@TheRealestLad Not sure, if you're still looking. But check out HP T620 Plus or HP T730 thin clients, both support installing a LAN card. For ~ $80 on Ebay.

Ref: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/some-information-about-hp-t620-plus-flexible-thin-client-machines-for-network-appliance-builds.21014/

@gertjan said in Cheap 4port 1x slot card:

a PCIe 1x saturates above 2 Gbits /sec

Untitled2.png
Afaik the motherboard is pcie 2.0
and the card is pcie 2.1

so at 1x theoretically the port wont choke the 4port 1gbps nic at full speed?

@kiokoman

pfsense version: 2.4.5-RELEASE-p1 (amd64)
hardware: APU4D4 (https://pcengines.ch/apu4d4.htm)

That's a better idea since even if you did get this to boot it would be 3 years out of date! 😉

@riftor_77 I used a Kaby 7320 for several years on a H270 based motherboard without issue, until I realized it was overkill for my needs. That processor rarely hit 10%. Now I am using my old AMD AM1 4 core 2ghz 25w tdp chip setup. The 400meg down I have is overkill in my case but it was only 5 bucks more a month than 200 down. Just one person streaming videos and me running two VPNs into work on weekdays. Little AMD chip works just fine. Now if I had an office here with 20 people going at it, I would be using that Kaby instead of loading Windows on it and using it in the dining room. So you need to look at your use case honestly to answer your question. BTW if I were an online gamer paying for a fiber gig line and was looking for that low latency I would be using that Kaby for PFSense. Just re-read your post about the VPN use- yea for OpenVPN the clock speed is what you want.

Maybe finding an H270 chip motherboard to use your existing chip, would work (I am assuming the chipset was the issue in your case with your motherboard?).

@netblues said in Watchguard XTM 2 (21):

@legowim @recycle bin

Ha

With the original software load it would usually be placed between the modem and and wifi APs or switches you have. It is a firewall/router.

Steve

@stephenw10 Hi fella, thanks for the further suggestions.
Good news, I got it fixed. As per your (earlier) suggestion I started playing with the BIOS settings and I had also emailed PONDESK support in parallel. I actually got a reply from them with the fix about 1 minute after I had found it by accident (i.e. by trial and error), so at least they confirmed what I found.

The fix is to go here in the BIOS and disable the following:

Advanced -> IT8613 Super IO Configuration -> CIR Controller Configuration -> CIR Controller = Disabled

They said they'd made a recent change to the BIOS which had caused this and will be addressing it in the next update (I'm not sure how, perhaps setting the default to be disabled).

BTW, I did a quick Google and apparently CIR is Consumer Infrared, so nothing I will miss for my use case.

Thanks for your help on this, it was most appreciated.

I think this line indicates it only has one config index:

So not possible to set a different one as linked there.

But, I agree, this looks like it might be the cheaper device. The TP-Link NIC may well work by setting an alternate config index. @sscleber ?

Steve

Unit has been sold, thank you for your private messages.

@cjohnson

I would not mine the ability to control the fan speed via software. This allows me to tune it. I will give it a shot, since I had to use ipmi tool to recovery the password.

Support for that card was only added to the base re(4) driver 2 months ago so it will not be recognised in 2.4.5. It will be in 2.5 though.

https://github.com/pfsense/FreeBSD-src/commit/7cb3cd513d45f72ab62ebe1981bad8ee5d4e41b5#diff-3b42e7c6c8c0a7f01442c7cf9955008a8c138f8eae3f03a7b1275bd381c79671

Steve

Create the file: /boot/loader.conf.local

Add to it:

That will load the driver at boot.

Steve

I will Debian a test and report back.

FYI:

I just defaulted one of these back to factory, and did some testing. With NO changes from default:

700-841 mbits max, single stream.

900-835 4 streams. I am attaching output from a script that runs the test 25 times in a row.

The source was a box that was on 10 gbit fiber (no jumbo), with the router connected to a switch that has 10 gbit fiber in. So all 10gbit until I plugged the router into the switch, and the test client into the router.

Attached is the output.

PFSENSE_SG-2440_GBIT_TEST-2020.12.02-iperf2-P4.txt

PFSENSE_SG-2440_GBIT_TEST-2020.12.02-iperf2.txt

@stephenw10 https://www.provantage.com/ubiquiti-networks-uf-instant~7UBNT0UC.htm

Pretty much no difference on anything vaguely recent with a PCIe bus.

I single NIC probably has fewer components so statistically less chance of failure.

2 single NICs probably spreads the heat better reducing the chance of failure.

I would not be concerned about either.

Steve

Yes it could absolutely help between other devices in the network it just won't do anything in pfSense as traffic there is limited by the WAN speed.

Steve

What's in it? If it's 64bit it's probably fine.

Edit: Looks like it's a 'Dual Core i3 (3,50 Ghz)' with 12GB ram. So should be no problem.