WatchGuard FireBox x6500e

drashna · Sep 28, 2013, 6:40 PM

Yes, and the BIOS version date is 2005…. And? According to the guide for flashing the BIOS for console redirection, that's what is expected, and wanted.

And better point is why is AWDFLASH complaining about a non-award BIOS when it clearly is an Award BIOS...

chpalmer · Sep 28, 2013, 6:55 PM

@drashna:

Yes, and the BIOS version date is 2005…. And? According to the guide for flashing the BIOS for console redirection, that's what is expected, and wanted.

And better point is why is AWDFLASH complaining about a non-award BIOS when it clearly is an Award BIOS...

Yep- and Im pointing out possible incompatibilities. Hopefully you will be able to try a new CF card and see if thats the issue.

As far as I know you are the first to try Steve's bios on this model. Watchguard people have been telling people I know and work with that they have the bios locked down in newer models. It would be good to know if this is just hype from sales people or true.

Allot of the watchguard modding here is still experimental.

drashna · Sep 28, 2013, 7:00 PM

Well, as I said, the BIOS ID information appears to be the correct model. Not sure. And I don't have a spare CF card that isn't 4GBs.

And either way, the PCIe 4x slot works for an older VGA card I have, and i've ordered a ps2 to header cable, so when that arrives, I'll see about accessing the BIOS. I'd rather have direct access, even if it's completely inconvient. Once I get it booting pfSense, I shouldn't need to hook up the vga card again.

stephenw10 · Sep 28, 2013, 11:23 PM

You are not the first to try this. I have an X5500e here and others have also flashed X-peak-e models. They have an identical motherboard to the x-core-e models.

The newer models, xtm5 xtm8 etc, do have a locked BIOS in as far as you can't change any settings by default. However its not encrypted and doesn't prevent loading an alternative OS. It can be unlocked.

Steve

drashna · Sep 29, 2013, 1:58 AM

That's what I thought.

I'm just weird-ed out by the fact that it won't flash, and the errors it is giving.
But that's part of why I don't like messing with hardware. Something weird always seems to hit me. And I'm sure if I was doing this for somebody else… it would have worked just fine... That's how my luck goes.

stephenw10 · Sep 29, 2013, 10:21 AM

Ha, well you may be unlucky and this is certainly not a common error but I'm sure it can be overcome. :)

Steve

drashna · Sep 29, 2013, 8:20 PM

Thanks, and thank you for your time. :)

And as I said, I've ordered a ps2/keyboard header, and hopefully that will solve/work around the issue.

Either way, I'll post the results when I get the keyboard header.

ghostshell · Oct 2, 2013, 3:39 AM

weird i had no issues with a full hdd mod on my x5500e as expected and non on my x6500e as well, i just transfered HDD from on to another when using 2.0.3 and then when testing the 2.1 RC's and then running 2.1 REL

drashna · Oct 4, 2013, 8:41 PM

Well, I got the header… but as I said, I suck when it comes to anything hardware related. I was rewiring the header, when halfway through, I realized that I'd messed up... and don't remember which pins were which or should go were. And I lack a voltage meter to test this out....

stephenw10 · Oct 4, 2013, 10:22 PM

Pretty sure it's standard, same as the x-core box:
http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,20242.0.html

Steve

drashna · Oct 4, 2013, 10:28 PM

Oh, that I don't have an issue with. It's just that I don't know which wires go to which pins. And the actual ps2 connector is covered in hard plastic, so taking it apart would be a PITA.

I hate to keep on asking for such "basic" help, but …. my dislike of hardware, my luck luck with it, and my lack of experience with it all kind of feed each other.
But you wouldn't happen to know which of wire is which by color? (red, green, brown and yellow).

And again, thanks for all of your help. It has definitely been appreciated.

stephenw10 · Oct 4, 2013, 11:12 PM

Ah. No idea I'm afraid. Could be standard though I suppose.

Steve

drashna · Oct 5, 2013, 8:11 AM

I had to literally tear apart the connector housing for the PS2 port, but as it was $5, and basically only being used for this, I didn't see an issue.

But I got it working! Got into the BIOS, configured the CF card, and booted.

stephenw10, thank you for all your help! It is definitely appreciated!

And specifically the ps2 header I got was this one:
http://www.pccables.com/06010.html

And in case anyone else needs it,
pin 1: green,
pin 2: brown,
pin 4: red,
pin 8: yellow,

At least, for the cable I got, that's what worked.