I’m having an odd PPPoE issue:
When I try to establish a PPPoE session from behind a CPE device (Tranzeo) which performs MAC-NAT, and I use a consumer grade router (in this case a NetgearWGR614v4), which does not include a “host-unique” tag in the PADI – The MT Concentrator doesn’t send a responce.
I know the PADI is reaching the MT, since I used the MT to sniff it out.
If I change just about anything, it works:
Changing the router to one that does include the “host-unique” tag (in this case a Netgear RP614v2), it works.
Removing the MAC-NAT device, it works.
Using a Cisco or a ServPoet to concentrate the PPPoE, it works.
I have also been able to reproduce this with a Linux box running RoaringPenguin. When behind a MAC-NAT device, it can only establish a PPPoE connection to a MT, if I have it send a “host-unique” tag in the PADI. Supress that, and it fails. Move it out from behind the MAC-NAT, and it works with or without the “host-unique”.
It seems that the combination of a MT concentrator, a MAC-NAT CPE, and a router that lacks “host-unique” dosen’t work. I have no idea why, since everything else seems to work. While this isn’t a serious problem for me yet, we are trying to move to cheaper CPE gear (TR-CPE or CB3), which do MAC-NAT, rather than more expensive gear which can do PPPoE termination it self (like the 4000 series tranzeos we use now).
Any ideas?