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    How do you add a driver to a pfSense install?

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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      You can attempt to compile it yourself from the source, yes. However installing from the kmod port is much easier if it exists. Also the fact there is no port for FreeBSD 14 yet may mean there are issues compiling it currently.
      If you just want to get that running I would reinstall 2.6 and install the kmod pkg.

      Steve

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      • F
        F4 0 @stephenw10
        last edited by F4 0

        @stephenw10 said in How do you add a driver to a pfSense install?:

        You can attempt to compile it yourself from the source, yes. However installing from the kmod port is much easier if it exists. Also the fact there is no port for FreeBSD 14 yet may mean there are issues compiling it currently.
        If you just want to get that running I would reinstall 2.6 and install the kmod pkg.

        Steve

        Would that be the :12: package noted above? I did this before posting here and it did not recognize the driver. It still shows as "none" in pciconf.

        I am going to redo it in case something was off.

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          Yes, the kmod pkg for FreeBSD12.

          That chip ID (0x94c0) is not listed in the driver though:
          https://github.com/Aquantia/aqtion-freebsd/blob/master/aq_main.c#L91

          So I would not expect it to work.

          ...which is actually what I said in the other thread so nothing looks to have changed since then.

          Steve

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          • F
            F4 0
            last edited by

            @stephenw10 said in How do you add a driver to a pfSense install?:

            Yes, the kmod pkg for FreeBSD12.

            That chip ID (0x94c0) is not listed in the driver though:
            https://github.com/Aquantia/aqtion-freebsd/blob/master/aq_main.c#L91

            So I would not expect it to work.

            ...which is actually what I said in the other thread so nothing looks to have changed since then.

            Steve

            My card is the ASUS XG-C100C.

            When I do a pciconf -lvb, I don't see the chip mentioned.

            It shows AQC113CS

            I did some more digging and found a pathway via the Linux download.

            https://www.asus.com/networking-iot-servers/wired-networking/all-series/xg-c100c/helpdesk_download/?model2Name=XG-C100C

            I have attached the readme file which specifies how to build the driver. Is it reasonable for me to try this?

            To not trash the post, the read me snippet will be in the next post....

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            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              No, not unless it includes a FreeBSD driver. Which I very much doubt it does.

              About the only thing you could try would be to add the device ID to the FreeBSD driver and try to compile it yourself with that. You'd have to hope that chip is sufficiently similar to one of the other supported chips that it can be used.
              Otherwise it will require development work to the driver. There may be some discussion of that over in the FreeBSD forums. And if I was doing this I would first try to make it work in a standard FreeBSD install.

              Steve

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              • F
                F4 0 @stephenw10
                last edited by

                @stephenw10 said in How do you add a driver to a pfSense install?:

                No, not unless it includes a FreeBSD driver. Which I very much doubt it does.

                About the only thing you could try would be to add the device ID to the FreeBSD driver and try to compile it yourself with that. You'd have to hope that chip is sufficiently similar to one of the other supported chips that it can be used.
                Otherwise it will require development work to the driver. There may be some discussion of that over in the FreeBSD forums. And if I was doing this I would first try to make it work in a standard FreeBSD install.

                Steve

                https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/is-there-going-to-be-support-for-the-asus-xg-c100c-baked-into-a-release-anytime-soon.76401/

                It looks like someone has done it on freeBSD, and there is a link to this page:

                https://www.freshports.org/net/aquantia-atlantic-kmod

                I wish I knew more, but is this what is needed?

                I am happy to try anything here, I am dead in the water unless I get this card to work so tell me what to do. I can blast this install anytime and start over. I just want to make an effort at getting this up and running.

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                • F
                  F4 0 @F4 0
                  last edited by

                  @f4-0

                  This looks active as of 2 days ago.

                  https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=267348#c6

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

                    Yup. But it looks like Asus changed the chipset on the NIC and helpfully didn't bother updating the model number. The card that thread referenced was an AQC107:
                    https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=238324

                    It is supported in Linux: https://github.com/Aquantia/AQtion/blob/master/aq_common.h#L54

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                      F4 0 @stephenw10
                      last edited by

                      @stephenw10

                      Reading into this, its not copy/paste :)

                      I am going to shift this to a thread on FreeBSD, you have been tremendously helpful.

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                      • F
                        F4 0 @stephenw10
                        last edited by F4 0

                        @stephenw10

                        I tested the Ubuntu install via thumb drive, it works without an issue, and the NIC connects at 5G as expected.

                        Indeed, linux works.

                        I think I have a temporary solution, I am going to use KVM and virtualize the instance of pfSense. This should use the native Linux drivers, and give me the pfSense router.

                        I'm running the install now and will report back if it works. I'm sure this is not ideal, but as a stop gap until the card is supported, I can live with it.

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                        • F
                          F4 0 @F4 0
                          last edited by

                          @f4-0
                          @stephenw10

                          A lot of interesting progress, I am going to start a new thread since I am facing a new set of issues, but in general the Ubuntu base install + KVM + pfSense works (partly so far).

                          I learned a lot about KVM... great piece of kit for Linux, running natively that way.

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