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    WatchGuard FireBox x6500e

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    24 Posts 4 Posters 5.3k Views
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    • D
      drashna
      last edited by

      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.

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      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        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

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        • D
          drashna
          last edited by

          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.

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          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

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

            Steve

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            • D
              drashna
              last edited by

              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.

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              • ghostshellG
                ghostshell
                last edited by

                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

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                • D
                  drashna
                  last edited by

                  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....

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                  • stephenw10S
                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                    last edited by

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

                    Steve

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                    • D
                      drashna
                      last edited by

                      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.

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                      • stephenw10S
                        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                        last edited by

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

                        Steve

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                        • D
                          drashna
                          last edited by

                          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.

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