[SOLVED] Fresh Install of PVE 7.4 - Destination Host Unreachable, no Internet connection

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Hi there!

Background:

I'm very new to all of this (e.g. not familiar with networking or coding, primary environments are Mac/Android, etc), but excited to take the dive. I've accepted that the only way I'll actually fix my problem is by posting my issues, not trying to follow another's troubleshooting. Sorry in advance if I don't include enough information (please let me know what you need), and I appreciate any and all help!


I was pointed to ProxMox by the HomeAssistant community. I followed the tutorial to install it on a Windows machine: creating a bootable USB using the ISO available on the site.
After getting through the installation process, I am unable to connect to the server from other computers (e.g. the 8006 link; I receive a "timeout" error).

I attempted several tests I saw on the forums. Pinging 8.8.8.8 or 75.75.75.75 returns a "Destination Host Unreachable" response.

Things I've attempted:

• reinstalling ProxMox, keeping default networking values
• reinstalling ProxMox, changing networking values
• accidentally wiping my Windows OS from the drive, and subsequently reinstalling it from a bootable USB (lol, last night I actually cried)
• attempted to assign an IP on my router's settings (accessed through a web browser)
  • (honestly not sure if I did this correctly...think I read there's a difference between assigning and static)

Things I've noticed:

• I read somewhere that the computer should be connected via ethernet to properly populate the network fields during PVE setup. Is this accurate? Is there a workaround with only WiFi?
  • Is this a use-case when USB tethering would be applicable (i.e. using my mobile phone for connection)?
• After PVE setup, the computer no longer appears on the list of connected devices on my router (it appears when I boot up to Windows).

Not really sure how to proceed next. I know HomeAss is supposed to be tricky, but I can't get that set up until this works

Thank you again for any help you can provide (and really hoping I didn't post a block of useless information)!

 

[leesteken]

I'm sorry you lost your Windows installation but the manual does warn about erasing the installation drive. Being intended for enterprise usage, you are expected to have backups.
The Proxmox VE installer does not setup WiFi and expects a working ethernet cable connection. Because Proxmox is based on Debian GNU/Linux, you can setup WiFi yourself but WiFi cannot be used in bridge mode for VMs and you need a NAT configuration. There are several threads on this forum about setting up WiFi but it is not officially supported.

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

I'm sorry you lost your Windows installation but the manual does warn about erasing the installation drive. Being intended for enterprise usage, you are expected to have backups.
The Proxmox VE installer does not setup WiFi and expects a working ethernet cable connection. Because Proxmox is based on Debian GNU/Linux, you can setup WiFi yourself but WiFi cannot be used in bridge mode for VMs and you need a NAT configuration. There are several threads on this forum about setting up WiFi but it is not officially supported.

hey, thanks for the quick response!

I appreciate the apologies, but it's all good! It's a mini-PC I picked up for ~$80; once I found out how to make the USB, it was cake. It was more the frustration of calling it a night only to find my native OS gone haha

Hasn't really deterred me, as I started trying again right after Windows was back up. I've gone from navigating through the code line-by-line to using the little shortcuts in vim (e.g. "gg" or "G"); this is the learning/exploring stuff I've been yearning for

Okay, anyway, back to important stuff - thanks for the manual link, idk how I missed that Ethernet part on the first read-through.

So going off that (assuming I want to use the official, supported route):

1. the mini-PC should be connected to Ethernet during set-up
2. the mini-PC should be connected to Ethernet at all times? (as it'll be used for running HomeAssistant)
3. the fields during set-up should auto-populate with Ethernet connected? (or will I have to figure that out myself?)

The router isn't really in a central/communal area, so I'll have to try this again another day for Ethernet.


Related questions/remarks:

1. Is it possible to use my MacBook as a temporary monitor during set-up?
   • I've been using the PC on my TV; there isn't one near the router and I don't have a monitor.
2. I can definitely leave it hooked up to the router after set-up if needed; which I guess is a previous question - Ethernet at all times?

Thank you again!

 

[leesteken]

Proxmox VE, and the virtual displays of the VMs running on it, are managed externally via a browser and this requires some kind of network connection. You only need a display during installation but I have not heard about using Apple devices for that.
WiFi setup is possible but supports less features. Feel free to try and learn via the various links and set it up this way if that's what you want. Using WiFi for management of Proxmox and the network cable (later) for the VMs is also possible.
Because you want to connect to Proxmox from another machine, your want the IP address of Proxmox via DHCP (with your router will probably do automatically) but use a static IP instead (or make it use a fixed one for Proxmox via your router).
With running multiple (virtual) machines comes network administration, which you'll have to learn to do yourself. Lost of threads about all this on this forum, reddit and other (out of date) guides on the internet.

