Technical Tip: Static routes with address objects or groups

[ciordan]

Description

This article describes how to configure a static route with address objects or address groups.

Scope

FortiGate.

Solution

Configure a standard address through the GUI under Policy & Objects, specifying the name, type, and subnet:

GUI view:

CLI view of the created address object:

sh firewall address Test_range

config firewall address
    edit "Test_range"
        set uuid 1e123290-e041-51e9-b531-e5c4e2980e1a
        set subnet 10.0.0.0 255.255.255.0
    next
end

Configure a standard address group in the GUI under Policy & Objects, specifying the name and the members:

GUI view:

CLI view of the created address group:

sh firewall addrgrp Test_group

config firewall addrgrp
    edit "Test_group"
        set uuid dd0497ce-e041-51e9-1b4e-bc11d7cc083c
        set member "Test_range"
    next
end

If a static route is configured with an address object or group as a destination, there will be no entries.

conf router static

edit 1
new entry '1' added

set dstaddr
<string>    please input string value

set dstaddr

Enable static route configuration from the GUI or add 'set allow-routing enable' from the CLI for the address object or address group:

sh firewall address Test_range

config firewall address
    edit "Test_range"
        set uuid 1e123290-e041-51e9-b531-e5c4e2980e1a
        set allow-routing enable
        set subnet 10.0.0.0 255.255.255.0
    next
end

sh firewall addrgrp Test_group

config firewall addrgrp
    edit "Test_group"
        set uuid dd0497ce-e041-51e9-1b4e-bc11d7cc083c
        set member "Test_range"
        set allow-routing enable
    next
end

If the static route is configured with an address object or group as the destination, there will be available entries:

conf router static
edit 1

set dstaddr
<string>    please input string value
Test_range      address
Test_group      addrgrp

set dstaddr

It is possible to check the configured static route under Network -> Static Routes from the GUI or with show router static in the CLI

sh router static

config router static
    edit 1
        set gateway 192.168.1.1
        set device "wan1"
        set dstaddr "Test_group"
    next
end

From FortiOS v7.4.0, it is possible to define a preferred source IP for static routes to control the source IP used for local-out traffic. This setting allows better control over the source IP on egress interfaces, making it feasible to use a specified IP instead of the default interface IP.

config router static
   edit <id>
      set preferred-source <ip_address>
      next
   end

This configuration allows local-out traffic using the static route to use the preferred source IP instead of the IP associated with the egress interface.

Verification:

get router info routing-table details 10.0.0.0

Routing table for VRF=0
Routing entry for 10.0.0.0/24
Known via "static", distance 10, metric 0, best
* vrf 0 192.168.1.1, via port1

Note: To add the address objects in a group, either disable or enable static route configuration for all of the address objects in the same group. The parameter static route configuration must be disabled or enabled in the same way.