Watchguard XTM 5 Series

JuSt Floppy

Hi,

I saw that many people change the celeron 440 to a higher one with more cores. The Celeron have only TDP 35W but all other cpu's have more TDP. Is there no problem with heat? Witch CPU is the best one to pimp that boxes? Specialy XTM 510?

thx

chpalmer

@JuSt:

Hi,

I saw that many people change the celeron 440 to a higher one with more cores. The Celeron have only TDP 35W but all other cpu's have more TDP. Is there no problem with heat? Witch CPU is the best one to pimp that boxes? Specialy XTM 510?

thx

There truly is noting wrong with staying with the Celeron chip. Some of us are just hotrodders at heart. ;D

Im running a Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9650 in a room without AC. It does hover around 55c on the hot days. (Were getting AC this year.) But the fans do adjust to keep up. Right now its at 46c and the room is 70'.

JuSt Floppy

Do you know if a Xeon l5420 is running?

zanthos

I have a XTM5 running with a pin modded XEON L5420.
It is running fine, I put in 4GB of RAM and use a standard CF card.
Currently it is in my basement where it is about 8°C ;)
It draws about 40W…

XTM5_L5420.jpg_thumb

JuSt Floppy

Do you use the original bios from watchguard?

zanthos

@JuSt:

Do you use the original bios from watchguard?

Yes

chpalmer

Does the BIOS you guys have show nothing as user changable? We just got a couple of XTM515 models that BIOS is pretty much read only. We can get things to boot correctly though.

~~On these units we have to restart Putty after the boot process to be able to see anything. Seems a little different from my first models.~~ Boy how a guy can so easily forget. Just looked back on my notes and its been the same from the start.

Thing I noticed with the new boxes that I didn't note before. Armed LED does not come up red with original BIOS. But does with Steves improved version. Of coarse WXP…. file f=works fine and allows control when desired.

Can anybody recommend an adapter to mount a 2.5" HD to the mounting lugs by the power supply that you don't have to modify?

chpalmer

By the way… Just took possession of two XTM515 boxes being retired that have-

Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU E3400 @ 2.60GHz 2 CPUs: 1 package(s) x 2 core(s)

and 2GB Ram included.

Scorch95

@chpalmer:

Does the BIOS you guys have show nothing as user changable? We just got a couple of XTM515 models that BIOS is pretty much read only. We can get things to boot correctly though.

~~On these units we have to restart Putty after the boot process to be able to see anything. Seems a little different from my first models.~~ Boy how a guy can so easily forget. Just looked back on my notes and its been the same from the start.

Thing I noticed with the new boxes that I didn't note before. Armed LED does not come up red with original BIOS. But does with Steves improved version. Of coarse WXP…. file f=works fine and allows control when desired.

Can anybody recommend an adapter to mount a 2.5" HD to the mounting lugs by the power supply that you don't have to modify?

The original bios is indeed read only with no user changeable settings.

chpalmer

Just did the bios on these and now the "Armed" light comes up red when we first boot the boxes. :) Weird that they would disable those in later bios.

Updated instructions all in one place- ;D

From the console- If your using an embedded install you need to make the slice writable…


pkg

pkg install flashrom

rehash

cd tmp

fetch https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home/xtm5_83.rom

md5 xtm5_83.rom

flashrom -w xtm5_83.rom --programmer internal

Scorch95

@chpalmer:

Just did the bios on these and now the "Armed" light comes up red when we first boot the boxes. :) Weird that they would disable those in later bios.

Updated instructions all in one place- ;D

From the console- If your using an embedded install you need to make the slice writable…
pkg

pkg install flashrom

rehash

cd tmp

fetch https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home/xtm5_83.rom

md5 xtm5_83.rom

flashrom -w xtm5_83.rom --programmer internal

Does this work as is if we're installed to a hard drive?

chpalmer

Only difference should be that with a Nano install you would have to make the cf card writable. I did this on my unit about a year and a half ago with the hard drive.

Scorch95

So I'm not sure if the arrow keys on my xtm are working correctly. Currently I cycle through the screens with the down and left arrows. Is this normal? What is each arrow suppose to do? Also since loading pfsense I am unable to see the cpu temp. I know it did at one point, is there a way to add this back in?

