Quick Build - PPPoE Client on JunOS

In this quick-build guide I'll show you how to set up a very basic JunOS-based PPPoE client. This example is from a Firefly virtual SRX firewall appliance, however the config should be identical on any JunOS platform. As usual, the build will cover the most simple common use case (no VLAN tags, dynamic AC selection, negotiated IP).

Note, if you want a PPPoE access concentrator to go with your client, you may find the Quick Build: Cisco IOS PPPoE Server with RADIUS Authentication post useful.

The Setup

The PPPoE client is set up in two config stanzas - the first being the physical interface which will connect towards the access concentrator, the second being a virtual point to point interface that will become live when the PPPoE session comes up. We'll build the physical interface first, as follows:

set interfaces ge-0/0/2 unit 0 encapsulation ppp-over-ether

In true JunOS fashion, very little config required there. Turn the interface encapsulation dial to PPPoE :)

Next, we need to set up the point to point interface. We'll create it as unit 0 and bind it to the physical interface we just configured:


set interfaces pp0 unit 0 pppoe-options underlying-interface ge-0/0/2.0
set interfaces pp0 unit 0 pppoe-options client

Now the PPP settings:

set interfaces pp0 unit 0 ppp-options chap default-chap-secret b0dges
set interfaces pp0 unit 0 ppp-options chap local-name "user@domain"
set interfaces pp0 unit 0 ppp-options chap passive

The lines above essentially just set the CHAP local name (think username), the CHAP secret (think password) and set CHAP to passive mode (i.e. tell it not to try to get the AC to authenticate to us). All that then remains is to configure up the IP:

set interfaces pp0 unit 0 family inet negotiate-address
set routing-options static route 0.0.0.0/0 next-hop pp0.0

That really is all that you need! In real life you will probably need to add NAT and so on, but the PPPoE configuration is done and the interface should just pop up on its own.

Debugging

Debugging PPPoE setup is best done by enabling trace logging for the PPP and PPPoE protocols as follows:

set protocols ppp traceoptions file ppp
set protocols ppp traceoptions level all
set protocols ppp traceoptions flag all
set protocols pppoe traceoptions file pppoe
set protocols pppoe traceoptions level all
set protocols pppoe traceoptions flag all

The output of these traces can then be seen using "show log ppp" and "show log pppoe" respectively. They are quite verbose and should give a strong steer on what is not working.