 

[leesteken]

Just a through: if you run the installer while the system is connected to your TV and setup the IP address correctly, you can then shutdown the system and move it near the router, connect a cable and should be able to manage it remotely (as if it was connected to the router all along). And you don't even have to setup WiFi as the installer does not need a network connection to install.

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Proxmox VE, and the virtual displays of the VMs running on it, are managed externally via a browser and this requires some kind of network connection. You only need a display during installation but I have not heard about using Apple devices for that.
WiFi setup is possible but supports less features. Feel free to try and learn via the various links and set it up this way if that's what you want. Using WiFi for management of Proxmox and the network cable (later) for the VMs is also possible.
Because you want to connect to Proxmox from another machine, your want the IP address of Proxmox via DHCP (with your router will probably do automatically) but use a static IP instead (or make it use a fixed one for Proxmox via your router).
With running multiple (virtual) machines comes network administration, which you'll have to learn to do yourself. Lost of threads about all this on this forum, reddit and other (out of date) guides on the internet.

I'll probably try to go the straight forward, supported option to avoid some headaches.

I just looked into the MacBook as a display; not doable without software mirroring (only has HDMI output, not input). I do have a couple Samsung tablets (old and a Tab S8 Ultra); I wonder if it'd be possible with any other those?


Honestly, I'm unsure if I understand IP addresses , subnets, and such enough to be confident that I manually set everything right during installation. So I'll try my best to get Ethernet hooked up for everything.

I have an Xfinity gateway. I think I reserved the IP address properly; it gave me the option to create one for reservation. Maybe I screwed up with that? ​

​

After I seemingly assigned a static IP, it changed on the list from "DHCP" to "Reserved" ​

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Also, would any of this be relevant to my use-case? I tried doing USB-tethering (but that would associate with the USB ports; as you noted the software is seeking from the Ethernet?).

However, I just noticed Ethernet tethering is an option. Assuming I get the right adapter, would that trick the system into thinking it's connected properly? Or should I just ignore all that? haha

 

[leesteken]

All the fancy solutions with MacBooks and Tethering and USB won't work as you first need to setup all that stuff manually. I'm sure you can think of all kind of interesting work-around but the Proxmox VE installer is much too simple for any of that.
Please just set an IP address (outside of the DHCP range of the router and unused) and finish the installer. Then move it over to the router and connect the cable.
If it does not work the first time, move the system back to the TV, login and make corrections to /etc/network/interfaces, and repeat until it works as intended and supported.

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Please just set an IP address (outside of the DHCP range of the router) and finish the installer. Then move it over to the router and connect the cable.

Okay, I'll try that. Like I said, I truly don't understand this stuff lol. I tried reading guides about stuff, but none of it really clicks for me.

Would you mind providing an example of what would be outside of the range? (i.e. a hypothetical router IP, and a hypothetical address outside of the range)

I feel like visual/example would help a lot... If you need any specifics from my end, I'm happy to provide! Sorry if I'm running you in circle; I truly appreciate your help so far

 

[leesteken]

Would you mind providing an example of what would be outside of the range? (i.e. a hypothetical router IP, and a hypothetical address outside of the range)

A local subnet (which does not exists on the internet ) for a router is 192.168.0.0 with netmask 255.255.255.0. The router itself usually has IP 192.168.0.1. IPs 192.168.0.100 up to 192.168.0.254 are for DHCP, for example. Then 192.168.0.2 up to 192.168.0.99 are free and will work for that local network.

I feel like visual/example would help a lot... If you need any specifics from my end, I'm happy to provide! Sorry if I'm running you in circle; I truly appreciate your help so far

What is the IP address of your router and of your MacBook (which probably was assign via DHCP)? Do the network settings of your MacBook show an IP, a gateway (IP) and a DNS (IP)?

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

A local subnet (which does not exists on the internet ) for a router is 192.168.0.0 with netmask 255.255.255.0.

Okay, I think the gears are starting to slowly turn in my head... maybe

The router itself usually has IP 192.168.0.1.

My router is 10.0.0.1

of your MacBook (which probably was assign via DHCP)?

Sorry, I think I might have confused you. I had only mentioned the MacBook as a possible monitor since I wouldn't have a TV nearby the router.
the IP address for the mini-PC ([I'm doing this all on] I took a pic from the settings in Windows) is 10.0.0.180

Do the network settings of your MacBook show an IP, a gateway (IP) and a DNS (IP)?

on the mini-PC, I can view the following:

• IPv6 address, Link-local IPv6 address, IPv6 DNS servers (two lines)
• IPv4 address, IPv4 DNS servers (two lines)
• physical address (MAC)

 

[leesteken]

Try using 10.0.0.2 and netmask 255.255.255.0 for the time being. We know 180 is in the DHCP range of your 10.0.0.0/24 subnet. One this is working, you can also set a fixed IP address is the router and setup Proxmox for DHCP (which will get the fixed IP from the router).

