Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0

RK0

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?

RK0

@jimbob-indiana

When you execute the commands, are you running under the auspices of the local admin account? If not, try doing that.

jsmiddleton4

@rk0

Am local admin.

The latest 2.7. Just updated.

I had the lines for if re, etc. I copied and pasted them to make sure I had them correct.

At this juncture I'm looking at starting over. I don't want to reinstall PFSense fresh but do want to figure out how I remove any left over realtek drivers.

stephenw10

In 2.7 it's in our repo. You just install the kmod using: pkg install realtek-re-kmod

You still need the loader lines to load it at boot.

jsmiddleton4

@stephenw10 said in Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0:

pkg install realtek-re-kmod

Thanks but how do I remove any of the previous install information?

I do not have the .ko file in boot/modules or kernel. But when I run the install I'm told its already installed. Whatever I've messed up, I need to clean the information so I can start over.

stephenw10

Is there anything installed, it would have just failed to install the FreeBSD 12 package in 2.7 because it's built on FreeBSD 14.
Try running: pkg info -x realtek

jsmiddleton4

@stephenw10 said in Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0:

pkg info -x realtek

realtek-re-kmod-198.00

stephenw10

So do: pkg delete realtek-re-kmod

See: https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=pkg

jsmiddleton4

@stephenw10
Thanks. Had to do the -y option as I'm doing this from the Command Prompt in the GUI.

Now: "pkg: No package(s) matching realtek"

Just to be certain I understand, all the other stuff found about how to install the driver, not talking about the loader lines, is no longer necessary. I just run "pkg install realtek-re-kmod"

jsmiddleton4

@stephenw10

In poking around, I think it is one of your posts, the line about loading the module not necessary? It is automatically, or by default, found anyway?

I did the delete command.
Booted.
Everything gone.
Tried your simple command for pkg install. It wants to install 1.97.
Did the longer command line, had to tell it to ignore the OS, and it installed.

I swear earlier I left the "12" in the command line, did not change it to "14" because when trying 14 nothing was found.

Now 12 doesn't work, need 14 but get the OSVersion ?

stephenw10

If you just use the driver in our repo you can just 'pkg install' it directly. Currently that's 1.97:

[2.7.0-DEVELOPMENT][admin@cedev.stevew.lan]/root: pkg search realtek
realtek-re-kmod-197.00         Kernel driver for Realtek PCIe Ethernet Controllers

You still have to add the loader lines, installing the pkg doesn't do that for you.

Steve

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

1.98 loaded but not being loaded at boot. I’m still using the built in Realtek driver.

re0: <RealTek 8168/8111 B/C/CP/D/DP/E/F/G PCIe Gigabit Ethernet> port 0xe000-0xe0ff mem 0xf7b00000-0xf7b00fff,0xf0000000-0xf0003fff at device 0.0 on pci8
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: turning off MSI enable bit.
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: Chip rev. 0x4c000000
re0: MAC rev. 0x00000000
miibus0: <MII bus> on re0
rgephy0: <RTL8251/8153 1000BASE-T media interface> PHY 1 on miibus0
rgephy0: none, 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 10baseT-FDX-flow, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, 100baseTX-FDX-flow, 1000baseT-FDX, 1000baseT-FDX-master, 1000baseT-FDX-flow, 1000baseT-FDX-flow-master, auto, auto-flow
re0: Using defaults for TSO: 65518/35/2048
re0: Ethernet address: 64:00:6a:14:be:16
re0: netmap queues/slots: TX 1/256, RX 1/256

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

I deleted 1.98 or 198.00. Installed 1.97 with the simple command line install. It WORKED! Geez. Been hammering 1.98 for a couple of days.

1.98 or 198.00 not ready to install in 2.7?

re0: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0xe000-0xe0ff mem 0xf7b00000-0xf7b00fff,0xf0000000-0xf0003fff at device 0.0 on pci8
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: version:1.97.00
re0: Ethernet address: 64:00:6a:14:be:16
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: 64:00:6a:14:be:16

stephenw10

If you use any pkg from outside our repo, especially something like a driver, then it must be from an equivalent FreeBSD version. I suspect you were trying to load the module from FreeBSD 12 into pfSense 2.7 which is based on FreeBSD 14.

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

I used the FreeBSD:14 command line.

pkg add https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg

And the information here regarding 1.98 and FreeBSD 14.

https://www.freshports.org/net/realtek-re-kmod/

stephenw10

Well like I say drivers are especially required to match the kernel you're trying to load them into.
If you tried to manually load the kernel module I imagine the error would have been a kjernel mismatch.
Just use the pkg from our repo.

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

Thanks for your help. Obviously I don’t understand all the lingo but as I read the information on Freshports the 1.98 driver requires the newest port of FreeBSD?

I’m not sure what this means:

“To install the port: cd /usr/ports/net/realtek-re-kmod/ && make install clean”

Nor am I sure where I’d even run that. SSH?