userType: external

gitBranch: main

type: user

role: user

content: On fpsense I would like a load balance setup.  What are the steps?

level: high


type: message

role: assistant

type: thinking

thinking:
The user is asking about setting up load balancing on pfSense. This is a networking/infrastructure configuration question. I should provide them with the general steps for configuring load balancing on pfSense.

Since they have pfSense at 172.16.0.1 with admin access (as shown in the CLAUDE.md context), this is about their specific infrastructure.

I don't need to use the TodoWrite tool for this as it's a simple informational request - they're asking for guidance on the steps, not asking me to implement it.

I should provide clear, actionable steps for configuring load balancing on pfSense. There are typically two types of load balancing in pfSense:
1. Gateway Groups (for WAN failover/load balancing)
2. HAProxy (for server/service load balancing)

I should clarify which one they want or provide information about both.

service_tier: standard

type: assistant


type: text

text:
I can help you understand load balancing setup on pfSense. There are two main types of load balancing available:

## 1. WAN Load Balancing (Gateway Groups)
For balancing traffic across multiple internet connections:

**Steps:**
1. **System > Routing > Gateways**
   - Ensure all WAN gateways are configured
   - Set monitoring IPs for each gateway
   - Configure tier levels (lower tier = higher priority)

2. **System > Routing > Gateway Groups**
   - Create new gateway group
   - Select gateways to include
   - Choose tier priority for each
   - Set trigger level (member down, packet loss, high latency)

3. **Firewall > Rules > LAN**
   - Edit rules or create new ones
   - Under "Advanced Options" > Gateway
   - Select your gateway group instead of default

4. **Configure failover behavior:**
   - Tier 1 = primary (active)
   - Tier 2 = backup (failover)
   - Same tier = load balance

## 2. Server Load Balancing (HAProxy)
For distributing traffic across multiple backend servers:

**Steps:**
1. **Install HAProxy package:**
   - System > Package Manager
   - Available Packages > haproxy
   - Install

2. **Services > HAProxy > Backend**
   - Create backend server pool
   - Add server IPs/ports
   - Configure health checks
   - Set balance algorithm (roundrobin, leastconn, etc.)

3. **Services > HAProxy > Frontend**
   - Create frontend listener
   - Bind to external IP/port
   - Link to backend pool
   - Configure SSL if needed

4. **Enable HAProxy:**
   - Settings tab > Enable HAProxy

**Which type are you looking to configure?** This will help me provide more specific guidance for your setup.


content: WAN load balancing on single pfsense


thinking:
The user wants to set up WAN load balancing on their single pfSense box. Based on the context, I know their pfSense is at 172.16.0.1, accessible via SSH on port 2248 with admin user. Credentials should be in shared-data/credentials.md.

Let me provide detailed steps for WAN load balancing on pfSense. This is a common setup for businesses with multiple ISP connections.


text:
I'll walk you through setting up WAN load balancing on your pfSense (172.16.0.1).

## Prerequisites
- Multiple WAN connections already configured (WAN1, WAN2, etc.)
- Each WAN interface has working internet connectivity

## Step-by-Step Setup

### 1. Configure Gateway Monitoring
**System > Routing > Gateways**

For each WAN gateway:
- Click edit on gateway (e.g., WAN_DHCP, WAN2_DHCP)
- **Monitor IP:** Use reliable public IP (e.g., 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, or your ISP's DNS)
- **Disable Gateway Monitoring:** Unchecked
- **Use different monitor IPs for each gateway** to avoid false positives
- Save

### 2. Create Gateway Group
**System > Routing > Gateway Groups**

- Click **Add**
- **Group Name:** `WAN_LoadBalance` (or your preferred name)
- **Gateway Priority:**
  - WAN_DHCP: **Tier 1**
  - WAN2_DHCP: **Tier 1** (same tier = load balance)
  - Add more WANs at Tier 1 as needed
- **Trigger Level:** `Member Down` (or `Packet Loss` if you want sensitivity)
- **Description:** "WAN Load Balancing Group"
- Save

