Simple solution to current intel nic compatibility?
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Finally got the go ahead to organise some dedicated hardware for running pfsense at work and from what searching I've done in the last few days most current intel quad nics aren't entirely compatible with pfsense. It seems to me that the most reliable and easy way forward would be to buy a server thats vmware compatible.. say a Dell R210 with the intel quad ET adaptor. Install vmware and then pfsense in the virtual environment thus getting around any driver issues with the lastest intel nics. Does this sound like the best plan of attack?
Another option I stumbled across was these http://www.fit-pc.com/web/fit-pc/fit-pc3-info/#techinfo they have 4 nic option for the front panel and support vmware also. Has anyone used them for pfsense?
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Thats 4 front USB ports. I don't think it would a be a great idea to have 4 USB ethernet cards attached to that low end junk. You will be better off building yourself a good decent Ivy/Sandy Bridge system way cheaper than that and have VMware ESXi on it.
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They offer a 4xGigE FACE module that's PCI-e connected:
The CPU options are all pretty weak though as you say.Steve
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Ahh they do… I see. Yeah makes no sense with weak CPU. You can't make a cow pull a horse carraige at a horse's speed and agility.. ;D
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They offer a 4xGigE FACE module that's PCI-e connected:
The CPU options are all pretty weak though as you say.Steve
They do offer that but it's special order on anything but that one model and there's quantity minimum with SOs.
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Yeah I enquired with their sales people and you need to order 27 units with the 4x front nics as its special order. Wont be needing 27 pfsense boxes for this project :P