@stephenw10 Thanks so much, the connection link really helped. I found the problem on Linux was the usb port name default was wrong. Why I do was run the active syslog viewer and saw which port was being used for the SG-1100. In Putty, the port was misspelled for that district of Linux. Once fixed, it worked. Thanks again.

@Darthsternie OK. I don't know if you followed the M400 thread but the ME firmware was the root cause of newer CPU's not being supported properly.

@matt-q Indeed, appropriate SMD tools are strongly recommended both for the removal of such a tiny resistor and for the repair work. Sometimes its possible to run a bypass wire between the pads at each end of the track if they can be traced, but since in this case one end runs either to or under the Marvell chip, that's likely not an option. My comment about cutting tracks was general BTW as I have seen the suggestion mentioned elsewhere as well. This does provide an option In the absence of the necessary SMD tools but as you have discovered, is not without risk.

Using the built in tools. So, for example, in Firefox open the web developer tools and check the Network tab while loading a page.

Yup the flow control is negotiated on the connection so whilst it might be enabled on both interfaces in pfSense only the switch is allowing it.

@it_geek realtek-re-kmod198-198.00.1600004 is meant for the pfSense installer since it's for FreeBSD 16. That's what the 1600004 means. You want realtek-re-kmod198-198.00.1500029.pkg. See the Readme for details on each build. RTL8211 as you mentioned is a gigabit NIC. I've only tested this driver with RTL8125 which is a 2.5 GbE NIC. Although I think the driver should be fairly universal. Gigabit NICs should be better supported out of the box. I wonder if you're seeing something different?

I got on Google Fiber about a week ago, the 3 gigabit tier. I used the Intel 540 card that I mentioned and it's working pretty well.

I used these steps along with those found at https://ryjelsum.me/homelab/sicom-bypass-cards/ the FTP password referenced on ryjelsum.me website is not working currently, so super stoked the author uploaded to internet archive. https://archive.org/details/silicom-pxgxbp-sd-cd With these steps and the files that ryjelsum uploaded to the internet archive, hopefully we can keep these old useful NIC's going for a bit longer. Currently the official website files at https://www.silicom-usa.com/cats/server-adapters/networking-bypass-adapters/ are all dead links, you click and get an 8bit file.

@stephenw10 Thank you. Updating the firewall fixed it. I'm embarrassed it was so far behind. Opendns was blocking it from showing an update was available and in addition it was reporting to me I was on the latest. Thanks for looking at my post!

Exactly how 'frozen' is it? Like the console stops responding? But, yes, you should upgrade anyway.

@stephenw10 said in WatchGuard XTM 5 – Full Repurpose Guide (BIOS Unlock + OPNsense Working): Mmm, I assume pfSense also runs fine there. It does for me. As does mine..

No set timeline for that yet.

@stephenw10 My experience (posted above), with the older firmware, showed that even if I set 2500BaseT and other side was auto-negotiate I still had flapping. I still have 1000BaseT set now and it has been stable for months. This is on my WAN side, igc3. LAN side, igc2, is set to auto-negotiate and other side is 1000BaseT and it has been stable since day one. Looks like @workaholiker has proven that with new firmware setting speed to 2500Base-T stops flapping. I also had purchased new 1m Cat6a cables to rule them out.

Just checking in to confirm that everything is still running smoothly without any issues. I did end up setting up additional services like Avahi but all freezes are history.

The i7 still commands an unrealistic premium IMO. The i5s are far cheaper and easier to get and still easily powerful enough for most. I'm running an i5-4670S in one without issue. Pulls ~24W.

So we've snuck past the 10 year anniversary of the APU2 Have recently updated my APU2 to pfSense Plus 26.03 - absolutely worth the effort just for these fixes alone: Fixed: GUI performance degradation due to check for weak passwords on each page load (speeds up the UI considerably on the venerable AMD GX-412TC) Added: Update the SSH server configuration to current standards and include post-quantum cryptography algorithms Added: Auto-renewal for certificates Kudos to Netgate, PC Engines & 3mdeb for providing such a robust & performant gateway. Lastly I'm still running the same tweaks as previously documented (see https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222684 above) Enjoy

@stephenw10 Thanks, I really appreciate that I’ve updated both the guide and the download page to properly credit you and reflect the wider community work behind it, and I’ll also be linking back to this thread so people can see the original discussion. This is the credit section I’ve added: Updated Credit section to reflect the community and thread too: [image: 1775498781664-c65debaa-c9b5-4780-8f6c-9d85e5696f41-image.png] ~~🧠 Original BIOS Mod Credit This BIOS modification originates from work within the Netgate community. Credit goes to stephenw10 on the Netgate forums, who confirmed that this ROM matches the version originally created around 2013. The original modification was developed to unlock additional BIOS functionality and enable features such as improved CPU support, system flexibility, and better handling of CPU scaling (EIST) behaviour. There were multiple contributors involved in the wider XTM5 work at the time, so this should be considered part of a broader community effort rather than a newly created file. This file is hosted here to preserve access, as many original sources and download links have disappeared over time. Really appreciate the extra info as well — especially around the AML/EIST side of things ~~

Yes, it's possible. The only real gotcha is that the m.2 socket is B-keyed so the NVMe drive you fit must be B or B+M keyed. Realistically that means it needs to be B+M keyed as I've never seen a B only keyed SSD. Most/many NVMe SSDs are M-keyed only and won't fit in the 4100 (or 6100/8200). https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/netgate-4100/m-2-nvme-installation.html Steve

@w0w it works for me. Thanks