PFseb

This week I received my Watchguard 520 XTM, and already installed the 64bit nano. No problems so far.
However I am having 2 questions:

Question 1:
I would like to update the BIOS, however I have 2 options, the BIOS from the following site:
https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home
(from Stephen)
or from Watchguard, why or what are the reasons to choose. I noticed the original one I use now is "read-only".
Furthermore HOW do I upgrade the bios with the original watchguard. I already upgraded watchguard to latest version on the original CF, but the BIOS did not noticeably change…
(I have read already how to do it when using the "Stephen" BIOS, so my question on HOW only relates to Watchguard original BIOS)

Question 2:
Installed Nano 64bit and installed the fan control software, but I was quite disappointed by the result, still if I put it on my attic it is like an airplane flying over. So for now it is waiting on new fans.
Anyone tried so far. Havent read anyone doing it (changing the 3 system fans), for now I am not (yet) touching the PSU fan.
Keep you posted to show my progress once I get my fans.

chpalmer

@PFseb:

Question 1:
I would like to update the BIOS, however I have 2 options, the BIOS from the following site:
https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home
(from Stephen)
or from Watchguard, why or what are the reasons to choose. I noticed the original one I use now is "read-only".
Furthermore HOW do I upgrade the bios with the original watchguard. I already upgraded watchguard to latest version on the original CF, but the BIOS did not noticeably change…
(I have read already how to do it when using the "Stephen" BIOS, so my question on HOW only relates to Watchguard original BIOS)

Question 2:
Installed Nano 64bit and installed the fan control software, but I was quite disappointed by the result, still if I put it on my attic it is like an airplane flying over. So for now it is waiting on new fans.
Anyone tried so far. Havent read anyone doing it (changing the 3 system fans), for now I am not (yet) touching the PSU fan.
Keep you posted to show my progress once I get my fans.

Answer 1 you pretty much already know. Because it is read only. And there are a few more options in Steve's version.

Answer 2 also can be solved with the custom BIOS.. I don't believe the WGX software has any control over the fans in the XTM series. But mine controlled by the BIOS which by the way adjusts to CPU temp, is quiet as a mouse.

chpalmer

@Scorch95:

So I'm not sure if the arrow keys on my xtm are working correctly. Currently I cycle through the screens with the down and left arrows. Is this normal? What is each arrow suppose to do? Also since loading pfsense I am unable to see the cpu temp. I know it did at one point, is there a way to add this back in?

Im using 2.3 in my boxes and LCDproc is not available yet. So I can't play with the buttons to say myself. Never really did before with 2.2.x series either.

PFseb

@chpalmer:

@PFseb:

Question 1:
I would like to update the BIOS, however I have 2 options, the BIOS from the following site:
https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home
(from Stephen)
or from Watchguard, why or what are the reasons to choose. I noticed the original one I use now is "read-only".
Furthermore HOW do I upgrade the bios with the original watchguard. I already upgraded watchguard to latest version on the original CF, but the BIOS did not noticeably change…
(I have read already how to do it when using the "Stephen" BIOS, so my question on HOW only relates to Watchguard original BIOS)

Question 2:
Installed Nano 64bit and installed the fan control software, but I was quite disappointed by the result, still if I put it on my attic it is like an airplane flying over. So for now it is waiting on new fans.
Anyone tried so far. Havent read anyone doing it (changing the 3 system fans), for now I am not (yet) touching the PSU fan.
Keep you posted to show my progress once I get my fans.

Answer 1 you pretty much already know. Because it is read only. And there are a few more options in Steve's version.

Answer 2 also can be solved with the custom BIOS.. I don't believe the WGX software has any control over the fans in the XTM series. But mine controlled by the BIOS which by the way adjusts to CPU temp, is quiet as a mouse.

Thanks, was not aware that recent BIOS from Watchguard are still readonly published. I will try this afternoon, if it works I will deff cancel my 3 fan order :).

chpalmer

@PFseb:

Thanks, was not aware that recent BIOS from Watchguard are still readonly published. I will try this afternoon, if it works I will deff cancel my 3 fan order :) .

If they have a newer BIOS available Im betting someone around here would love to get a copy. ;D

Yep- my recently retired (after less than a year and a half in service) XTM boxes are read only as well.

PFseb

Quick question, in the flashed bios, y default the setting is thermal control.
While on thermal control using WGXepc the fans still are like a hurricane.
~~Do I need to change this setting, can remember it was stated that they should be on "full speed".~~ (Btw all settings in the BIOS are now editable, I had to clear the BIOS before I could enter. Any recommendations on default values or default is good?)

Other ideas, since full speed is not the way to go…

chpalmer

@PFseb:

Quick question, in the flashed bios, y default the setting is thermal control.
While on thermal control using WGXepc the fans still are like a hurricane.
~~Do I need to change this setting, can remember it was stated that they should be on "full speed".~~ (Btw all settings in the BIOS are now editable, I had to clear the BIOS before I could enter. Any recommendations on default values or default is good?)

Other ideas, since full speed is not the way to go…

Take any commands to control the fans away from WGXepc. Not needed.


CPUFAN Mode Setting            [Thermal Mode      ]**                        *
*   CPUFAN TargetTemp Value      [065]               **                        *
* SYSFAN Mode Setting            [Thermal Mode      ]**                        *
*   SYSFAN TargetTemp Value      [050]               **                        *

Mine was set for 070 and 055. I dropped them back 5 degrees each and may go even further if the weather gets to warm. My firewall is quieter than the switch fan mounted in the same rack. :)