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    PfSense 2.3.3 on x750e

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    • K
      Kimbie
      last edited by

      @chpalmer:

      https://sites.google.com/site/pfsensefirebox/home/XEBIOS_81.BIN

      https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/PfSense_on_Watchguard_Firebox#X-Core-e    is probably the best source of information about these boxes right now.

      Thanks for that, I will get it downloaded later :)

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      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        Probably not worth getting a microdrive or a super fast CF card since the CF slot doesn't have pins connected to support DMA.

        Use a laptop HD and an adapter for any real speed. If you need that. Running Nano from CF doesn't read/write the card that much anyway.

        Steve

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        • K
          Kimbie
          last edited by

          @stephenw10:

          Probably not worth getting a microdrive or a super fast CF card since the CF slot doesn't have pins connected to support DMA.

          Use a laptop HD and an adapter for any real speed. If you need that. Running Nano from CF doesn't read/write the card that much anyway.

          Steve

          Hi,

          It will be used mostly on my home network, then once or twice a year at a 20 person LAN mainly to control access to the 6mb internet the venue has.

          So with that use case in mind, would I be better off with a 4Gb CF card or get the adaptor for a laptop hdd?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            I'd stick with Nano on the CF card unless you need/want to run Snort or Squid.

            The card speed doesn't affect general firewall throughput.

            Steve

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            • K
              Kimbie
              last edited by

              @stephenw10:

              I'd stick with Nano on the CF card unless you need/want to run Snort or Squid.

              The card speed doesn't affect general firewall throughput.

              Steve

              No won't be needing those things that I know of

              Thanks for the advice :)

              Kimbie

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              • D
                DeLorean
                last edited by

                @stephenw10:

                Probably not worth getting a microdrive or a super fast CF card since the CF slot doesn't have pins connected to support DMA.

                Steve

                At my personal experience, i have learn that a Super Fast CF card is better then a low speed CF on the E-Core boxes.
                Since version 2.3 in combination with low speed CF cards, not only the bootup time is extended,
                but there can occur multiple errors during bootup.
                This error messages linked to the low speed CF are this :
                ata0: timeout waiting for write DRQ

                This error message can sometimes be 6 or 7 repeatly show up during bootup.

                I have opened last year a topic about this behaviour.
                https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=115699.msg642205#msg642205

                Grtz
                DeLorean

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                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  I haven't seen that error personally but I can say that firmware upgrades can take forever on a slow CF card. Like really almost unbelievably slow!

                  Still doesn't affect throughput once it's booted though and really it shouldn't reboot very often.

                  Steve

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                  • N
                    nerone
                    last edited by

                    Hello,

                    I think I have flashed the XEBIOS 8.1 but I'm not shure.

                    My appliance is still showing "pfsense B7" at boot.

                    How do check that my appliance is successfully running 8.1 BIOS?

                    Running the biosid program? But I don't see any difference in biosid from before and after the flash…

                    Kind regards
                    Nerone

                    King

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                    • D
                      DeLorean
                      last edited by

                      @nerone:

                      Hello,

                      I think I have flashed the XEBIOS 8.1 but I'm not shure.

                      My appliance is still showing "pfsense B7" at boot.

                      How do check that my appliance is successfully running 8.1 BIOS?

                      Running the biosid program? But I don't see any difference in biosid from before and after the flash…

                      Kind regards
                      Nerone

                      King

                      Did you do a CMOS reset by removing the battery for a minute ?

                      If Bios 8.1 is flashed, the LCD screen say "pfSense B8" at boot.

                      Grtz
                      DeLorean

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                      • K
                        Kimbie
                        last edited by

                        So got around to opening up my x750e and there is a blue IDE port soldered onto the motherboard, can this be used at all?

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                        • D
                          DeLorean
                          last edited by

                          @Kimbie:

                          So got around to opening up my x750e and there is a blue IDE port soldered onto the motherboard, can this be used at all?

                          Yes, this can be used to hook up a 2.5" IDE HDD or a SSD (need extra IDE to Sata adapter).
                          You reach the same goal with the black connector right beside the blue IDE connector.
                          The only benefits of running pfSense from a HDD or SSD is that you can run the full installation,
                          and have better support for installing packages that require many read/write actions (Squid , Snort etc….)
                          Also the bootup time is faster compared to a CF card.
                          The throughput speed stays same.

                          Grtz
                          DeLorean

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