More pfSense woes.
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Alright, so now pfSense is starting to get into a mode where it doesn’t forward packets, and the built-in web server doesn’t respond. Attempting to go the the router’s ip address throws an http 500 error.
When I go and ssh in, and check dmesg, I get (sorry, this is from memory):
Re1: Watchdog Timeout
Re1: link down
Re1: Link up
sonewconn: pcb [yada-yada]: Listen queue overflow: 8 already in queue awaiting acceptance (1 occurrences)
Re1: Link down
Re1: Link up
[repeat line 4]
[repeat line 2]
[repeat line 3]
[repeat line 4]
…I’m considering enabling NIC hardware offloading.
Still using a ZimaBoard 4/32 and dlink managed switch with l2 vlans.
Re1 is my WAN port.
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@aaronouthier check the various posts about realtek network card troubles. There are some unofficial drivers floating around this board
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Yeah when you see watchdog timeouts in the Realtek driver like that you should try the alternative driver. That's really the only thing you can do if you can't swap out the NICs like on that device.
Steve
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pkg: https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-196.04.pkg: Not Found
I am also unable to traverse the containing folder with a web browser to see if a newer version is available.
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Do this:
pkg add https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-197.00.pkgThen do:
echo 'if_re_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf.local echo 'if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"' >> /boot/loader.conf.localThen reboot.
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Ok, done! We’ll see if there are any more issues there. However, I just bought a NetGate 1100, as performance is 10% of what it was with the original drivers.
Before changing drivers: 300 Mbps down.
After changing drivers: 26 Mbps down.This is on a 1 Gb symmetrical fiber connection. (1 Gb up + 1 Gb down).
I am awaiting delivery now of my 1100. Hopefully, it can handle my 5 vLANs.
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@aaronouthier said in More pfSense woes.:
I am awaiting delivery now of my 1100. Hopefully, it can handle my 5 vLANs.
The 1100 will handle those VLANs, no sweat; the 1Gbps sym connection, however, it will get about 400mbps at best consistently.
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See this thread for comparison from a non-Netgate staff user
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Good to know. I was getting about 300 Mbps over my Wireless N connection prior to switching drivers. Now, I’m getting less than 30. There is some possibility that my brother started an online game before the second test, and it’s throwing off my stats, but I’m just getting exhausted and annoyed with trying to find something that works.
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@aaronouthier said in More pfSense woes.:
I was getting about 300 Mbps over my Wireless N connection prior to switching drivers
Really.. And how were you testing that.. How many streams, best you can do with N with 2 streams and a 40 VHD and 400 ns guard interval is a 300 PHY.. Real world that would be say 150ish.. On a good day 180ish..
Do you have 4 streams going with your N connection, if so could see 300 in real world speed (600 PHY).. But what client would you have with capability of 4 streams.. Pretty much a unicorn client that can do 4 streams.
Your connection my say 300 on your device, but that is not a real world value that is PHY value..
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Hmm. That’s a bit over my head there. I don’t follow you.
Before I changed the driver, I opened my web browser to fast.com, and noted the results.
After I changed to the alternative realtek driver, I again opened my web browser to fast.com, and noted the results.
I’m not trying to find my WAN or even my WLAN throughput so much as compare the performance of the 2 drivers. The “before and after”. My above post reflects the results of those tests.
I am aware that such online speed tests are more a measure of my network hardware’s ability to perform a speed test, and less a test of actual WAN performance.
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@aaronouthier you stated over your wireless N connection.. It would be very very rare for a wifi N client to be able to see 300mbps in real world values..
Maybe your not actually N.. AC can easy do 300mbps in real world.. N not so much - its a limitation of the protocol.. A wifi client that has the hardware to be able to do 300mbps real world over N is pretty freaking rare, a unicorn for sure..
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Ahhhh! Yes. That I can understand!
Now that I consider the logistics, getting a 300 Mbps sustained rate over an n300 router is unlikely. I’d need to check. My router is dual-band, and my client is also. If my client is has 2 radios and is connected via 2.4 Ghz and 5 GHz networks simultaneously, I suppose that might help the numbers, however, as you alluded, I’m more likely to have an invisible unicorn grazing in my back yard…
Especially, since I have no grass back there!
Anywho, whether I had 300 megs or whether the “Mandela effect” has struck again, I can’t say.
I do know I’m at less than 30 Megs now, and that’s not optimal. Waiting for that shipping notification, like a little bird on a little twig, watching a little worm…
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There have been some noted differences with the alternative driver but a speed drop like that is not one of them. No body would be using it if that was inherent and there are many who are so I'd look for some other cause.
You can always comment out the load line from /boot/loader.conf.local and reboot to go back to the in kernel driver again and test.Steve
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I am completely certain you are correct. I was already planning to test again in the morning. Nobody else in my home is on the Internet at 6 AM, so it would be an ideal time to test.
That said, I’m not going to worry about it so much. I’ve purchased a Netgate router with known functioning hardware. I’ll be repurposing my ZimaBoard for HomeAssistant, as my current HomeAssistant SBC occasionally gets a bit toasty. The PWM fan add-on I have helps greatly, but it still sometimes peaks up to about 65 degrees celsius onboard sometimes before the Fan can do it’s job (Fan kicks in at about 50 degrees, but by the time it can move enough air, it’s more than that. The SBC normally sticks around 40 degrees, but peaks up sometimes).
I’m pretty sure the temperature spikes are more due to me running MotionEye on the same board than HomeAssistant.
Anywho, catch you on the flip side. G’night y’all.
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@aaronouthier said in More pfSense woes.:
I’ll be repurposing my ZimaBoard for HomeAssistant
So this is a ZimbaBoard? Hmm ::looks over at his still-in-box ZimbaBoard:: good to know
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@rcoleman-netgate
ZimaBoard is my current pfSense box, not my current Home Assistant box. It has the somewhat problematic RealTek Network adapters. I’m sure you’ll find a good use for it at some point. -
@aaronouthier Yep, I was going to test out a PCIe Intel NIC on it later on when I played around with CE on it.
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@rcoleman-netgate
I trust it’ll be a multiport NIC. A single port router is about as useful as a solar-powered flashlight, a screen door for a U-boat, an ejector seat for a helicopter, …On a serious note: It seems a bit overpowered now, at least for my needs. Also, there is no easy way to keep a PCIe device securely connected to the Zimaboard, so put it somewhere it won’t get bumped or jostled. I had hoped to wall-mount mine, but that doesn’t seem feasible.
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@aaronouthier Zipties! ;-)
I actually had it in mind for a very different project... and it would be really well suited for that one, I hope...
