Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Troubleshooting pfSense computer

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved
    General pfSense Questions
    8
    16
    11.3k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • GruensFroeschliG
      GruensFroeschli
      last edited by

      Sounds like a hardware problem.
      Have you tried running a RAM-test? Or a Burn-in-test?

      Random crashes can also be the cause of a weak PSU.

      To test hardware i usually use http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

      We do what we must, because we can.

      Asking questions the smart way: http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • C
        Creighton
        last edited by

        Thanks for the reply. I used the UBCD and thoroughly tested the RAM, CPU, and HD in my pfSense computer. Everything passed multiple times. I left pfSense running overnight with no WAN/OPT/LAN connections plugged in (basically just letting the computer run with only a monitor and keyboard attached). It didn't crash/freeze.

        So here I am now, back using pfSense and everything seems to be working fine. Of course, as I said before, it crashes randomly so it could happen hours from now. I'm using remote syslogging to try to watch over pfSense's logs to hopefully catch something when it crashes. Good plan or not?

        I've also attached some more in-depth information retrieved by phpSysInfo via a screenshot. Hopefully nothings wrong there.

        Will post back if/when the computer crashes again.

        phpsysinfo.JPG
        phpsysinfo.JPG_thumb

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • C
          cmb
          last edited by

          When it happens, can you still get into the web interface? The description you've given thus far is pretty broad, narrowing down things will help determine what is happening.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • J
            Jantje
            last edited by

            Random crashes could also be a result of faulty capacitors. Open up your computer case and check to see if any of the capacitors look like the ones in the attached picture. Note that the top of a capacitor should always be flat. If it's not, then it needs to be replaced. Although it's often easier just to replace the motherboard entirely.

            leaking-capacitors.jpg
            leaking-capacitors.jpg_thumb

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • C
              Creighton
              last edited by

              @cmb:

              When it happens, can you still get into the web interface? The description you've given thus far is pretty broad, narrowing down things will help determine what is happening.

              When it crashes, I can't ping it, nor access the web interface. The options menu on the actual monitor attached to the pfSense computer is frozen as well. (Pressing any keys/numbered options does nothing.) I've let it sit like that for a while in hopes of recovering itself, but it never does. A restart would bring it back to working order for a random amount of time. (Minutes to hours)

              As of right now, I've had it up and running for 48 hours without a single freeze. Seems odd since I have changed very little of the previous configuration it was running on. This is what I did:

              • leave it unplugged for a few days

              • tested the RAM, CPU, etc

              • let pfSense run disconnected from everything overnight

              • enabled remote syslog'ing to my personal computer's syslog server & disabled writing log files to local ram disk

              Thanks for the help so far. As far as faulty capacitors, I will eventually take a look into that. (I'm scared to turn it off now that it seems to be back to functional working order  :) )

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • V
                Valhalla1
                last edited by

                I like your network map, hehe.. just curious, from looking at the map it looks almost like you're using pfsense to load balance your cable modem along with maybe your neighbor's cable modem by tapping into his unsecured wireless.. lol

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • C
                  cheesyboofs
                  last edited by

                  hehe, a bit off topic but that's exactly what I thought.

                  Author of pfSense themes:

                  DARK-ORANGE

                  CODE-RED

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • C
                    Creighton
                    last edited by

                    @Valhalla1:

                    I like your network map, hehe.. just curious, from looking at the map it looks almost like you're using pfsense to load balance your cable modem along with maybe your neighbor's cable modem by tapping into his unsecured wireless.. lol

                    Exactly (but with permission and its a secure access point where pfsense's WAN2 is the only client). My goal was to basically give RoadRunner the middle finger ;D .

                    Anyway, back on topic - I removed the CMOS battery and the computer hasn't froze since. Is this some weird coincidence, or could the battery actually negatively effect the system/pfsense? I thought it was only used for the internal clock and BIOS.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • C
                      cheesyboofs
                      last edited by

                      I seriously doubt it.
                      More likely you enabled some setting in your BIOS freebsd didn't like, (speed stepping, DRAM speed adjustments) and when you pulled the battery it is now running on the 'fail safe' defaults IMHO  :)

                      Author of pfSense themes:

                      DARK-ORANGE

                      CODE-RED

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • M
                        MikeyB
                        last edited by

                        Wow i was just about to make a post about this

                        my pfSense box has just started doing this… random crashes, no web interface, cant ping, but all the link lights are on... i have to reboot the system then its fine again

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • J
                          jsmwalker
                          last edited by

                          I would also third this, been running since setup (only 30days ago) and suddenly in the last 4 days has locked up twice, no web interface, no ping, no console…. very weird.

                          Anyone?

                          J

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • C
                            cheesyboofs
                            last edited by

                            @jsmwalker & MikeyB

                            You guy's really need to edit your posts and state what version you are running, I too have seen very similar lockup's but ONLY on version 1.2.1.

                            http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,10214.0.html

                            The first thing to rule out with lockup's is heat! Has the environment your router is got hotter recently? I know my problem isn't heat related because it doesn't happen under 1.2-Release and the BIOS says the CPU is at 42 degrees.

                            Cheers

                            Author of pfSense themes:

                            DARK-ORANGE

                            CODE-RED

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • J
                              jsmwalker
                              last edited by

                              Hi

                              Yep sorry about that, had posted on another forum about another issue (RRD graphs stopping) and forgot to put version on this, the version i'm running is 1.2-RELEASE built on Sun Feb 24 17:04:58 EST 2008, I can't imagine it is heat in my case, is in a a/c server room, although not as cool as i'd hope it hasn't been hotter then in the last month.

                              Is very frustrating, as this is such a great product, and yes there are a few bugs but nothing the distracts from the overall excellence, apart from this one issue  :-[

                              J

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • M
                                MikeyB
                                last edited by

                                I just thought i would post here insted of making a new topic…

                                its really starting to annoy me. it locks up randomly.... but i know whats doing it.... large downloads.... or 2 or more torrents downloading causing pfsense to lock up, computer is on, link lights are on.... cant ping router though...

                                im running
                                1.2-RELEASE
                                built on Sun Feb 24 17:04:58 EST 2008

                                every time i start a download of server 2008 from microsoft (1.7GB) it will lock up after a few seconds.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • J
                                  jsmwalker
                                  last edited by

                                  Hi

                                  Thanks for your idea, but have managed to download Vista Business the other day (2.1Gb) with no problem at all (This was from MS, using webbrowser not download manager, and we dont allow Torrents in the office). Have to say I have moved over to other hardware and since that poin haven't had any lock ups at all, but saying that, didn't have any problems with the oroginal hardware for 30days so can't be sure that this may not happen again.

                                  J

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • First post
                                    Last post
                                  Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.