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

    Changing WAN Interface to 10Mbps Full Duplex

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    18 Posts 3 Posters 7.6k Views
    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.
    • T
      Tony
      last edited by

      Hi,

      I just want to know how to change the interface to full duplex in pfsense 2.0 RC1 right now it is showing 10Mbps / Half Duplex.

      Thanks.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • T
        Tony
        last edited by

        By the way my network card is capable of having full duplex, as I was able to change it and make it working as full duplex before using version 1.2.3 release. Now when I am trying to change the config.xml the setting does not work anymore.

        Thanks.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          What sort of NIC is it?
          What is it connected to?

          Steve

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • T
            Tony
            last edited by

            It is an onboard network card in a dell poweredge server 10/100/1000, it is connected to the manage switch we have configured as 10Mbps Full Duplex.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              Ok, so what driver is it using, what does the interface come up as? em0?

              Steve

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • T
                Tony
                last edited by

                Yes it comes up with em0. I did changed and add the following settings in the config.xml but still showing as half duplex in the dashboard.

                <media>10baseT/UTP</media>
                <mediaopt>full-duplex</mediaopt>
                <bandwidth>10</bandwidth>
                <bandwidthtype>Mb</bandwidthtype>

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • dotdashD
                  dotdash
                  last edited by

                  Did you edit on the fly, or edit offline and restore the config? If you edited the config using diagnostics, edit file you will need to reboot. Alternatively, you could use the shell or diagnostics, command to set it- ifconfig em0 media 10baseT/UP mediaopt full-duplex

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • T
                    Tony
                    last edited by

                    I edit it through secure shell, I login on the secure shell and edit the config.xml, I will try your suggestion.

                    Thank you.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • T
                      Tony
                      last edited by

                      I tried to use "ifconfig em0 media 10baseT/UP mediaopt full-duplex" in secure shell but I got this message "ifconfig:unknown media subtype: 10baseT/UP".

                      Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

                      Thanks.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • dotdashD
                        dotdash
                        last edited by

                        My typo, sorry.
                        10baseT/UTP

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • T
                          Tony
                          last edited by

                          Thank you, after trying the command I did reboot the pfsense and still no luck still showing as 10Mbps Half-Duplex in the dashboard. Is there a way to verify in the shell if the wan interface is set to full-duplex? I am thinking maybe the dashboard is not showing the proper media interface mode.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • stephenw10S
                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                            last edited by

                            if you enter:

                            
[root@fire.box]/root(6): ifconfig em0
em0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
        options=9b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum>ether 00:90:7f:31:4b:f0
        inet 192.168.2.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.2.255
        inet6 fe80::290:7fff:fe31:4bf0%em0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
        media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex>)
        status: active</full-duplex></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

                            You should see the current mode.

                            Also adding -m will show all possible modes:

                            
[root@fire.box]/root(16): ifconfig -m em0
em0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
        options=9b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum>capabilities=1db <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,polling,vlan_hwcsum,tso4>ether 00:90:7f:31:4b:f0
        inet 192.168.2.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.2.255
        inet6 fe80::290:7fff:fe31:4bf0%em0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
        media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex>)
        status: active
        supported media:
                media autoselect
                media 1000baseTX
                media 1000baseTX mediaopt full-duplex
                media 100baseTX mediaopt full-duplex
                media 100baseTX
                media 10baseT/UTP mediaopt full-duplex
                media 10baseT/UTP</full-duplex></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,polling,vlan_hwcsum,tso4></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

                            Steve

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • T
                              Tony
                              last edited by

                              This is my result when I did an ifconfig of em0:

                              ifconfig em0
                              em0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
                                      options=9b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum>ether 00:06:5b:ec:b5:28
                                      inet 192.168.100.1 netmask 0xffffffe0 broadcast
                                      inet6 fe80::206:5bff:feec:b528%em0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
                                      nd6 options=3 <performnud,accept_rtadv>media: Ethernet 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex>(10baseT/UTP <half-duplex>)
                                      status: active

                              By the way I did edit the config.xml under diagnostic>edit file with this:

                              <media>10baseT/UTP <media><mediaopt>full-duplex <mediaopt></mediaopt></mediaopt></media></media></half-duplex></full-duplex></performnud,accept_rtadv></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu,vlan_hwtagging,vlan_hwcsum></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • T
                                Tony
                                last edited by

                                It still showing as half-duplex in the dashboard.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • dotdashD
                                  dotdash
                                  last edited by

                                  The output shows that it is set for full-duplex, but it's running in half-duplex. I would encourage you to verify the switch configuration, patch cables, etc.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • T
                                    Tony
                                    last edited by

                                    I checked the manage switch we have and it is actually set to Full Duplex in all ports, also I have two pfsense the other one is currently working as my primary firewall and it is actually shows as full duplex. I tried to unplug the primary wan network cable and put it on my new pfsense 2.0 RC1 just to checked it the port in my switch have problem but it still showing as half duplex.

                                    Anyway, even though it is showing as half-duplex in the dashboard after I've edited the config.xml and set the media interface mode to full duplex manually it is working as it is supposed to be, I am now getting the correct internet bandwidth as compare before when the media interface is not define although it still showing as half-duplex in the dashboard.

                                    So I will just let the way it is as it is working now.

                                    Thanks.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • stephenw10S
                                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                      last edited by

                                      Hmm,
                                      Well the dashboard is agreeing with ifconfig that the interface is still running half duplex.
                                      There seem to be a few people having trouble with the em(4) driver and 2.0RC at the moment. It's interesting though that you report the speed does seem to have increased. Perhaps it is an error with the reported status. I'd be interested in your output from the command: sysctrl dev.em.0.%desc

                                      Here's mine under 1.2.3

                                      
[1.2.3-RELEASE] 
[root@fire.box]/root(3): sysctl dev.em.0.%desc
dev.em.0.%desc: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection 6.9.6

                                      Are both your boxes the same hardware? How does the above command result vary?

                                      Steve

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • T
                                        Tony
                                        last edited by

                                        First thank you for the prompt reply on this issue, here are the interface driver of em0 for both firewalls:

                                        [Release 1.2.3]
                                        sysctl dev.em.0.%desc
                                        dev.em.0.%desc: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Connection 6.9.6

                                        [Release 2.0 RC1)
                                        sysctl dev.em.0.%desc
                                        dev.em.0.%desc: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Legacy Network Connection 1.0.3

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