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    Successful Install on Watchguard Firebox X700!

    Hardware
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    • S
      Sifter
      last edited by

      @jmcentire:

      Works perfectly!  So if you have any old p3s laying around, swap em out and get a little more performance!  Also these boards do support 512 MB sticks of PC133, so as soon as I find some I will be upgrading that as well.

      I just stuck in a 512meg stick into mine and it still registers as 256.  I had this problem on the old IP330's as well.

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      • dotdashD
        dotdash
        last edited by

        I would try setting hw.ata.ata_dma=0 in the loader.conf to see if that helps getting the microdrive to boot.

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        • S
          Sifter
          last edited by

          @dotdash:

          I would try setting hw.ata.ata_dma=0 in the loader.conf to see if that helps getting the microdrive to boot.

          How would I go about doing that?

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          • D
            Dayblade
            last edited by

            Sorry to be a noob and ask this - but been following this thread faithfully and finally decided to take the plunge and try pfSense on my Firebox x700 - however - having difficulties getting the Hyperterminal commands to "take" - more specifically - I get to see the boot sequence and it asks me for the "mount location" - and then I attempt to type in the commands to mount the hard drive and I am not getting "ENTER" to work.  Any clues?

            Great resource and forums by the way peeps - thx for all the hard work and effort you guys have done in making pfSense work as well as it has.

            Dayblade

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            • dotdashD
              dotdash
              last edited by

              @Sifter:

              @dotdash:

              I would try setting hw.ata.ata_dma=0 in the loader.conf to see if that helps getting the microdrive to boot.

              How would I go about doing that?

              Drop to a shell and enter:
              echo 'hw.ata.ata_dma="0"' >>/boot/loader.conf

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              • D
                Dayblade
                last edited by

                So - after downloading a new terminal program - i can now get the Firebox to answer me - now however - I am getting a "ROOT MOUNT FAILURE"… when following the OP directions.  Suggestions as to next steps?  I also tried doing AUTOMATIC - and that did not work either.

                Dayblade

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                • S
                  Sifter
                  last edited by

                  @dotdash:

                  Drop to a shell and enter:
                  echo 'hw.ata.ata_dma="0"' >>/boot/loader.conf

                  At this point, there is no ssh access, only console.  Is there a way to break out of this harddrive mounting screen?

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                  • D
                    Dayblade
                    last edited by

                    WOOT!!!! - finally got it working.

                    Had to download a new terminal program so that it would recognize the "ENTERS" - Windows Proggy - Indigo Terminal 2.

                    Had some hiccups with certain character counts so had to enter a few characters "twice" … ie ad2s1a was ad22s1a etc.

                    Will keep ya posted.

                    Dayblade

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                    • dotdashD
                      dotdash
                      last edited by

                      @Sifter:

                      At this point, there is no ssh access, only console.  Is there a way to break out of this harddrive mounting screen?

                      You could pull the card and add the line on another box or you could try:
                      set hw.ata.ata_dma=0
                      boot

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                      • S
                        Sifter
                        last edited by

                        So just for fun and curiosity, I wrote a m0n0wall image to a 512meg cf card and stuck it into the watchguard cf slot.  It booted with no issue.  I then put my atheros mini-pci wireless card into the mini-pci slot, and it recognized it immediately.

                        I too, am getting watchdog timeout's.  I had a ping going from my desktop and randomly, Id say every 10-20 seconds, my ping would timeout, which would then be followed by a watchdog timeout registering in my serial console window.  At the time, I only had 2 cables plugged in, internet to interface re0, and lan to re1.  Most of the watchdog timeouts were on re1.

                        So I find it interesting the watchdog timeouts are both on pfsense and m0n0wall.

                        I have also installed a 512meg memory stick, but only 256meg is recognized.  Are there jumpers that need to be moved in order to see the rest of the memory?

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                        • E
                          emigrating
                          last edited by

                          What kind of serial cable are you guys using? I picked one of these boxes up on eBay and unfortunately it didn't come with one - figured I could use the console cable for my Linksys SRW2016, but I get nothing on-screen.