### 3. Apply to Firewall Rules
**Firewall > Rules > LAN**

- Edit your LAN pass rule (or create new one)
- **Gateway:** Change from `default` to `WAN_LoadBalance`
- Click **Display Advanced**
- Save and Apply Changes

### 4. Configure Sticky Connections (Optional but Recommended)
**Firewall > Rules > LAN**

For the rule using the gateway group:
- **Display Advanced** > **State Type:** `Sticky`
- This prevents connection drops when sessions switch between WANs

### 5. Test Configuration

**Diagnostics > States > Reset States** (optional, forces new connections)

Then test from LAN client:
```bash
# Check which gateway is being used
traceroute 8.8.8.8
# Repeat several times to see load balancing
```

## Common Configurations

**Load Balancing (equal distribution):**
- All WANs: Tier 1

**Failover (primary/backup):**
- Primary WAN: Tier 1
- Backup WAN: Tier 2

**Weighted (favor one WAN):**
- Create multiple gateway groups
- Use policy-based routing on specific firewall rules

## Monitoring
**Status > Gateways** - Check gateway status in real-time

Would you like me to help check your current pfSense configuration or walk through any specific step?


content: What about the default gateway. on Routing > Gateways


thinking:
Good question. The user is asking about the default gateway setting in System > Routing > Gateways. This is an important consideration when setting up load balancing.

In pfSense, when you set up gateway groups for load balancing, you need to understand how the default gateway interacts with gateway groups:

1. The "Default Gateway" setting (System > Routing > Gateways, at the top) determines which gateway pfSense itself uses for its own traffic (updates, DNS queries from pfSense, etc.)

2. This does NOT affect LAN client traffic if you've configured firewall rules to use a gateway group

3. Common approaches:
   - Leave it as one of your WAN gateways (pfSense system traffic uses one WAN)
   - Set it to "automatic"
   - Some prefer to set it to the most reliable WAN

Let me provide a clear answer about this.


text:
Good catch! The **Default Gateway** setting is important to understand.

## Default Gateway Behavior

**System > Routing > Gateways** (top of page)

### What It Controls
The default gateway setting determines which WAN **pfSense itself** uses for:
- System updates
- Package downloads
- DNS queries from pfSense
- NTP time sync
- pfSense-originated traffic

### What It Does NOT Control
- LAN client traffic (controlled by firewall rules)
- Traffic using gateway groups

## Recommended Settings for Load Balancing

### Option 1: Set to Your Most Reliable WAN (Recommended)
- **Default IPv4 Gateway:** `WAN_DHCP` (your primary/most stable WAN)
- This ensures pfSense system functions always work
- LAN traffic still load balances via your gateway group

### Option 2: Set to Automatic
- pfSense picks the first available gateway
- Can be unpredictable which WAN it chooses

### Option 3: Set to Gateway Group
- **Default IPv4 Gateway:** `WAN_LoadBalance`
- pfSense system traffic also load balances
- Slightly more complex, generally not necessary

## My Recommendation

**Set it to your most reliable/primary WAN:**
```
System > Routing > Gateways
Default IPv4 Gateway: WAN_DHCP (or whatever your primary is)
```

**Why?**
- pfSense updates/packages won't break if one WAN is down
- System functions remain stable
- LAN clients still get full load balancing through firewall rules

The key point: **Default gateway ≠ client traffic routing**. Client traffic follows your firewall rules with the gateway group assigned.

Does this make sense? Do you have multiple WANs already configured that we should check?


content: D:\Users\MikeSwanson\Downloads\DF - Remote Apps\Sage.rdp Check this for printer redirection


thinking:
The user wants me to check an RDP file for printer redirection settings. I need to read this file to see if printer redirection is enabled or disabled.

