No wan-ip on proxmox-based openwrt

knirpso · November 15, 2025, 10:23pm

hello there

im Looking into virtualize my Router over Proxmox and have it up and running just fine...beside that i won't get a wan-ip from my ISP "Wingo"

What I know:
my previous router, a fritzbox with factory defaults get a ip assigned
-lan-site is working fine
-ISP assignes with DHCP
-have free router choosing but says it need to be certified ADSL or G.Fast Modem
-im over DSL (Copper)

this things are written here in german from my ISP: https://www.wingo.ch/de/hilfe/faq/kann-ich-fuer-wingo-internet-meinen-eigenen-router-verwenden

My Setup:
-Proxmox with a dual X550 NiC
-the eth-ports are set-up in proxmox and assigned to the openwrt vm
-DSL-line goes directly into proxmox NIC 0

What I tried:
-MAC clone from working fritzbox
-changed the hostname from openwrt to fritz.box for the ISP

my logs:

BusyBox v1.36.1 (2025-10-19 16:37:45 UTC) built-in shell (ash)

  _______                     ________        __
 |       |.-----.-----.-----.|  |  |  |.----.|  |_
 |   -   ||  _  |  -__|     ||  |  |  ||   _||   _|
 |_______||   __|_____|__|__||________||__|  |____|
          |__| W I R E L E S S   F R E E D O M
 -----------------------------------------------------
 OpenWrt 24.10.4, r28959-29397011cc
 -----------------------------------------------------
root@OpenWrt:~# ubus call system board
 /etc/config/fir{
        "kernel": "6.6.110",
        "hostname": "OpenWrt",
        "system": "QEMU Virtual CPU version 2.5+",
        "model": "QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)",
        "board_name": "qemu-standard-pc-i440fx-piix-1996",
        "rootfs_type": "ext4",
        "release": {
                "distribution": "OpenWrt",
                "version": "24.10.4",
                "revision": "r28959-29397011cc",
                "target": "x86/64",
                "description": "OpenWrt 24.10.4 r28959-29397011cc",
                "builddate": "1760891865"
        }
}
root@OpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/network

config interface 'loopback'
        option device 'lo'
        option proto 'static'
        option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'
        option netmask '255.0.0.0'

config globals 'globals'
        option ula_prefix 'fdcb:dfd9:7ac0::/48'
        option packet_steering '1'

config interface 'lan'
        option device 'br-lan'
        option proto 'static'
        option ipaddr '192.168.212.1'
        option netmask '255.255.255.0'
        option ip6assign '60'
        option gateway '8.8.8.8'
        list dns '192.168.212.1'

config interface 'wan'
        option proto 'dhcp'
        option device 'eth0'
        option delegate '0'
        option hostname 'fritz.box'

config device
        option name 'br-lan'
        option type 'bridge'
        list ports 'eth1'
        option ipv6 '0'

config device
        option name 'eth0'
        option ipv6 '0'
        option mtu '1500'

config device
        option name 'eth1'
        option ipv6 '0'

root@OpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/wireless
cat: can't open '/etc/config/wireless': No such file or directory
root@OpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/dhcp

config dnsmasq
        option domainneeded '1'
        option localise_queries '1'
        option rebind_protection '1'
        option rebind_localhost '1'
        option local '/lan/'
        option domain 'lan'
        option expandhosts '1'
        option cachesize '1000'
        option readethers '1'
        option leasefile '/tmp/dhcp.leases'
        option resolvfile '/tmp/resolv.conf.d/resolv.conf.auto'
        option localservice '1'
        option ednspacket_max '1232'
        option authoritative '1'

config dhcp 'lan'
        option interface 'lan'
        option start '100'
        option limit '150'
        option leasetime '12h'
        option dhcpv4 'server'
        option dhcpv6 'server'
        option ra 'server'
        list ra_flags 'managed-config'
        list ra_flags 'other-config'
        option force '1'

config dhcp 'wan'
        option interface 'wan'
        option ignore '1'

config odhcpd 'odhcpd'
        option maindhcp '0'
        option leasefile '/tmp/hosts/odhcpd'
        option leasetrigger '/usr/sbin/odhcpd-update'
        option loglevel '4'
        option piofolder '/tmp/odhcpd-piofolder'

root@OpenWrt:~# cat /etc/config/firewall

Syslog, where the DHCP stops:

How can I dig further into the problem, if it's not a config-mistake from my side, to debug the failing DHCP-IP-assign?

Thanks for some inputs.

psherman · November 15, 2025, 10:45pm

Running openwrt in a vm is not usually the easiest option as it requires correct configuration of the upstream environment (the supervisor/hypervisor and the host).

