Successful Install on Watchguard Firebox X700!

teh

I'm also running pfsense, but on the what would have been x500!

Shame the web interface dies crashes the box when trying to do stuff!

X500, 4GB CF, 256MB Ram, BE 24mbps Broadband!

MarkProvanP

In case you get confused, the x500, x700 and a higher x number all have identical hardware; Watchguard just charged more since they had a more 'advanced' software level in them (i.e. the x500 was intentionally software crippled).

mericksonj

All,

I'm a long-time lurker here that just got this project off the ground. Although I haven't yet tried the X700 I have in the basement. I did a sucessfull install with a X5000 "peak" series firebox.

512M ram, 2.8Ghz pentium 4 processor, 3 GigE ports, 7 FastE ports, USB, 4 gig CF (going to install microdrive when I get one), empty mini-PCI slot ready for your wireless NIC.

Thank you all for your assistance, the "set hw.ata.ata_dma=0" from the boot line was a great tip!

Now to go play :)

–James

PistolPete

FINALLY got mine up and running tonight.

My 512Mb stick only registers as 256Mb dispite being the Kingston RAM recommended in this thread.

I've pulled the 3 fans from the back and the super cyclone fan on the CPU sink and cut a 120mm hold located over the CPU, mounting a half height 120mm Scythe fan.

All going well, might add a wifi card later, but I'm trying to get the LCD up and running, and struggling :-/

mericksonj

@PistolPete:

FINALLY got mine up and running tonight.

My 512Mb stick only registers as 256Mb dispite being the Kingston RAM recommended in this thread.

I've pulled the 3 fans from the back and the super cyclone fan on the CPU sink and cut a 120mm hold located over the CPU, mounting a half height 120mm Scythe fan.

All going well, might add a wifi card later, but I'm trying to get the LCD up and running, and struggling :-/

Don't install the LCDPROC package, but if you follow RidnHard19's instructions exactly from the first page of this forum: http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,7920.msg46356.html#msg46356 it will help until you get to the symlink part.

You'll want to replace the diver with Jean's updated version also in that thread: http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,7920.msg105179.html#msg105179

Then, to wrap it all up and make it work follow the instructions to create the symlinks to the updated libraries: ( in the same thread) http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,7920.msg69315.html#msg69315

You should then be able to start the LCDd script and view the results immediately on your LCD panel.

I just finished the install on my x700, a problem with a remote serial cable forwarded to a TCP socket(I was too lazy to bring it upstairs and use my known-good serial port/cable) made it harder than expected, but I managed, and was rewarded with CARP!

Hope this helps!
–James

PistolPete

Thanks for the heads up - I'll go through those now and see where I get to before I quit for the night

PistolPete

All working - a damn sight easier than I was expecting too!!!

Plus, I'm in the web interface all the time and I've not seen a single watchdog timeout in the logs.

mericksonj

Woo Hoo!

I am just at the staging point right now so I haven't connected/configured a WAN interface yet, but from what I've read, the Web GUI over the LAN doesn't cause the timeouts so I haven't expected any. I'll report on that too if I get to the implementation phase and see anything wrong.

markandrews

I just found myself a x700 box on bay for cheep and am anxious to give this a try

PistolPete

If anyone else is interested I have just successfully upgraded the CPU with a P3-1.4Ghz (CPU ID SL6BY) and the previously mentioned KVR133X64C3/512 Kingston RAM.

Both just a straight swap and reboot.

Quasar7

Hi!

Could someone send me a working hdd image for my Firebox X700?

Thanks in advance.
Quasar7

vronp

Any reason a small SSD isn't a great choice for this setup?

I would like access to all packages but would like to avoid using a hard disk.

mericksonj

I think from what I've been reading on this thread and elsewhere on this board lately, an SSD or flash card should work fine, it depends on how "small" you're thinking, and what type of SSD you want to use. I don't know if I'd trust CF.

I saw that the available downloads for pfsense 1.2.3 give the live CD which will install to any CF/SSD with 256M, but also an image for 4G flash drives.

Maybe someone else can comment more of the recent developments that have changed since the first comments on this thread that suggested a hard drive was necessary. Did technology change or was the package optimized for embeded implementations?

Probably doesn't help you much vronp, but my gut says if that's all you got, go with it, just backup frequently, and maybe just send logs somewhere else instead of keeping them local to hedge your bets.

Quasar7

Finally managed it. My serial cable was "broken".

I am using a Transcend IDE Flash Module: http://www.transcendusa.com/Products/ModDetail.asp?ModNo=27&LangNo=0

@Quasar7:

Hi!

Could someone send me a working hdd image for my Firebox X700?

Thanks in advance.
Quasar7

ciscoinside

Here is a quick question while it is not really on pfsense it goes on this topic. I want to run pfsense on my x700 and run a UTM on my x1000, has anyone tried this with something like untangle? Is the hardware of these guys not that powerful? Not planning on using virus protection which I assume uses resources. I would ask on their forums but I really find no reference to the fireboxes there, but here the knowledge is known a lot more.

Quasar7

I tried Endian on my X700 without any problems.

netritious

I recently acquired a Firebox X1250e and (currently) cannot get pfSense to boot. Has anyone else here tried hacking the X1250e for use with pfSense?

On another note, in troubleshooting the issue I discovered the actual pin out for the PS/2 header on the (Foxconn?) motherboard and thought I would share.

NC KBC
7 1
. .

. . . .

8 6 4 2
VCC NC KBD GND

Legend:
KBC = Keyboard Clock
GND = Ground
KBD = Keyboard Data
VCC = Vcc (5V DC)
NC = Not connected

There is a Wikipedia page describing different wire colors and their designation here. I used this information to wire up an old 10-pin motherboard header (RS232) to a PS/2 keyboard. Could of just used a 40 pin IDE cable instead, but saw the old connector in the junk pile first.

Using the modified keyboard and a 1x PCI-e card I'm able view the boot process and reach the BIOS, but still no pfSense. (Or Ubuntu server for that matter…tried just to see.)

TIA! pfSense Rocks!

CaseyBlackburn

What do you see on the screen when it doesn't boot? What are you using for storage? How much storage space on it?

I've got a x750e so I can help you out.

netritious

What do you see on the screen when it doesn't boot?

DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

What are you using for storage? How much storage space on it?

Using a SanDisk Extreme III (30MB/s) 4GB CF, but willing to use a 2.5" drive if necessary. I've tried embedded and non-SMP installs from LiveCD using a laptop with nothing else connected. I did initially try a 2.5" and 3.5" IDE at first but was before I had vid and keyboard connected. (Those drives wouldn't boot either.)

I've got a x750e so I can help you out.

That would be awesome! I have been hacking away at this thing for a week now and so far not so good.

What's even stranger is if I put the original WG CF back in, the x1250e boots fine.

CaseyBlackburn

You'll need to go into the BIOS and for the drive you are using, you'll want to switch it to Manual and CHS mode. You'll then want to set heads to 2. That's just from memory, but that should get you are set. The BIOS has a weird time with bigger drives(>~2GB) and it'll work if the heads are set to 2.