SME Server gateway & DHCP

[JustaGuy]

I'm trying to replace an external router with the gateway function in SME Server 8 beta 4 and I can't get the VM a DHCP lease from my ISP.

I take the cable modem & put it on PVE's eth0 then set eth0 & vmbr0 both to dhcp in /etc/network/interfaces.

I took a 10/100/1000 switch and connected it to PVE's eth1, and plugged a couple real boxes into the switch.

I changed all the VMs in PVE to now use vmbr1, which is linked to eth1.

I made the SME Server in KVM, deleted the NICs & added them again so that they're in proper order with it's R8139 on eth0/vmbr0 (since the cable modem's only 10/100) & the e1000 on eth1 (since the LAN is 10/100/1000).

I go through the SME Server installation & set it as a dedicated gateway, with it's DNS pointing to OpenDNS and without providing DHCP to the local network.
A Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 VM provides DHCP & DNS on 192.168.111.5 (vmbr1/eth1).

I have PVE's eth1 set to 192.168.111.1 in /etc/network/interfaces.
If I set SME Server's eth1 to the same as PVE's eth1 it complains, so I set it to 192.168.111.2 & set the workstation I use as a management console (on the switch) to use 192.168.111.3 as the IP, 192.168.111.2 as the gateway & 192.168.111.5 for DNS.

The problem is that even though the SME Server's external (eth0) NIC is set to populate via DHCP (from the cable modem), it doesn't.

I have a similar problem if I connect just the cable modem to the switch. The first device I add gets an address. Devices added afterward don't.

Is there a way to pass PVE's eth0 through to the SME Server so it can get/manage the external address?
I imagine PVE's external access would then have to happen through the gateway provided by the SME Server VM, but how?

Thank you.

 

[JustaGuy]

bump

 

[tom]

bump

no such useless posts, this could lead to a locked account.

if you ask simple questions, the chance to get an answer is higher than posting "I have a problem with everything, help me!".

also questions to non Proxmox VE software are not easy to answer. its more or less impossible to build up such an environment here, and if yes, this does not help if it works here. so go step by step.

 

[JustaGuy]

Ok.
I started over simplified here.

 

[p3x-749]

I'm trying to replace an external router with the gateway function in SME Server 8 beta 4 and I can't get the VM a DHCP lease from my ISP.

..in a cable setup, some providers limit the number of leases available
Are you sure you have some left?

I take the cable modem & put it on PVE's eth0 then set eth0 & vmbr0 both to dhcp in /etc/network/interfaces.

...IPs are assigned to the bridge only...eth0 will follow

I took a 10/100/1000 switch and connected it to PVE's eth1, and plugged a couple real boxes into the switch.

I changed all the VMs in PVE to now use vmbr1, which is linked to eth1.

I made the SME Server in KVM, deleted the NICs & added them again so that they're in proper order with it's R8139 on eth0/vmbr0 (since the cable modem's only 10/100) & the e1000 on eth1 (since the LAN is 10/100/1000).

I go through the SME Server installation & set it as a dedicated gateway, with it's DNS pointing to OpenDNS and without providing DHCP to the local network.
A Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 VM provides DHCP & DNS on 192.168.111.5 (vmbr1/eth1).

I have PVE's eth1 set to 192.168.111.1 in /etc/network/interfaces.
If I set SME Server's eth1 to the same as PVE's eth1 it complains, so I set it to 192.168.111.2 & set the workstation I use as a management console (on the switch) to use 192.168.111.3 as the IP, 192.168.111.2 as the gateway & 192.168.111.5 for DNS.

The problem is that even though the SME Server's external (eth0) NIC is set to populate via DHCP (from the cable modem), it doesn't.

...so you expect eth1 on SME and PVE to be on the same network?
- of course you cannot have PVE and a VM NIC share an IP (two NICs, two MACs)
- But your DHCP and DNS is already hosted on 192.168.111.5 which
obviously is not your cable modem, isn't it?

does PVE eth0 get its address from the cable modem OK?
What is the network class there? 192.168.111.0/255.255.255.0 ?

I have a similar problem if I connect just the cable modem to the switch. The first device I add gets an address. Devices added afterward don't.

- see my first remark...enough leases left?
- see my last remark...two DHCP providers on the net?

Is there a way to pass PVE's eth0 through to the SME Server so it can get/manage the external address?
I imagine PVE's external access would then have to happen through the gateway provided by the SME Server VM, but how?

...not sure...to me use of SME in a VM as gateway for the VMs does not make sense if PVE and VMs are on the same net.

maybe a switched environment is easier than a bridged one for want you want...have a look at VDE, maybe this helps: http://wiki.virtualsquare.org/index.php/VDE_Basic_Networking

 

[JustaGuy]

..in a cable setup, some providers limit the number of leases available
Are you sure you have some left?

Checked on that & determined my service to include just 1 address/lease.

...so you expect eth1 on SME and PVE to be on the same network?
- of course you cannot have PVE and a VM NIC share an IP (two NICs, two MACs)

Right. Physically extending the virtual network via a physical switch on PVE's physical eth1.

- But your DHCP and DNS is already hosted on 192.168.111.5 which
obviously is not your cable modem, isn't it?

Correct. That would be the address of a VM on vmbr1.

does PVE eth0 get its address from the cable modem OK?
What is the network class there? 192.168.111.0/255.255.255.0 ?

Yes, no problems there- and as you mentioned previously, vmbr0 gets the address through eth0.
Today's values:
My IP is 67.249.x.x
The gateway is 67.249.x.1
The DHCP server is 10.x.x.1
The netmask is 255.255.224.0

- see my last remark...two DHCP providers on the net?

There's 1 DHCP server at a time on each net.
eth0/vmbr0 provided by ISP: 10.x.x.1
eth1/vmbr1 provided by VM: 192.168.111.5

...not sure...to me use of SME in a VM as gateway for the VMs does not make sense if PVE and VMs are on the same net.

My thinking was that if the only way for the SME to get the DHCP lease is by forwarding vmbr0 to SME similarly to how eth0 forwards to vmbr0 without an address assignment, then PVE wouldn't even be aware of whatever address is finally assigned.

I think it might be nice if PVE was protected from the outside like that.

maybe a switched environment is easier than a bridged one for want you want...have a look at VDE, maybe this helps: http://wiki.virtualsquare.org/index.php/VDE_Basic_Networking

That could very well be the case.
Based solely on my limited networking experience, it appears that a bridge is simply a software version of a switch, which now I imagine is not the case after reading your suggestion.

I'll certainly read the link when I'm not so exhausted.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[p3x-749]

OK, see my remarks in your simplified thread...here