PCEngines alix2c3 (Substitute for WRAP) boot failes
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Some notes:
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If you plan on re-using the CF card later, I suggest making a back-up of the blank CF card with dd. Repartitioning
CF cards can be tricky. -
Current BIOS = 0.99. Going back to v0.92 could cause stability issues.
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Xmodem reprogramming is not implemented yet. Sorry…
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Do NOT rename the alix*.bin files, sb.com will automatically pick the right file depending on which board you have
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Page fault issue: unless somebody pushes my snout towards the right problem, I assume this is a FreeBSD problem.
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Reboot issue: ALIX does not have a keyboard controller, and does not attempt to emulate one. To reboot, please
use port 92h or the CS5536 specific reset registers. -
Bonus points for changing the default baud rate to 38400. Come on guys, life is too short to work at 9600 baud...
(dd-wrt / openwrt uses 115200 !) -
Questions / comments to PC Engines -> please email, I cannot monitor this forum.
sofar I´ve been running pfsense "1.2-RC3 built on Fri Dec 14 14:42:07 EST 2007" on an alix with bios 0.99 without any problems. Its been up 24 days, 02:21 right now and never let me down. I have yet to try a new pfsense snapshot an duse vlans…
Reboots never failed or hung! The hardest part was getting the bios up to date but with the image of free dos posted by someone before in this thread it was no problem at all! I just copied the newest firmware into the img and flashed away! Once that was done it just worked (after setting the baud rate - wasn´t there a menu item once for setting the pfsense baud rate?)So what I really want to say is THANX for the great product (both pfsense and pcengines!)
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The board has shipped. Hopefully should have it soon.
hi,
finally you have receive the board?
Thanks,
Christos -
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Sullrich,
You should see the board about any time - mine just arrived Saturday (but had to wait until today to get it)…
gm...
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Since this is the board I am looking at I was wondering if you have received the board and had a chance to look at it.
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The board arrived but I do not have a power supply. Will have to pick one up.
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Any update on this issue? I am planning a project that is based on this board and this is a show stopper.
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The board arrived but I do not have a power supply. Will have to pick one up.
A Linksys 12-VDC WRT54G power supply works well with them - unless it is the ALIX 1C - then you need a different power connector (sure makes me wonder why the use of two different sized power connections for basically the same boards - hmmmmm)…
gm...
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i just got my alix 2c3 with 3 ethernet and 2 usb and i tried pfsense1.2rc4, doesnt work at all.
monowall latest beta works rock solid, i read somewhere that they r not supporting alix anymore and trying to make it as a firewall for full install only but if an embedded pc can do the job then y not atleast make a last version for it, saves the hassle of a dedicated PC as well as cost effective. -
You have to log in via serial console and assign interfaces with pfsense, m0n0wall was patched to do this automatically.
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ok i have got the latest snapshot to work finally with the latest bios version which is 0.99. pfsense uses 9600 as baud rate so i guess that was the problem y i was seeing garbage.
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Just got the same hardware and am trying 1.2RC4. I get the same hang after the DHCP service starts.
WIll try BIOS up/down grade
CHeers
Neil -
I finally got around to trying the latest RC, and it works for me!
I've gone through the changelog between RC3 and RC4, and I can't seem to find what would have made the difference - but I'm very glad that there is one ;) -
@n3b:
Just got the same hardware and am trying 1.2RC4. I get the same hang after the DHCP service starts.
WIll try BIOS up/down grade
CHeers
Neilupgrde to 0.99 bios, then set the serial baud rate to 9600 as pfsense uses that and then use the latest snapshot and try and it will work for sure. by default when i got the board, it had the 0.98 version of bios installed so definately needs a bios upgrade.
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Is there any way to upgrade the bios without having a null modem cable to connect the thing to my desktop to see the output? I just discovered today all I have is a male to female serial cable and I cannot get a female to female locally anymore (in fact the people at best buy laughed at me :( )
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Is there any way to upgrade the bios without having a null modem cable to connect the thing to my desktop to see the output? I just discovered today all I have is a male to female serial cable and I cannot get a female to female locally anymore (in fact the people at best buy laughed at me :( )
I used the FreeDOS method and edited the FDAUTO.BAT to look like this:
@prompt $p$g
@path=c:\bin
sb.comrpsmith…
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Sullrich,
Did you allready tried out the board ?
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@n3b:
Just got the same hardware and am trying 1.2RC4. I get the same hang after the DHCP service starts.
WIll try BIOS up/down grade
CHeers
Neilupgrde to 0.99 bios, then set the serial baud rate to 9600 as pfsense uses that and then use the latest snapshot and try and it will work for sure. by default when i got the board, it had the 0.98 version of bios installed so definately needs a bios upgrade.
Yep - a BIOS update to 0.99 is definitely the way to go.
I used the LBA image http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm to get the update done. Just Works.
As an aside - I can't say if this was something to do with my switch - but once I put the alix in place, upon a fresh boot, the LAN interface would simply not initialize. As a troubleshooting step I unplugged the WAN interface and, as if by magic
the shop keeper appeared, the LAN interface came up. I then plugged in the WAN interface and all was gravy. I've rebooted since and not received the same wierdness. Although it is likely something to do with my environment, I thought I'd share in case someone else runs into it.Otherwise pfSense and the alix2C3 work very well together.
Cheers,
n -
Hello People…
I read the hole thread and I am eased that I am not alone with my Problem, BUT
my problem seems to be much more difficult than the others, becaus I have an ALIX 2C3 and (yes its true ;) ) i want to use it with pfSense (1.2 RC4)
For that reason I took a 1GB CF an flashed the pfSense 1.2 RC4 image on it, installed it in my ALIX an gave power to it ;D
the ALIX came up ( i was connectet on COM port with a baud of 38400 8N1 no flow (TerraTerm Pro) to the board)
i hit "s" and entered setup. As described in the ALIX Manual (http://www.pcengines.ch/pdf/alix2.pdf) i changed the baud to 9600 and exit the BIOS.
After reboot the ALIX read from CF and pfSense started...till DHCP service done. THAN nothing!
Well until here the probleme is well known and because i read in other forums i thyed to update BIOS.
BUT now comes the real problem: when i start ALIX and listen to COM port i never see normal text, always snarl...i tyed it with 9600 (that should be beacuse is changed it as i described upwards) and with the native 38400 , BUT alsways SNARL!
When pfSense boots the text until NOW (17.02.08 21:22) was clear, but now there is mess as well (after the unsuccessful tries to update the BIOS)
but the board is still alive... HOW CAN I GET BACK THE NATIVE STATUS OF DELIVERY?
I need to see the boot in terminal in clear letters.
PLEASE HELP ME i despair of that. -
Upgrading the bios will set everything to default again so your console is back at 38400 baud. You have to set your Teraterm again to 38400 and go to the bios to set it back to 9600 again. Then everything should work ok again.