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

    Fresh install with auto config restore and new hardware

    Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    4
    12
    4.0k
    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.
    • JailerJ
      Jailer
      last edited by

      Had a motherboard failure recently with my router. Found someone generous enough to give me a replacement motherboard. Replacement board has different NIC's than the old board.

      My question is when doing an auto config restore during install with new hardware do the interface drivers need to be manually changed in the config file before hand or will they be changed during installation?

      It's not a big deal to edit the config file just wondering if it's necessary. Thanks.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • J
        JasonJoel
        last edited by

        What I do is clean install on new system. Get it setup to the point I can get in the web gui. Restore backup, go to console and reassign nics, reboot.

        Just did it Wednesday, in fact.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • JailerJ
          Jailer
          last edited by

          Well that was a big fail. Fresh install didn't find the config. Finally got it going and restored the config from the gui and none of my port forwards worked, none of my dynamic DNS worked. I'm tired and frustrated and going to bed, I'll try again in the morning…....

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

            was the old system running 2.2.6 and the fresh install 2.3?

            Never Fear, A Geek is Here!

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • JailerJ
              Jailer
              last edited by

              @aGeekHere:

              was the old system running 2.2.6 and the fresh install 2.3?

              Tried a fresh install of 2.2.6 and 2.3 and they both failed. Going to have to manually reconfigure.  :'(

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

                have 1 idea try Diagnostics\States\States Reset States

                Never Fear, A Geek is Here!

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • JailerJ
                  Jailer
                  last edited by

                  No good. I REALLY didn't want to have to manually reconfigure this thing.

                  I can hook the old machine back up and everything works fine. New machine with a config restore no good. None of my port forwards work. I even tried deleting them and re configuring them.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • JailerJ
                    Jailer
                    last edited by

                    Fresh install of 2.3 with manual configuration and port forwarding still not working. Everything else is working fine, I just can't seem to open any ports.

                    I'm completely at a loss at this point.

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

                      take the old nics and put them in the new system to test

                      Never Fear, A Geek is Here!

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • JailerJ
                        Jailer
                        last edited by

                        Well one of them I can, the other is on board. Might just pick up a pro 1000 to try out, they're cheap enough.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • DerelictD
                          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                          last edited by

                          If the NICs in the new hardware are recognized by 2.3, they should work fine.

                          In the event the automatic interface reassignment fails, manually editing the interface names in the config.xml before manually restoring has worked every time for me.

                          Standard warning: do not just search and replace for em0 to igb0 (or whatever) as you are almost guaranteed to have the text em0 in some base64-encoded blob in there somewhere like in a certificate. Manually approve each change ensuring you are really changing an interface name. There aren't usually that many of them.

                          Get your config how you like it
                          Reinstall fresh
                          Connect laptop to LAN
                          webgui at 192.168.1.1
                          kill the auto config (click the pfsense logo at the top)
                          Restore the old config (modified for the new hardware)
                          Auto-reboot and you're done. Reconnect to your modems, switches, etc.

                          It really does take like 5 minutes.

                          If your "port forwards" still "don't work," there's probably another reason for it like you new interfaces aren't numbered like you think they are or something.

                          Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                          A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                          DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                          Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • JailerJ
                            Jailer
                            last edited by

                            @Derelict:

                            Get your config how you like it
                            Reinstall fresh
                            Connect laptop to LAN
                            webgui at 192.168.1.1
                            kill the auto config (click the pfsense logo at the top)
                            Restore the old config (modified for the new hardware)
                            Auto-reboot and you're done. Reconnect to your modems, switches, etc.

                            That is an exact description of my workflow. Several times with 2.2.6 and 2.3. Tried with and without changing the interfaces in the config and it just doesn't work. Tried a fresh install and manually configuring everything and it doesn't work. Tried a fresh install with nothing but a single port forward and it doesn't work.

                            A port forward is so simple and should "just work" but for some reason it doesn't.

                            ETA: Since this seems to be a new/different problem now I'm going to stop replying to this thread and move the discussion to this one.

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