pfSense router not connecting after update

eiger3970 0

Well, this is the first occasion the router is not accessible via my LAN computer.

The hardware I listed at the top of post 1 will show if there’s a graphic card in the hardware (remember I have no router, hence no Internet).

I can’t remember exactly as I built the router years ago. I installed pfSense onto a memory card on my computer with a memory card reader in the computer’s USB port. I then placed the memory card into the router and installed via serial cable screens. This bit I can’t remember exactly.

The date 20181226 (YYYYMMDD) is not a version. I can’t remember the version details, so I listed the date of the most recent software on the router, before the latest update broke the router.
I used the YYYYMMDD format to avoid confusion as some parts of the world have not yet progressed to this universal format. E.g.: UK DDMMYYYY, US MMDDYYYY. This is another discussion, however YYYYMMDD is universal and works best (just try naming your files with a non-universal format and see what happens).

I have just connected a serial cable into the router and the other end of the cable fits into my cimputer’s USB port. The router has booted up (I hear the beep sounds), however the computer recognises no device.
I might need to use puTTY, but I can’t download puTTY as the computer has no Internet. Would a shell like Terminal from my Linux Mint machine connect?

eiger3970 0

On my computer with the router connected with a serial to USB cable, Shell > arp -a > Enter > ? (192.168.1.170) at <incomplete> on enp3s0

This looks promising as 192.168.1.170 is the router’s LAN IP address.

eiger3970 0

Hmm, same arp result with the router’s USB cable disconnected from the computer?

eiger3970 0

I just tried a router serial cable to a VGA monitor, however no output on the monitor?

eiger3970 0

So, is there a way to check the Transcend 8GB 10 microSD HC card has a working pfSense operating system on it?
The computer sees the card as /dev/sdc.

Gertjan

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

ALIX-APU-1C4-AMD-G-Series-T40E

Found the doc.
Also the operating manual https://pcengines.ch/pdf/apu1.pdf

There is a serial "RS232" bull modem cable access.
A soon as the cable access works (a serial cable can not be connected to a VGA screen - it should be connected to a serial cable plug on your PC, or you use a Serial to USB converter) you have access to the boot sequence of your device.
If pfSense boots, you will wind up with a screen like this :

pfSense - Netgate Device ID: 20bb46df95386fe7e087

*** Welcome to pfSense 2.4.4-RELEASE-p1 (amd64) on pfsense ***

 WAN (wan)       -> rl0        -> v4/DHCP4: 192.168.10.11/24
 LAN (lan)       -> fxp0       -> v4: 192.168.1.1/24
                                  v6: 2001:470:1f13:5c0:2::1/64
 PORTAL (opt1)   -> sis0       -> v4: 192.168.2.1/24
 HENETV6 (opt2)  -> gif0       -> v6: 2001:470:1ee2:5c0::2/128
 VPN (opt3)      -> ovpns1     -> v4: 192.168.3.1/24
                                  v6: 2001:470:ccea:2::1/64
 OPT4 (opt4)     -> fxp0.10    -> v4: 192.168.9.1/24

 0) Logout (SSH only)                  9) pfTop
 1) Assign Interfaces                 10) Filter Logs
 2) Set interface(s) IP address       11) Restart webConfigurator
 3) Reset webConfigurator password    12) PHP shell + pfSense tools
 4) Reset to factory defaults         13) Update from console
 5) Reboot system                     14) Disable Secure Shell (sshd)
 6) Halt system                       15) Restore recent configuration
 7) Ping host                         16) Restart PHP-FPM
 8) Shell

Enter an option:

But you will probably see "problems" that disables the boot.
You be anything like bad ram, bad disk.
The system would boot some BIOS first. This BIOS will start setting up the serial connection - see manual for settings. These settings should be the same on your PC, like speed etc.
The BIOS will find all attached drives, and if one is bootable, it will load the OS from it = pfSense.
Then the OS kicks in.

No need to remove the drive and test it : you should check if you can boot (and thus at least : is it readable) from it.

Btw : myself, I don't use a device like an APU, I have an old PC loaded with network cards, an old fashioned hard disk, it has a graphics card and so my console access is a VGA screen + keyboard : no need to use the serial access.

edit : See https://forum.netgate.com/topic/138898/apu2c0-usb-install-of-2-4-2-release-fails-with-fatal-trap-9-general-protection-fault-while-in-kernel-mode for another APC thread and an example of the console access.

https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/solutions/sg-2220/connect-to-console.html

https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/solutions/apu/index.html

eiger3970 0

Thanks. I tried a serial cable in the router and a USB cable into the computer, however no device recognised.

eiger3970 0

It appears the Linux computer needs the Shell Terminal to have ‘cu’ installed, so the serial cable will read the router.
This means I have to unbridge the modem so the computer can receive Internet.

chrismacmahon

screen should be installed by default on most linux distro's.

eiger3970 0

Apparently not, unless you know of another program to view via the serial cable?

Derelict

@eiger3970-0 said in pfSense router not connecting after update:

It appears the Linux computer needs the Shell Terminal to have ‘cu’ installed, so the serial cable will read the router.
This means I have to unbridge the modem so the computer can receive Internet.

Yeah this is the sort of procedure that should be worked out before the firewall fails. It's a good reason to always watch an upgrade on the console. You can see everything that is happening and, if something does go wrong, you have already worked out the console access necessary to see what's happening and you know you have all the parts and software necessary before you need them.

It is also a good idea to reboot the router once before upgrading because many times it is the restart itself that exposes a bad disk or other hardware issue. The upgrade is almost always blamed though it had nothing to do with the failure.

chrismacmahon

minicom is another, but chances are your syntax is not correct.

should be something like:

sudo screen /dev/tty??? 115200

eiger3970 0

Thanks for the alternate command suggestion.
Unfortunately, screen is also not installed.
Also, I don’t know the serial cable tty id.

Derelict

ls -l /dev/tty* ???

Look at the system log when you connect it?

Look at the dmesg output and see if, when you boot, the system tells you what tty device node is attached to each serial port?

Look at the linux manual pages for your distribution for connecting to a serial port?

eiger3970 0

Ok, nothing finds the pfSense router.
I have the router with a femaleSerial-maleUSB into the computer.
lsusb and dmesg -w finds no new device.
I tried the router with maleSerial-femaleSerialAdaptor-femaleSerialAdaptor-maleUSB cable.
Can't use a serial null modem cable, as the computer has no serial port.

stephenw10

If you see no new USB serial device in dmesg when you connect it then it is the adapter that is the problem.

I would bet the APU is still just fine in hardware terms. Especially since it's still giving the boot up tune.

With a functioning serial terminal I imagine it will be obvious when the problem is from the console output. It the very least you can then just try re-installing.

Steve

eiger3970 0

well, just bought a maleUSBa-maleUSBa and computer doesn't recognise the router.
Might have to buy a serial null modem cable now.
Computer has no serial port, so I might join the serial null modem to my femaleSerial-maleUSBa cable.
I notice the usb has no taste when I put my tongue on it...hope the router is sending power.

Derelict

You either see the USB serial adapter as a tty port or you don't. You will see this whether or not the adapter is connected to a device.

The second step would be connecting to the router.

There is nothing special about the serial console port on an APU other than it is a DTE port like that found on most serial adapters so you need a null modem to connect to it from another DTE port.

I notice the usb has no taste when I put my tongue on it...hope the router is sending power.

I have no words in response to this.

eiger3970 0

I bought a serial null modem femaleSerial-femaleSerial cable connected to my maleSerial-maleUSB cable.
$ dmesg -w, http://dpaste.com/1CN6RJ6

Derelict

sudo screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

What happens?