Issue with PPPoE Connection as Secondary WAN

[dnboe]

Hi, I had to create an account just to ask this question because I've been struggling with this issue for days now.

I have two internet providers: one with automatic IP connection and the other with PPPoE connection. Both work without any issues, but now I want to use them in Dual WAN mode on my ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router.
When I set the PPPoE provider as the primary WAN and the automatic IP one as the secondary, everything works fine (primary WAN connected and secondary WAN in standby). However, when I reverse the setup, making the automatic IP provider the primary WAN and the PPPoE provider the secondary, I get the error below on the secondary WAN:

Any idea on how to solve this issue? Thank you in advance!

 

[dnboe]

System log keeps showing this:

Oct 28 21:37:34 pppd[5020]: Connected to 5c:83:82:c8:2e:c5 via interface eth0
Oct 28 21:37:34 pppd[5020]: Connect: ppp1 <--> eth0
Oct 28 21:37:35 pppd[5020]: PAP authentication failed
Oct 28 21:37:35 pppd[5020]: Connection terminated.
Oct 28 21:37:35 pppd[5020]: Failed to disconnect PPPoE socket: 114 Operation already in progress
Oct 28 21:37:45 pppd[5020]: Connected to 5c:83:82:c8:2e:c5 via interface eth0
Oct 28 21:37:45 pppd[5020]: Connect: ppp1 <--> eth0
Oct 28 21:37:46 pppd[5020]: PAP authentication failed
Oct 28 21:37:46 pppd[5020]: Connection terminated.
Oct 28 21:37:46 pppd[5020]: Failed to disconnect PPPoE socket: 114 Operation already in progress
Oct 28 21:37:56 pppd[5020]: Connected to 5c:83:82:c8:2e:c5 via interface eth0
Oct 28 21:37:56 pppd[5020]: Connect: ppp1 <--> eth0
Oct 28 21:37:57 pppd[5020]: PAP authentication failed
Oct 28 21:37:57 pppd[5020]: Connection terminated.
Oct 28 21:37:57 pppd[5020]: Failed to disconnect PPPoE socket: 114 Operation already in progress
Oct 28 21:38:07 pppd[5020]: Connected to 5c:83:82:c8:2e:c5 via interface eth0
Oct 28 21:38:07 pppd[5020]: Connect: ppp1 <--> eth0
Oct 28 21:38:08 pppd[5020]: PAP authentication failed
Oct 28 21:38:08 pppd[5020]: Connection terminated.
Oct 28 21:38:08 pppd[5020]: Failed to disconnect PPPoE socket: 114 Operation already in progress
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[FernandoF]

(...) However, when I reverse the setup, making the automatic IP provider the primary WAN and the PPPoE provider the secondary, I get the error below on the secondary WAN (...)

First, please consider that Dual WAN with Asus is usually hit or miss. That said, I don't know what router and firmware you have, but I believe there are 2 alternative "methods" of doing what you describe above ("reverse the setup"):

1. Simply reversing the selected ethernet ports on the "Primary WAN" and "Secondary WAN" fields of the WAN > Dual WAN GUI page
2. Physically reversing the ethernet cables to ethernet ports at the back of the router, and then fully reconfiguring each WAN > Internet Connection GUI page for the corresponding ethernet port (as listed on the "WAN Index" section)

Can you please clarify which "method" you have used?


Now, here are a couple of things which may be worth trying:

A) If you haven't already, try the following boot sequence:

1. Turn off both modems
2. Reboot the router
3. Turn on the PPPoE modem, wait for it to connect, check status
4. Turn on the Automatic IP modem, wait for it to connect, check status

B) If that doesn't work, please try the following:

1. Turn off both modems
2. Reboot the router
3. Switch to the other "method" and reconfigure the router accordingly (please refer to the beginning of my reply)
4. Reboot the router
5. Turn on the PPPoE modem, wait for it to connect, check status
6. Turn on the Automatic IP modem, wait for it to connect, check status

Finally, I'm a big fan of hard factory reset + manual reconfiguration when things don't seem to make sense. That's something you could consider as well.

Good luck and please let us know the results!

 

[dnboe]

First, please consider that Dual WAN with Asus is usually hit or miss. That said, I don't know what router and firmware you have, but I believe there are 2 alternative "methods" of doing what you describe above ("reverse the setup"):
1. Simply reversing the selected ethernet ports on the "Primary WAN" and "Secondary WAN" fields of the WAN > Dual WAN GUI page
2. Physically reversing the ethernet cables to ethernet ports at the back of the router, and then fully reconfiguring each WAN > Internet Connection GUI page for the corresponding ethernet port (as listed on the "WAN Index" section)
Can you please clarify which "method" you have used?

Thank you for your thorough response!
I’m using an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router with the latest Asuswrt-Merlin firmware (v3004.388.8_2), but I also tried the official firmware before.
I've actually attempted both methods of reversing the WANs.

Now, here are a couple of things which may be worth trying:

A) If you haven't already, try the following boot sequence:
1. Turn off both modems
2. Reboot the router
3. Turn on the PPPoE modem, wait for it to connect, check status
4. Turn on the Automatic IP modem, wait for it to connect, check status

Didn’t work. Here is a video showing what happens after turning on the PPPoE modem and before turning on the Automatic IP modem.

B) If that doesn't work, please try the following:
1. Turn off both modems
2. Reboot the router
3. Switch to the other "method" and reconfigure the router accordingly (please refer to the beginning of my reply)
4. Reboot the router
5. Turn on the PPPoE modem, wait for it to connect, check status
6. Turn on the Automatic IP modem, wait for it to connect, check status

Didn’t work. Same problem as before.

Finally, I'm a big fan of hard factory reset + manual reconfiguration when things don't seem to make sense. That's something you could consider as well.

Good luck and please let us know the results!

It didn't work out, but thank you very much all the same!

 

[Tech9]

I’m using an ASUS RT-AX88U Pro router with the latest Asuswrt-Merlin firmware (v3004.388.8_2), but I also tried the official firmware before.

Dual WAN feature is unchanged in Asuswrt-Merlin. Comes from Asuswrt, unreliable. If you really need and rely on multiple ISP connection you have to change your hardware. An attempt was made to fix Asuswrt feature with custom script, I personally never tested it, the user feedback is mixed.

 

[FernandoF]

It didn't work out, but thank you very much all the same!

You're welcome, @dnboe, and thank you for sharing the video. Indeed intriguing...

I'm sorry nothing worked. I assume you've also tried the hard factory reset + manual reconfiguration, in which case I'm out of ideas. I hope you can live with the original reversed configuration (i.e. PPPoE as Primary WAN) -- that's how I use my connections as well (under Load Balance with manual rules though).

 

[dnboe]

Yeah I wanted to use DUAL WAN in fail-safe mode, but using PPPoE as the primary WAN is out of the question because then services like Plex, RDP, and Wake-on-LAN don't work outside my LAN. For now, I'll have to settle for using it in load-balance mode too.