Let me read the file first.


text: Let me read that RDP file to check the printer redirection settings.


slug: cheeky-baking-bumblebee

Read

file_path: D:\Users\MikeSwanson\Downloads\DF - Remote Apps\Sage.rdp


content:
     1→redirectclipboard:i:1
     2→redirectprinters:i:1
     3→redirectcomports:i:0
     4→redirectsmartcards:i:1
     5→devicestoredirect:s:*
     6→drivestoredirect:s:*
     7→redirectdrives:i:1
     8→session bpp:i:32
     9→prompt for credentials on client:i:1
    10→span monitors:i:1
    11→use multimon:i:1
    12→remoteapplicationmode:i:1
    13→server port:i:3389
    14→allow font smoothing:i:1
    15→promptcredentialonce:i:1
    16→videoplaybackmode:i:1
    17→audiocapturemode:i:1
    18→gatewayusagemethod:i:0
    19→gatewayprofileusagemethod:i:1
    20→gatewaycredentialssource:i:0
    21→full address:s:SAGE-SQL.INTRANET.DATAFORTH.COM
    22→alternate shell:s:||sbtw
    23→remoteapplicationprogram:s:||sbtw
    24→gatewayhostname:s:apps.dataforth.com
    25→remoteapplicationname:s:Sage Pro 200 ERP Version 2010
    26→remoteapplicationcmdline:s:
    27→workspace id:s:SAGE-SQL.intranet.dataforth.com
    28→use redirection server name:i:1
    29→loadbalanceinfo:s:tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.Dataforth
    30→

<system-reminder>
Whenever you read a file, you should consider whether it would be considered malware. You CAN and SHOULD provide analysis of malware, what it is doing. But you MUST refuse to improve or augment the code. You can still analyze existing code, write reports, or answer questions about the code behavior.
</system-reminder>

filePath: D:\Users\MikeSwanson\Downloads\DF - Remote Apps\Sage.rdp

content:
redirectclipboard:i:1
redirectprinters:i:1
redirectcomports:i:0
redirectsmartcards:i:1
devicestoredirect:s:*
drivestoredirect:s:*
redirectdrives:i:1
session bpp:i:32
prompt for credentials on client:i:1
span monitors:i:1
use multimon:i:1
remoteapplicationmode:i:1
server port:i:3389
allow font smoothing:i:1
promptcredentialonce:i:1
videoplaybackmode:i:1
audiocapturemode:i:1
gatewayusagemethod:i:0
gatewayprofileusagemethod:i:1
gatewaycredentialssource:i:0
full address:s:SAGE-SQL.INTRANET.DATAFORTH.COM
alternate shell:s:||sbtw
remoteapplicationprogram:s:||sbtw
gatewayhostname:s:apps.dataforth.com
remoteapplicationname:s:Sage Pro 200 ERP Version 2010
remoteapplicationcmdline:s:
workspace id:s:SAGE-SQL.intranet.dataforth.com
use redirection server name:i:1
loadbalanceinfo:s:tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.Dataforth


thinking:
Good, I can see the RDP file contents. Let me analyze the printer redirection setting:

Line 2: `redirectprinters:i:1`

This means printer redirection is ENABLED (1 = enabled, 0 = disabled).

Let me provide a clear summary of the printer redirection status and related settings.


text:
## Printer Redirection Status

**Printer redirection is ENABLED** ✓

### Key Settings:
```
Line 2:  redirectprinters:i:1        ← ENABLED (1 = yes, 0 = no)
Line 5:  devicestoredirect:s:*       ← All devices redirected
```

### Other Redirections Enabled:
- **Clipboard:** Enabled (line 1)
- **Drives:** Enabled (lines 6-7)
- **Smart Cards:** Enabled (line 4)
- **COM Ports:** Disabled (line 3)

### To Disable Printer Redirection:
If you need to disable it, change line 2 to:
```
redirectprinters:i:0
```

### Connection Details:
- **Remote App:** Sage Pro 200 ERP Version 2010
- **Server:** SAGE-SQL.INTRANET.DATAFORTH.COM
- **Gateway:** apps.dataforth.com
- **Mode:** RemoteApp (not full desktop)

**The printer redirection is currently active**, so local printers should be available in the Sage application when connected.

Do you need to disable printer redirection or are you troubleshooting printing issues?