Unable to set up PPPoE connection (third-party router)

[#1]

Good morning,

I am trying to get a third-party router working with my Plusnet FTTC connection. I know this router works with FTTC PPPoE connections as I've had it working in the past.

I've double-checked my credentials and I am sure they are correct, but I keep getting this in my router's log:

Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.notice netifd: Interface 'wan' is now down
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.notice netifd: Interface 'wan' is setting up now
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: Plugin rp-pppoe.so loaded.
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: RP-PPPoE plugin version 3.8p compiled against pppd 2.4.7
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.notice pppd[11433]: pppd 2.4.7 started by root, uid 0
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: PPP session is 4359
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.warn pppd[11433]: Connected to 20:e0:9c:de:ab:6f via interface eth0.2
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 kern.info kernel: [41510.160152] pppoe-wan: renamed from ppp0
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: Using interface pppoe-wan
Thu Oct 17 09:32:27 2024 daemon.notice pppd[11433]: Connect: pppoe-wan <--> eth0.2
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: CHAP authentication failed
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 daemon.err pppd[11433]: CHAP authentication failed
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 daemon.notice pppd[11433]: Connection terminated.
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: Sent PADT
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 daemon.info pppd[11433]: Exit.
Thu Oct 17 09:32:28 2024 kern.info kernel: [41510.489097] pppoe: pppoe_disc_rcv PADT received, sid=1809, SRC: 20:e0:9c:de:ab:6f, DST: 80:af:ca:53:a9:95

I had initially tried getting this connection working with a MikroTik router, but I had no joy. I used Wireshark to capture packets for the PPPoE connection and all I could see was the PADI packets, but no PADO packets.

Would it be possible for someone to check my line, please, and see if there's any reason why I am unable to connect?

Thanks!

Chris 

[#2 · Accepted solution]

@christ  It is showing chap authentication failure so the first thing to try is to login to your Broadband account (Member centre) with your username ( without the @plusdsl.net bit) with the password you are using on the router to check that your credentials are correct.

[#3]

Oh my gosh, I feel so stupid. I'd included a space at the beginning of my password.

I spent most of yesterday evening with cables strung across my office, trying different routers and testing ethernet cables, and it was the &£^*^$*& password, which I thought Ihad been careful to copy/type correctly.

I will now try again with my MikroTik router later and see if I can't get this thing working properly.

Thanks for taking the time to answer, much appreciated!

Chris

[#4]

@christ  These things happen, you just don't spot the obvious and waste ages trying to fix the problem.

I have also have a Mikrotik router which I have never used, it's probably far more capable than I actually need, still on FTTC here, no FTTP yet and although I am a retired software engineer the Mikrotik Router OS looks like a steep learning curve.🤔

[#5]

I've actually just had a new FTTP line installed with another provider, and I'm getting the service for free until my Plusnet contract is up for renewal next August. I had a heck of a game trying to get the new fibre line set up on the EdgeRouter X that I'd been happily using for years with my Plusnet line. I decided that the ER-X was a bit long in the tooth, and it seems to have been left to languish by Ubiquiti, having received no updates for ages. On the spur of the moment I ordered a MikroTik hEX S router for under £60 and tried setting that up with my new FTTP line, and it got connected within seconds.

My original goal was to have the new FTTP line as the main line, with the Plusnet line as a failover. However, I've not been able to get that configuration working yet. The first step was to make sure both PPPoE connections were actually working, which they now are - albeit on different routers. I will try bringing the Plusnet connection over to the MikroTik later.

I had dabbled with VLANs on the EdgeRouter some time ago, but again I could never seem to get it working properly. I have more confidence in being able to do so with the hEX S.

The RouterOS learning curve is quite steep, that's for sure, but it is very well documented and discussed online, and ChatGPT proved invaluable in helping me understand concepts and getting things up and running. I was able to say, "I've configured X, Y and Z in my EdgeRouter X, how would I do this on the hEX S?".

I now wish I'd switched to MikroTik sooner due to the sheer flexibility of RouterOS. I use the WinBox application to access the router from my Windows PC, which provides a nice GUI and a terminal. Once I'd got my head around the very basic concepts, I have really enjoyed using it (even though I am simply an enthusiastic n00b who likes messing around with stuff).

[#6]

I decided that the ER-X was a bit long in the tooth, and it seems to have been left to languish by Ubiquiti, having received no updates for ages.

@christ You can run the latest version of Openwrt on the ER-X https://openwrt.org/toh/ubiquiti/edgerouter_x_er-x_ka

[#7]

@MisterW Ah, thanks for the link - I'll have a go.

I did look into it a couple of years ago but I was put off switching from EdgeOS to OpenWRT for some reason - I think due to hardware offloading not working or something? And because it was my only router and didn't want to risk breaking everything with my partner working from home.

[#8]

@christ - I think due to hardware offloading not working or something?

Hardware offload does work. I have a Tplink ER605 (almost identical h/w to ER-X) running on my FF900 connection. It handles it fine with h/w offload enabled. Originally I was running the TPlink firmware and so before changing that to Openwrt , I got an ER-X as backup and installed Openwrt on that and ran that for a while. Eventually I bit the bullet and changed the ER605 to Openwrt as well since it had a USB port that was useful.

The ER-X is easier to change to Openwrt (and its reversible) whereas the ER605 is a one-way journey!

[#9]

Nice 👍

[#10]

The Tplink firmware only supported a limited range of 4g dongles using the USB port as a backup WAN. With Openwrt I was able to install rndis support and thus tether my android phone as a backup WAN. The ER-X, of course, lacks the USB port although I suspect the circuit board may well have a USB header if you go looking...