On 2015-Mar-26, at 4:01 PM, Chris Buechler <[email protected]> wrote:
> Go to System>Advanced, System Tunables, and add a new tunable there.
> Name net.key.preferred_oldsa, value 0, then save and apply changes.
> That have any impact on things?

Executive summary: no.

Here's what I did:
- created/applied tunable at both ends
- turned off our server's "keep VPN alive" pinger
- on my end, pressed the "disconnect" button for the 2.2.1-to-2.2.1 VPN (in 
Status -> IPsec)
- Status -> IPsec "immediately" indicated that the 2.2.1-to-2.2.1 VPN 
connection was established (this is always the case ... it sort o' fibs)
- started a once-per-second ping from my system (to the pfSense box at the 
other end)
- the first 88 pings were unanswered
- the VPN was "really connected" at about 89 seconds
- killed the pinging at about 103 seconds (and typed this stuff up, up to here)
- ran the pinger, again ... 7 successes ... interrupted the ping process
- waited about 3 minutes (remember, right now there's no other traffic across 
this VPN)
- ran the ping, again ... connection down, 34 pings unanswered
- VPN connected at about 35 seconds
- let the ping run for another minute ... stayed connected
- interrupted ping process
- waited about 3 minutes
- ran the ping, again ... connection down, 143 pings unanswered
- VPN connected at about 144 seconds

So far, I'd say that this change had zero effect.  This appears to be the same 
behavior as though the tunable wasn't there.

Next, I did the following:
- pinger still running, VPN still connected
- pressed the "Restart IPsec service" button (Status -> IPsec) on the pfSense 
at the other end
- one ping slightly longer response, but no pings lost
- pressed the "Restart IPsec service" button (Status -> IPsec) on the pfSense 
at the my end
- one ping with no response but connection stayed up -- interestingly, Status 
-> IPsec reported an "established" time that indicated the original connection 
duraion (i.e., seemingly indicating that the restart didn't create a new 
connection)
- killed the pinger as I typed this stuff
- about 6 minutes later, ran a ping and the connection was still alive
- interrupted the ping after 7 pings
- waited about 3 minutes
- ran the ping, again ... connection still alive!
- I stopped the ping
- I thought that looked quite promising so, as a more rigorous set of tests, I 
was going to restart the pfSense box at the other end and completely stop, then 
restart the IPsec service at my end ... I typed that info in as my next steps
- however, when I went to access the pfSense box at the other end, about a 
minute later, the VPN was down
- I fired off another ping ... 126 pings unanswered
- VPN connected at about 127 seconds

Next, I did the following:
- rebooted the pfSense box at the other end
- stopped the IPsec service at my end
- waited long enough to ensure that the pfSense box at the other end had ample 
time to reboot (please!)
- started the IPsec service at my end
- started a once-per-second ping from my system and attempted to access both 
the pfSense box at the other end of the 2.2.1-to-2.2.1 VPN and the one at the 
other end of the 2.2.1-to-2.1.5 VPN
- got the pfSense box at the other end of the 2.2.1-to-2.1.5 VPN with about a 1 
second delay, as "always" -- yes, experience with the previous IPsec does 
create high expectations!  #;-))
- 54 pings unanswered
- the  2.2.1-to-2.2.1 VPN connected after about 55 seconds
- typed this stuff up and ran another ping (about 3-4 min. later)
- connection still up ... stopped ping
- waited about 3 minutes
- ran ping ... 30 pings unanswered
- VPN connected at about 31 seconds

In spite of a moment's promise, looks like this change no net effect. [hey, had 
to get in at least 1 pun]

FYI, since I implemented the pinger script on the server, I've accessed the 
pfSense box at the other end about 20 times and the VPN has been up every time. 
 Without the pinger, I could count on it always being disconnected and having 
to wait .5 to 1.5 minutes for it to connect, after attempting to send some 
traffic.


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