Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0

RK0

@stephenw10 is there any chance the Realtek 198 drivers will be natively integrated into the next public release of PfSense?

Or...is this impossible since PFSense will probably move to FreeBSD 14.x? Looking at https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/ I get a "forbidden" message, unfortunately.

stephenw10

The kmod pkg is in our repo for pfSense 2.7 and 23.01 so installing it there is much easier.

It's unlikely they will be used instead of the native driver by default though. At least not any time soon.

Steve

RK0

@stephenw10 any word on what that native realtek ethernet package driver version would be for FreeBSD 14? I ask because the previous realtek ethernet native driver version in FreeBSD 12.x (and PfSense) was problematic with the native realtek driver at the time, while the 197 and 198 driver seems to run well.

this site implies 198 exists for FreeBSD 14, but doesn't explicitly say it will be the native driver, and I can't say its in any way authoritative.
https://www.freshports.org/net/realtek-re-kmod/

stephenw10

It does. Freshports is pretty accurate, I don't think I've seen it wrong.

The native FreeBSD driver doesn't use the same numbering scheme as Realteks driver:
https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/blob/main/sys/dev/re/if_re.c

DominikHoffmann

@stephenw10: Can you comment on when those versions will be out?

stephenw10

23.01 should be out very soon, there were some last minute hardware issues to resolve before a public RC.
2.7 doesn't have a target date.

Steve

RK0

I went ahead and installed the 198 drivers. No errors, no issues with about 30 hours of operation going on so far on my dual NIC M90n

JimBob Indiana

I just tried a Realtek based 2.5gb NIC. I swear I followed the steps. Did not work. I have a Realtek 1gb builtin NIC in the PC. It was found by the updated driver. I was trying out of curiosity’s sake so not critical. Went back to my Intel i-225 NIC and am good to go again…..

stephenw10

If the driver is installed and loading at boot correctly it will be reported clearly as such in the boot log for each NIC:

re0: version:1.97.00

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

I don’t see that, or anything like it, in system log. Where is the log for the NIC’s?

RK0

@jimbob-indiana

Status > System Logs > System > OS Boot

scroll down to look for the re0 and re1 interfaces

jsmiddleton4

@rk0

Have those entries. They just don't have the 197.0, 198.0, etc.

stephenw10

In the boot log. Also in the system log if you've just rebooted. Like:

re0: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x1000-0x10ff mem 0xf7a00000-0xf7a00fff,0xf7900000-0xf7903fff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci1
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: version:1.97.00
re0: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:10
This product is covered by one or more of the following patents:
US6,570,884, US6,115,776, and US6,327,625.
re0: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:10
pcib2: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> irq 17 at device 5.0 on pci0
pci2: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib2
re1: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x2000-0x20ff mem 0xf7c00000-0xf7c00fff,0xf7b00000-0xf7b03fff irq 17 at device 0.0 on pci2
re1: Using Memory Mapping!
re1: Using 1 MSI-X message
re1: ASPM disabled
re1: version:1.97.00
re1: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:11
This product is covered by one or more of the following patents:
US6,570,884, US6,115,776, and US6,327,625.
re1: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:11

Gradius

@jsmiddleton4 Everything is on driver:

name:realtek-re-kmod
origin:net/realtek-re-kmod
version:198.00
comment:Kernel driver for Realtek PCIe Ethernet Controllers
maintainer:ale@FreeBSD.org

description:
Realtek PCIe FE GBE 2.5G
Gaming Ethernet Family Controller kernel driver.

This is the official driver from Realtek with a few patches to
improve stability and performance. It can be loaded instead of
the FreeBSD driver built into the GENERIC kernel if you experience
issues with it (eg. watchdog timeouts), or your card is not supported.

Supported devices:
2.5G Gigabit Ethernet: RTL8125 / RTL8125B(S)(G)

10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet:
RTL8111B / RTL8111C / RTL8111D / RTL8111E / RTL8111F / RTL8111G(S)
RTL8111H(S) / RTL8118(A)(S) / RTL8119i / RTL8111L / RTL8111K
RTL8168B / RTL8168E / RTL8168H
RTL8111DP / RTL8111EP / RTL8111FP
RTL8411 / RTL8411B

10/100M Fast Ethernet:
RTL8101E / RTL8102E / RTL8103E / RTL8105E / RTL8106E / RTL8107E
RTL8401 / RTL8402

See also:
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/network-interface-controllers-10-100-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software

RK0

@jsmiddleton4

Mine read as follows in Status > System Logs > System > OS Boot (scrolling down to the relevant entries)

re1: version:1.98.00
re1: ASPM disabled
re1: Using 1 MSI-X message
re1: Using Memory Mapping!
re1: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x3000-0x30ff mem 0xa1204000-0xa1204fff,0xa1200000-0xa1203fff irq 19 at device 0.0 on pci3

and

re0: version:1.98.00
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x4000-0x40ff mem 0xa1304000-0xa1304fff,0xa1300000-0xa1303fff irq 19 at device 0.0 on pci2

JimBob Indiana

@rk0

Thanks but I’m not getting any of that. I’m pretty sure the Realtek driver isn’t getting installed. I followed the steps…..

There’s a post I can’t find now on this forum that has the steps in an easy to follow format. Even the information on how to tell if the driver is installed. The PFSense driver will list the number of the Realtek card. Realtek’s driver lists as you indicated, Realtek PCEe Family Controller.

Mine never said that. But if it only says PCIe GBe Family that is not the 2.5gbe card. At least as far as I know that’s the 1gb card.

RK0

@jimbob-indiana

This did not work?

pkg add https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg

...and of course, you will have to follow the instructions that should come up on screen, changing your /boot/loader.conf.local file with the entries

if_re_load="YES"
if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"

...and then rebooting your PFSense system

I would also recommend grabbing and keeping the file https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg somewhere safe. (You can just open that URL on a PC browser, and download the realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg file). Save it somewhere in case you have to rebuild your PFSense firewall. Worst case you could then transfer the file manually to your PFSense firewall and install it directly from local storage, in case it "disappears" from the URL above.

My system uses RTL8111 adapters integral to the system, and is supported by the 198 package...I can't speak for your 2.5Gb adapter however. I hope it is not one of those USB attached 2.5Gbs adapters...all bets are off if that is the case.

JimBob Indiana

@rk0 Didn’t seem to. Will try again. Not sure how I remove anything that was installed previously other than just manually remove the .ko files from modules and kernel folders.

I’m getting the OSVersion mix match error.

To ignore this error set IGNORE_OSVERSION=yes

JimBob Indiana

@rk0 NOT USB. PCIe 2.5gb 8125B.

For some reason it appears to me the driver isn’t actually loading.

stephenw10

What pfSense version are you running?

What's in your /boot/loader.conf.local file?