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Try using 10.0.0.2 and netmask 255.255.255.0 for the time being. We know 180 is in the DHCP range of your 10.0.0.0/24 subnet. One this is working, you can also set a fixed IP address is the router and setup Proxmox for DHCP (which will get the fixed IP from the router).

hey, I popped into my router's settings (web interface?)

• it looks like its IPv4 DHCP range ("begining" and "ending") is 10.0.0.2 - 10.0.0.253 (it gives me the option to edit the last values on either end of the range)
• as you said, the netmask is 255.255.255.0
• does the lease time matter at all?

 

[leesteken]

hey, I popped into my router's settings (web interface?)

• it looks like its IPv4 DHCP range is 10.0.0.2 - 10.0.0.253 (it gives me the option to edit the last values on either end of the range)
• as you said, the netmask is 255.255.255.0
• does the lease time matter at all?

You'll need to reduce the range a bit. For example by raising the lower end (and hope no other device already has 10.0.0.2). Lease time (how long until a new IP is requested) does not matter. If you want to make sure no device has IP 10.0.0.2, you'll have to wait the lease time (in seconds) but it's probably fine.

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

You'll need to reduce the range a bit. For example by raising the lower end (and hope no other device already has 10.0.0.2). Lease time (how long until a new IP is requested) does not matter. If you want to make sure no device has IP 10.0.0.2, you'll have to wait the lease time (in seconds) but it's probably fine.

So I went through the list of connected and unconnected devices on my router. Only one device is assigned an address in the range of 10.0.0.2 to 10.0.0.15.


How should I adjust the values to achieve what we're looking to do?

Also, what happens to that single device that's already been assigned in that range (DHCP)?

Should I just make the range wider to play it safe? I guess same question, what would happen to devices in that range? What's a good buffer?



(I'm definitely still lost, but you've made a lottttt click already. many thanks!)

 

[leesteken]

So I went through the list of connected and unconnected devices on my router. Only one device is assigned an address in the range of 10.0.0.2 to 10.0.0.15.

Do you want me to guess which IP it is?

How should I adjust the values to achieve what we're looking to do?

Just change the DHCP range to 10.0.0.3 - 10.0.0.253. Is/was 10.0.0.2 taken? If so, reboot that device (or disconnect and reconnect it to the router).

Also, what happens to that single device that's already been assigned in that range (DHCP)?

Should I just make the range wider to play it safe? I guess same question, what would happen to devices in that range? What's a good buffer?

I don't really want to setup/change your local network as part of this thread to get Proxmox installed. Please just make one IP (10.0.0.2) available for your Proxmox.

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Do you want me to guess which IP it is?

Sorry, it wasn't meant to be a rhetorical question. the IP assigned is 10.0.0.8.
I just figured I should make a decent buffer, in case I needed to do this in the future (why I mentioned the range from .2 to .15).

The device in question is another MacBook, which I can just reconnect. It is the only device listed in that range I made up (.2 to .15)

Please just make one IP (10.0.0.2) available for your Proxmox.

Aside from all my word vomit I posted above, I'll do this part. Was just checking about a buffer since I can see the full list now

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Sorry, it wasn't meant to be a rhetorical question. the IP assigned is 10.0.0.8.
I just figured I should make a decent buffer, in case I needed to do this in the future (why I mentioned the range from .2 to .15).

The device in question is another MacBook, which I can just reconnect. It is the only device listed in that range I made up (.2 to .15)

Aside from all my word vomit I posted above, I'll do this part. Was just checking about a buffer since I can see the full list now

Best of both worlds (I hope) - changed the DHCP range to 10.0.0.7 - 10.0.0.253

Assigned 10.0.0.2 to my server

Edit to add: I meant 10.0.0.2 is what it's setup as on the ProxMox Install side. on the router settings, it doesn't let me assign anything outside of the range

Correct?

 

[IndenturedGreenTechie]

Do you want me to guess which IP it is?

Just change the DHCP range to 10.0.0.3 - 10.0.0.253. Is/was 10.0.0.2 taken? If so, reboot that device (or disconnect and reconnect it to the router).

I don't really want to setup/change your local network as part of this thread to get Proxmox installed. Please just make one IP (10.0.0.2) available for your Proxmox.

Hey there!

picked up an Ethernet cable today and hooked it up...
I'm able to ping 8.8.8.8 and google.com successfully, and login via the web interface!!


thank you for all your help and patience!

now to take on HomeAssistant