Description

On SRX branch series, when we apply the 10.0.0.x as a external syslog server source-address under the configuration, the LTE connection starts flapping continuously.

Symptoms

The LTE keeps disconnecting as seen in mlte debug logs:

[Mon Aug 23 19:58:56.243 LOG: Info] LTE event: SIM 1 disconnected, reason: generic-unspecified cm  (1,3,1028).

Solution

Even though there is a source NAT rule in place, the syslog packets (port 514) originating from the source-address 10.0.0.x are not performing NAT. So the internal IP packets are reaching the LTE operator which results in dropping the LTE connection, since it is expecting public IPs to work with.

This occurs because the LTE module has a control interface on 10.0.0.x:

# ifconfig
. . .
eth0.4093 Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:00:02:03:04:05
          inet addr:10.0.0.2  Bcast:10.0.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
Find below the packet capture on the dl0 interface.

LTE disconnection:
==================
18           2021-08-10 21:20:06.215997       10.0.0.1               172.16.48.40      LOCAL4.ERR: Aug 10 21:20:05 device2-edge      0x387c (14460)  JuniperN_c2:b1:95           JuniperN_c2:b1:94           514               Syslog    514        137        101       
19           2021-08-10 21:20:06.216023       10.0.0.1               172.16.53.69      LOCAL4.ERR: Aug 10 21:20:06 device2-edge      0x387e (14462)  JuniperN_c2:b1:95           JuniperN_c2:b1:94           514               Syslog    514        127        91

When using any IP address that is not part of 10.0.0.x, the LTE disconnection stops.

user@router# show system syslog

host 172.22.30.1 {
    any notice;
}
host 172.22.56.1 {
    any notice;
}
source-address 10.0.4.1;

Once the syslog source-address is changed to non 10.0.0.x (10.0.4.1), the syslog packets starts getting NATed to the LTE IP address without LTE disconnection. 

172.31.10.231 is the assigned ISP LTE IP address
53           2021-08-10 21:36:55.208239       172.31.10.231              172.16.53.69               AUTH.NOTICE: Aug 10 21:36:55 device2-edge       0x7419 (29721)  JuniperN_c2:b1:95               JuniperN_c2:b1:94           514        Syslog    514        186        150        
54           2021-08-10 21:36:55.208382       172.31.10.231              172.16.48.40               AUTH.NOTICE: Aug 10 21:36:55 device2-fc-edge    0x741a (29722)  JuniperN_c2:b1:95               JuniperN_c2:b1:94           514        Syslog    514        186        150

Modification History

2025-02-20: minor non-technical edits.