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

    Successful Install on Watchguard Firebox X700!

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    690 Posts 151 Posters 988.8k 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.
    • D
      dig1234
      last edited by

      I'm in same boat. Gonna be doing an x500 hdd install soon. 
      For example, with a fresh install of 2.0.1 Can I still expect to get serial console automatically with embedded kernel? Or will I have to copy the serialband.sh file mentioned above?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • B
        Brak
        last edited by

        @dig1234:

        I'm in same boat. Gonna be doing an x500 hdd install soon. 
        For example, with a fresh install of 2.0.1 Can I still expect to get serial console automatically with embedded kernel? Or will I have to copy the serialband.sh file mentioned above?

        You'll still need the serial fix in my experience.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • M
          m4f1050
          last edited by

          SerialBandAid.sh is the 1st thing I do when installing pfSense on Firebox X-core series.  I messed up 2 installs to where I couldn't longin the box at all, and console would have saved me in these 2 occasions, so that's my #1 step!  Thanks to the author!

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • D
            drdyno
            last edited by

            Well I have my firebox x500 up and running. I found one of the easiest things to do was install 1.2.3 then use the webconfig to upgrade to 2.0.1 and then install the lcd-proc.

            Only thing left on my list is the LED fix.

            JB

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • M
              m4f1050
              last edited by

              Search for WGXepc app.  For x500 use -l green or -l red
              (WGXepc -l green_flash and WGXepc -l red_flash are too fast for my taste, you would have to use writeio for slow flashing)

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

                I just resurrected my X-Core box with tape and glue.
                Last time I had one running it was with 1.2.3 and the serial port worked fine. Now I find with 2.0.1 it doesn't work after the bootup has finished as described by many others.
                I have found this to be completely effective.
                Add the following lines to /boot/loader.conf.local create the file if it doesn't exist. This file is copied across firmware updates.

                
                console="comconsole"
                comconsole_speed="115200"
                
                

                This will, as you probably guessed, change your console speed to 115200 so remember to change your settings. Putting 9600 in for speed doesn't work!  No idea why not.  :-\

                Steve

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • M
                  m4f1050
                  last edited by

                  Thanks for posting this.  9600 worked for me, but I switched mine to 115200 as well. It helped avoid the BSOD on my adapter.

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

                    No problem.  :)
                    Interesting that 9600 worked for you. I've been playing around with 2.1, I could have got confused.
                    The new WGXepc has a choice of flashing speed for the X-Core box, might be more to your liking.  ;)

                    Steve

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • M
                      m4f1050
                      last edited by

                      Cool! Got a link to it?

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

                        Yes, sorry, it's here.

                        Steve

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • A
                          atrueresistance
                          last edited by

                          Hey just to let you all know I picked up a cheap firebox x700 and got 2.0.1 running on it. I would like to thank stephen and the other members for helpful forum posts. I've created a tutorial on how I did it. http://simplyaccomplished.com/tutorials/firebox/index.php?view=1

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • M
                            m4f1050
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10:

                            Yes, sorry, it's here.

                            Steve

                            Got it!  Thanks again!  :)  Very happy with my FB, only thing is I had to remove LCDd (lcdproc) it was crashing the webgui and the sshd but it kept working, and without it the lcd light stays on all the time so I unplugged the lcd.  Any way of turning the light off?

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

                              I take it you were using the lcdproc-dev package? Which version? 0.93 has eliminated most of the bugs, including the one that locked you out of the web and ssh interfaces. Still a bit of tweaking to go though.
                              You can fall back to the old manually installed driver here.
                              Alternatively you can manually turn off the back light by setting bit 1 at 0x379 to 0 like this.

                              Steve

                              Edit: Wrong data! The backlight is controlled by the strobe pin on the control port which is bit 1 at 0x37a. But it's inverted so to turn off the backlight you need to set it to 1!

                              
                              [2.0.1-RELEASE][root@x-core.localdomain]/root(9): /conf/writeio 0x037a 0x01
                              Setting 37a to 1
                              
                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • P
                                peterclark4
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10:

                                I just resurrected my X-Core box with tape and glue.
                                Last time I had one running it was with 1.2.3 and the serial port worked fine. Now I find with 2.0.1 it doesn't work after the bootup has finished as described by many others.
                                I have found this to be completely effective.
                                Add the following lines to /boot/loader.conf.local create the file if it doesn't exist. This file is copied across firmware updates.

