Install the x86 version.

Yes, if you have ssh access you can use SCP to get the files directly from a connected client.

If you only have local console access you can view the boot files like:

cat /var/log/dmesg.boot

Or edit the loader.conf (or better loader.conf.local) like:

ee /boot/loader.conf.local

That will use the built in EasyEditor but you could use vi instead.

Steve

So its not sending valid ftp commands then?

Why don't you sniff and lets see the command its sending.  This way the package could be fixed to address clients sending extra info and such in their commands.

@secabeen:

@BlazeStar:

So what's the best fix then?

Wipe out and re-install fresh?

Not sure.  I force power-cycled the system and when it booted, it came up cleanly.  Rebooting through PFSense failed every time.  I had to pull the power/hit the reset button.  If you're still having problems after a true boot, then a wipe and re-install is probably your best choice.

I did force the power cycling.

On the dashboard I get:

2.2.2-RELEASE (amd64) built on Mon Apr 13 20:10:22 CDT 2015 FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE-p9 Unable to check for updates.

Everything seems fine… although I don't know why I'm unable to check for updates.

@heper:

yes thats what the .local is for ;)

@cmb:

That's why you put it in loader.conf.local not loader.conf, .local will never be overwritten by an upgrade.

Thanks guys.  Sometimes my Linux experience is a great help in the BSD's.  Sometimes it just helps me get in over my head faster.

So many things are similar, but so many are also different.

Appreciate it!

–Matt

Figure out what it is about those sites that's much slower - is DNS slow/timing out? are you losing connectivity in general between those networks (does ping stay responsive)? What does a packet capture from an affected client show?

If you only have one NIC assigned, then management is open on that one NIC (which is WAN). Where you have >= 2 NICs assigned, then WAN has its usual behavior of allowing nothing. It works that way for appliance-type usage, where maybe it's just a VPN endpoint or DHCP server or reverse proxy or any number of other possible uses.

Is your WAN DHCP or static IP or? Guessing static since it's metro-E and you mentioned a /27.

Can you ping the gateway IP when it stops working?

My first guess is IP conflict on the IP you assigned to WAN, all of the actions you mentioned to temporarily fix it would temporarily work around an IP conflict. System log may show the source of the IP conflict with a log like "xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx is using my IP a.b.c.d".

Has to be 4 different DNS server IPs, can't repeat the same one multiple times.

It's no different from a typical installation. Just plug in that USB stick and the serial console, boot it up, and go through things as usual.

After researching for a few minutes, I found this: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=93071.0

Submitting the reboot command via the diagnostics -> shell command prompt worked for me.

@signal7:

I try various things and 'futz with it' as a means of learning.  Sometimes it really pays off - maybe not today, but the info will come in handy later at some point.  You've got to admit, restoring a backup should have done it and should have been much less painless than a complete reload.

Me, too. 
I was relating a similar tale of woe.  Same device.  Same problem.  I, however, DIDN'T have the luxury of futz time.  I had 25 people trying to sell motorcycles, that couldn't because the firewall was down.

I think, when the backup was restored in both our cases, it set the com port configuration back to com1.  If you can get to the webConfigurator you can add the tweaks to /boot/loader.conf and get the console back.

I'm starting to feel positive now.

Uptime 4 Days 00 Hour 10 Minutes 43 Seconds

I'm quite confident though that the issue was with the motherboard.

… I used the wiki article to set up the PPP device, changed Routing/NAT (?) and now it works :-D ...but the 3G/4G net is lousy here at my place, so no way to really test the setup VPN...

Many thanx, will report on further developments.

kind regards

chemlud

In case that was not clear it should go like this.
Go to assign interface: Assign an interface to OPT1 then save

Go to Interfaces:OPT1 Now enable it with checkbox.
Set as "IP4 Configuration Type" as : Static

Now scroll down and setup your new OPT network with a new subnet of your choosing.
Under :"Static IPv4 configuration"
Perhaps something like 192.168.10.1 then >> "/24" << from dropdown, Then save.

Next go to Services/DHCP Server and enable an DHCP server for your new OPT1 address. (Tab at top for new OPT1 interface)
Range in example would be 192.168.10.100 for start and 192.168.10.200 for end of address range. Or similar…

Now go to GUI menu and setup Firewall Rules to allow traffic: Firewall/Rules Go to tab at top for your new OPT1 interface.
Create a rule to suit your traffic. Allow any to setup and perhaps lock down once you get it running.

At this point you can test your interface with a client and ensure getting an IP address and can surf the web.

If all works good than follow the Captive Portal doc's for your new interface to allow traffic.

Aha !!
Answers to questions that were never asked  ;D

On nanobsd, an entire slice gets rewritten. On full install, stale/broken cruft keeps accummulating.

Plus the firmware upgrade GUI is just retarded.

https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4636
https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4670

Just following up on this - when I tried this again and power-cycled the model, it worked right away. Thanks again!