreciate the monitor and would like to continue to utilise it.

I have attempted to run some diagnostics remotely (from another node within the PlusNet network to which I have access) which shows

C:\Users\Administrator>ping 80.229.145.60 (my ip address)

Pinging 80.229.145.60 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 80.229.145.60:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Users\Administrator>tracert 80.229.145.60

Tracing route to mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 11 ms 12 ms 12 ms lo0.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [195.166.130.24
9]
3 13 ms 12 ms 12 ms 411.be6.pcn-ir02.plus.net [84.93.253.79]
4 13 ms 13 ms 13 ms gi1-1-22.pth-gw3.plus.net [195.166.129.211]
5 13 ms 12 ms 12 ms 411.ae1.central10.psb-bng03.plus.net [84.93.253.
118]
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 ^C
C:\Users\Administrator>

Running the same test from my connection to the remote node shows

:\Users\Casper>ping 80.229.165.221

Pinging 80.229.165.221 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 80.229.165.221: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=246
Reply from 80.229.165.221: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=246
Reply from 80.229.165.221: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=246
Reply from 80.229.165.221: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=246

Ping statistics for 80.229.165.221:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 39ms, Maximum = 41ms, Average = 40ms

C:\Users\Casper>tracert 80.229.165.221

Tracing route to karrinaf.plus.com [80.229.165.221]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 20 ms 19 ms 18 ms 10.31.16.1
2 27 ms 28 ms 29 ms gb2.gw.ivpn.net [46.28.49.140]
3 28 ms 29 ms 31 ms 2e1c302b.lon.100tb.com [46.28.48.43]
4 30 ms 28 ms 30 ms 83.170.70.233
5 28 ms 28 ms 28 ms linx7.ukcore.bt.net [195.66.224.56]
6 29 ms 29 ms 29 ms core4-te0-10-0-14.faraday.ukcore.bt.net [213.121.193.200]
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 29 ms 29 ms 32 ms 195.166.129.208
9 29 ms 29 ms 30 ms 411.ae0.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [84.93.253.74]
10 40 ms 40 ms 40 ms karrinaf.plus.com [80.229.165.221]

I suspect that the problem lies within the PlusNet network - I would be obliged if one of the PlusNet people could have a look when they have a moment and see if they can resolve the issue.

Cheers

[#2]

Has your IP changed?

Can check here: http://www.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/check_ip.cgi

[#3]

I think that you'll find that some (many) routers on the network are set not to respond to pings.

M

[#4]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I should have advised in my original post (doh!) that I am on a static IP address with PlusNet.

It may be that there has been a deliberate change in policy as regards their internal network configuration, on the other hand given that it has worked for many years, it is quite possible that a "funny" has been inadverantly introduced, hence my request to support to have a quick look.

Cheers

Alan

[#5]

Fixed IP address here - pinging working fine.  Something hasn't messed your router config has it?

[#6]

80/20 fixed IP address here - pinging also working fine.  As @SteveA suggests it looks like a router problem.

What make/model is it? Did anything happen locally when the ICMP requests started failing ?

[#7]

---

@Farrinaf wrote:

I should have advised in my original post (doh!) that I am on a static IP address with PlusNet.

---

But did you checked that you're still on the same static IP?

[#8]

Is it still a problem when you're not using a VPN?

[#9]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your interest.

I should at the outset advise that I am using non standard kit (pfsence as my gateway router with a Draytek 130). Whilst pfsence has been installed relatively recently (replacing a Draytek router) I was careful to configure a firewall rule to allow inbound ICMP requests. I confirmed this rule was active by way of the Think Broadband (TB) monitor and also via my mobile (4G) using appropriate software thereon.

The TB monitor worked satifactorily for some days until it suddenly stopped (as per my original post with link to TB monitor.)

The VPN is a OpenVPN client outbound and the firewall is configured to force all traffic down the OpenVPN (separate IPSEC tunnel for LAN to LAN connection excepted)

As requested I deactivated the VPN and tried externally once again and my connection was reactive to external pings see below

#################################

Ping and tracert from remote node (80.229.165.221) with VPN at my connection (80.229.145.60) deactivated.

C:\Users\Administrator>ping 80.229.145.60

Pinging 80.229.145.60 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=251
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=251
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=251
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=251

Ping statistics for 80.229.145.60:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 25ms, Average = 23ms

C:\Users\Administrator>tracert 80.229.145.60

Tracing route to mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 12 ms 12 ms 12 ms lo0.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [195.166.130.24
9]
3 12 ms 12 ms 12 ms 411.be6.pcn-ir02.plus.net [84.93.253.79]
4 12 ms 11 ms 11 ms 411.ae1.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [84.93.253.
78]
5 23 ms 22 ms 23 ms mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]

Trace complete.

##################################

Ping and tracert from remote node with VPN at destination reactivated.

C:\Users\Administrator>ping 80.229.145.60

Pinging 80.229.145.60 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 80.229.145.60:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Users\Administrator>tracert 80.229.145.60

Tracing route to mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 12 ms 12 ms 12 ms lo0.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [195.166.130.24
9]
3 13 ms 17 ms 14 ms 411.be6.pcn-ir02.plus.net [84.93.253.79]
4 12 ms 21 ms 12 ms 411.ae1.central10.pcn-bng04.plus.net [84.93.253.
94]
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 ^C

#################################

However trying again a few minutes later from remote node (80.229.165.221) with VPN still activated

C:\Users\Administrator>ping 80.229.145.60

Pinging 80.229.145.60 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=60
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=60
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=60
Reply from 80.229.145.60: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=60

Ping statistics for 80.229.145.60:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 22ms, Maximum = 23ms, Average = 22ms

C:\Users\Administrator>tracert 80.229.145.60

Tracing route to mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 12 ms 12 ms 12 ms lo0.central10.pcn-bng02.plus.net [195.166.130.24
9]
3 12 ms 12 ms 12 ms 411.be6.pcn-ir02.plus.net [84.93.253.79]
4 13 ms 12 ms 12 ms 411.ae1.central10.pcn-bng04.plus.net [84.93.253.
94]
5 22 ms 22 ms 22 ms mail.wobbleyworld.com [80.229.145.60]

Trace complete.
##################################

From the above tracert it appears to show that the failure occured at the final hop which is my gateway, so I guess this suggests that the issue is with my pfsence setup rather than the wider network.

My TB monitor is currently working again, although I suspect that it may drop out once again as previously in the coming days.

I appreciate that the above is far from a standard setup and as it appears to be a problem with the final hop, its not PlusNet's problem.

Kind regards

Alan

[#10]

Thanks Alan,

Yes, I'd concur that it's almost certainly something local rather than a problem out on the network.

Having not toyed with either OpenVPN or PFSense that thoroughly, I'm probably not best equipped to suggest what might be causing the problem (others round these parts might have some ideas).

Good luck with isolating the cause.