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                          • jahonixJ
                            jahonix
                            last edited by

                            @emigrating:

                            the console cable for my Linksys SRW2016, but I get nothing on-screen.

                            But that's due to the fact that the Linksys cable is all but wired in a known standard.
                            I have some SRW2008 switches at home and tried that serial cable for a console connection to some other equipment.
                            Well, grabbing my Null-modem cable worked as expected, the Linksys did not.
                            And my Null-modem cable didn't work with the Linksys switch, of course. Didn't have the gutts to actually measure the pinout, just labeled it 'Linksys switch ONLY'…

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                            • E
                              emigrating
                              last edited by

                              Figured as much really as the Linksys cables are straight-thru cables.
                              Oh well, off I go to eBay to pick up a USB -> null modem combo. Sure it'll come in handy again :)

                              On a slightly related note, have anyone found the keyboard pinouts on the x700 motherboard? I've only had a quick look (only received it today) but nothing stands out as the prime suspect.

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                              • jahonixJ
                                jahonix
                                last edited by

                                @emigrating:

                                Figured as much really as the Linksys cables are straight-thru cables.

                                Then they have the connectors wrong!
                                Null-modem cable should be  {DB9-female - DB9-female}  and
                                straight through should be  {DB9-female - DB9-male}  making it an extension.

                                Everything else is proprietary.

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                                • E
                                  emigrating
                                  last edited by

                                  Well, to be perfectly honest - that's not the only thing they have wrong :) Took me a good while to flash the SRW2016s to an acceptable firmware which actually included all the features they were advertised as having. Good switches once that was done though.

                                  Oh well, nullmodem cable on it's way now. Grabbed a 5GB microdrive also to see if that'll be recognized so guess I'm shelfing the project for a couple more days.

                                  Hmm, whilst I'm at it - anyone got ideas on a mini-pci wifi card I could stick in it?

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                                  • GruensFroeschliG
                                    GruensFroeschli
                                    last edited by

                                    I preferr this card http://pcengines.ch/wlm54g23.htm or this card http://pcengines.ch/wlm54sag23.htm depending on if i need 802.11a support or not.
                                    I never had problems with them :)
                                    (except on pfSense 1.0 but that was because of a bad client)…

                                    We do what we must, because we can.

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

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                                    • S
                                      Sifter
                                      last edited by

                                      Again, has anyone upgraded the memory on these boxes and gotten it to see the additional?  I placed a 512meg module in the box, and it still registers at 256meg.  I tried 2 separate sticks.

                                      Perhaps jumper settings somewhere on the board?

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                                      • S
                                        Sifter
                                        last edited by

                                        Anyone have any updates?  Such as successful additional memory, no more watchdog timeouts, installs on a microdrive?

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                                        • D
                                          drvcrash
                                          last edited by

                                          I have a 512 stick in one of mine and it sees it all. make sure you have pc133 ram.  I also have a 80 gig 2.5in laptop drive in it running the full install

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                                          • D
                                            Dayblade
                                            last edited by

                                            @Sifter:

                                            Again, has anyone upgraded the memory on these boxes and gotten it to see the additional?  I placed a 512meg module in the box, and it still registers at 256meg.  I tried 2 separate sticks.

                                            Perhaps jumper settings somewhere on the board?

                                            Upgraded it to 512 MB just this week:

                                            Kingston KVR100x64C2/512 512MB PC100 CL2

                                            Also changed out the heatsink and fan - that is the MAJORITY of the noise factor in the x700 - they use a fan designed by Y.S. Tech (?) that was pushing 7200+ RPM's.  I switched and installed a lower/larger fan combo @ 5500 RPM's and temps dropped by 10C and the noise is SUBJECTIVELY quieter.
                                            (Granted I did not test decibel levels prior to the fan switch out)

                                            Hope that helps - <3 pfSense on my WatchGuard btw - still working on getting the LCD to do its thang…otherwise, it works like a champ.

                                            Dayblade

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