                                
                                console="comconsole"
                                comconsole_speed="115200"
                                
                                

                                This will, as you probably guessed, change your console speed to 115200 so remember to change your settings. Putting 9600 in for speed doesn't work!  No idea why not.  :-\

                                Steve

                                Many thanks Steve, I can confirm that this fails for me on 9600 but works on 115200.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • M
                                  m4f1050
                                  last edited by

                                  Did you guys try setting the baud rate under device manager and on putty?  Also if you boot to BIOS on the FB you can set the baud rate but not sure if you have to.  But….why go 9600 when u can go 115200?  :)

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • M
                                    m4f1050
                                    last edited by

                                    @stephenw10:

                                    I take it you were using the lcdproc-dev package? Which version? 0.93 has eliminated most of the bugs, including the one that locked you out of the web and ssh interfaces. Still a bit of tweaking to go though.
                                    You can fall back to the old manually installed driver here.
                                    Alternatively you can manually turn off the back light by setting bit 1 at 0x379 to 0 like this.

                                    Steve

                                    Cool!  Exactly what I need.  Maybe this could be added to WGXepc for those that don't want to run LCDproc.. I need to setup a FreeBSD 8.1 so I can compile & stuff… Right now I have 2 things running while booting: serialbandaid.sh and WGXepc

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

                                      Try this.  ;)

                                      The two comconsole lines replace the serialbandaid script but will only run at speeds other than 9600. If you have both that probably explains why you were able to get 9600 to work.

                                      Steve

                                      WGXepc.c.png
                                      WGXepc.png

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • M
                                        m4f1050
                                        last edited by

                                        @stephenw10:

                                        Try this.  ;)

                                        The two comconsole lines replace the serialbandaid script but will only run at speeds other than 9600. If you have both that probably explains why you were able to get 9600 to work.

                                        Steve

                                        Awesome!  Thanks!  Will be using -b off  :)

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • M
                                          m4f1050
                                          last edited by

                                          Steve, kinda off topic, but where is the first place I can run WGXepc to turn off the LCD backlight?  I currently have it in /etc/rc but if there is a sooner place to run it please let us know :)  Thanks!

                                          Back to topic, I got my TP-Link 802.11n card in today and installed it on my X700!  Bridged it with my LAN as stated here and I have all working.  I can now ditch my Belkin wireless router!  WOOT!  For all of you that wish to do this you will need a pci 32-bit riser (done with ribbon cable),the TL-WN851N adapter and 2 x 50cm RP-SMA cable extensions  (all from eBay)

                                          http://www.ebay.com/itm/350261953704
                                          
                                          http://www.ebay.com/itm/260816216698
                                          
                                          http://www.ebay.com/itm/400182656252
                                          

                                          Took about 5 days to get adapter and pci riser but extensions come from Hong Kong, still waiting on the extension cables, but worth it, specially when pfSense upgrades to FreeBSD 9 (which should support 802.11n)

                                          Watchguard Firebox X700
                                          512mb PC133 REG ECC
                                          2gb CF card
                                          pfSense 2.0.1
                                          TP-Link TL-WN851N 802.11n
                                          (still looking for drive that plugs into X700!)

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • K
                                            KrPacMan
                                            last edited by

                                            @m4f1050:

                                            Back to topic, I got my TP-Link 802.11n card in today and installed it on my X700!  Bridged it with my LAN as stated here and I have all working.  I can now ditch my Belkin wireless router!  WOOT!  For all of you that wish to do this you will need a pci 32-bit riser (done with ribbon cable),the TL-WN851N adapter and 2 x 50cm RP-SMA cable extensions  (all from eBay)

                                            Watchguard Firebox X700
                                            512mb PC133 REG ECC
                                            2gb CF card
                                            pfSense 2.0.1
                                            TP-Link TL-WN851N 802.11n
                                            (still looking for drive that plugs into X700!)

                                            1. Do you think a generic PCI riser card from a standard 1U chassis would work?
                                            2. Do you know if the unit supports larger 512 MB/1 GB/2 GB PC133 ECC memory modules?

                                            Panda GateDefender Performa 8100 (Portwell NR-5500) with Pfsense 2.1 :: blog

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