A simple test: if connect the lan port of another router to the wan port of your machine with the vm. Does it get an address via dhcp? If yes, the problem is related to the isp/modem upstream. If not, it is the host/vm environment that needs to be fixed.

knirpso · November 15, 2025, 10:50pm

Hi psherman

thanks for the fast reply!

i did that and I got an IP. So what exactly means a ISP/modem upstream problem?

Where can i attack?

could it be, that i need to adjust some variables on openwrt which are send to the ISP?

BR

xize · November 15, 2025, 10:53pm

I would first check on proxmox if that works first.

You have commands like:

ip route and ifconfig which could give you some hints, then you can also try some pinging if needed.

My guess is that you have to tag vlan 10 there aswell or if an isp modem is still upstream not use vlan 10 on proxmox, once you figured that works then you can progress further down stream on the vms.

imo on my own proxmox instance I decided to go with vmbr0 as a full vlan aware bridge, on the vms you can break the vlans up like pcie interfaces with the ens naming.

Here is a example for proxmox:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto enp1s0
iface enp1s0 inet manual

auto enp2s0
iface enp2s0 inet manual

auto vmbr0
iface vmbr0 inet dhcp
        bridge-ports enp1s0 enp2s0
        bridge-stp on
        bridge-fd 0
        bridge-vid 1
        bridge-vlan-aware yes
        bridge-vids 2-4094
        bridge-bridgeprio 300

Likely it is possible depending how your ifaces are named, that you need an enp1s0.10, enp1s0 could be different named for you, you will see it appear then in ifconfig/or ip route if that route didn't exist, it needs to start there

psherman · November 15, 2025, 11:14pm

This means your openwrt setup (and the host/vm supervisor) is broadly correct.

Sometimes your modem needs to be rebooted. Or you might need to ask your isp to update the registered MAC address (alternatively you can clone the old mac into the new router).

This all assumes your is uses dhcp and no VLANs. If it requires something else, you need to adjust your openwrt config.

But ask your isp for help verifying that you have the correct config and the like.

knirpso · November 16, 2025, 12:42am

Sometimes your modem needs to be rebooted. Or you might need to ask your isp to update the registered MAC address (alternatively you can clone the old mac into the new router).

Did both but no luck

This all assumes your is uses dhcp and no VLANs. If it requires something else, you need to adjust your openwrt config.

If my fritzbox 7590 is working with default config and gets an ip, can i check somehow whats the difference between openwrt dhcp discovery message and fritzbox? like analyze it with wireshark?

Also i did not setup VLAN on the Fritzbox and i get the IP, so no VLAN needed on openwrt ether?

I also checked the wiki about ISP-config but Wingo isnt there sadly.

knirpso · November 16, 2025, 12:46am

just checked this things and this is the output:

route

knirpso · November 16, 2025, 12:49am

And this

Maybe you see some flaws?

Thanks!

OpenWRT-fanboy · November 16, 2025, 1:18am

Your settings don't jump out at me as overtly wrong.

Here's what I would do.

Backup entire proxmox system
Install openwrt baremetal (clone MAC or not, whatever it takes to get it working)
Save config
Restore proxmox
Use saved config (you might have to edit the names of your ports)

xize · November 16, 2025, 1:40am

This look good, then you need to check the vm, you may add a network device to this vm with just vmbr0, if you want it directly on this 192.168.212.0/24 subnet.

You could name it eth1 or eth0 in OpenWrt this will then be your DSA device for wan.

for lan devices you can decide if you bring them up virtual in OpenWrt more of a dummy interface, or actually also passthrough devices from proxmox to reflect psysical lans.

^ note if that is the case to reflect the real lan ports, you may want to choose not to use bridge vmbr0, but rather enp3s devices directly often they show as manual in /etc/network/interfaces you want dhcp, vlans seem not to be required from what I could gather from the screen shot

Note that the mac address block can re-occur because a different device requests dhcp.

psherman · November 16, 2025, 2:25am

Did you ask your isp’s technical support?

psherman · November 16, 2025, 3:19am

This is a DSL modem + router combo unit.

Do you have a modem?

The connection here must go into a modem. From the modem, you will get an Ethernet connection that can plug into your Proxmox system.

This would appear to be the issue -- the DSL line is not electrically the same as an Ethernet connection. A modem is required.

ppmm · November 16, 2025, 4:19am

Could you provide following? Replace 100.conf with the vm for OpenWrt and mask where appropriate.

cat /etc/network/interfaces

cat /etc/pve/qemu-server/100.conf

ip link

ip ro

knirpso · November 16, 2025, 4:18pm

Fon't know how I forgot that....somehow I just was not thinking about that after 20 hours debugging.

As I dont have another modem right now I'll wait with openwrt till I got my fiber in 2 weeks. for that I got a mediaconverter who can be directly plugged in into the proxmox system.

Thanks to all of you guys for your inputs und fast help.

BR and see you in 2 weeks