pfSense WatchGuard XTM 505 install serial problems
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Full problem
Hey, so I've been installing pfsense on a Watchguard XTM 505 as per instructions on reddit mainly because of the smaller hardware and VLAN capabilities. This worked alright, I carried my configuration from my PC setup to this new device which happened without too many problems. Now it's coming to reinstalling it again and I'm getting nostalgia of the first pfsense install I did and the many problems that came with it. Basically the first one was that the WAN wasn't getting a valid IP (and not connecting to the internet) however this was a misconfiguration with PPPoE settings as I am using a BT Openreach Modem connecting to the router. Then it was a load of problems with making all traffic going through an OpenVPN instance which I need and just as I was about to finish doing that, I restarted it and the serial cable (settings below) reads in black, as in the text on the screen is moving down but I can't see anything. When I can see stuff it stops forever just after lifting the Processor details.tl;dr problem
Serial connection to the device either hangs just after processor info or displays the text as blackTroubleshooting attempted
- Restarting it at the power
- Cycling the power with the serial cable attached and attached
- Multiple speed settings in putty
Putty Configuration (COM3 is right)
https://gyazo.com/22ce26224361fc01973ab40a6c8a2aa5Putty black text (video)
https://gyazo.com/e9820a4a090f008b69c54e85fc54b0afpfSense Info hangs (image)
https://gyazo.com/2eb9c523c27bf9937eddff128cfc5295Any help is appreciated, thanks.
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com 3 is different but ok if it works for you.. Ive always used the front console jack and com 1.
This is in German but gives some hints as to how you should set Putty.
http://www.triebwerk23.de/joomla/index.php/firewalls/watchguard-xtm-5-xtm-505-515-525-545-pfsense-64-bit
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Initially it said to set the speed to 9200, upon doing that this happens?
https://gyazo.com/4d849e4a176df8ce7d15cfa0a2545fd6The other options it provides don't do anything at all. Any other suggestions?
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@chpalmer different issue, I cycled the power once more and out of the blue it worked (I have no idea, i've changed nothing) and and here's the info it hangs on:
https://gyazo.com/2eb9c523c27bf9937eddff128cfc5295 -
Are you trying to load from a drive or USB or??
Id suspect either a hardware problem or bad drive media/corupt files. You say hang but does the unit actually finish booting? Tones? If not then this is not a serial problem but a boot up problem.
What com port connection are you using? Front port? Try changing to Com 1 and see if it comes back.
Notice on the linked page that some BIOS settings are indicated. Look at those.
That page I linked details a brand new install on one of these units so you have to look at the information and only use what you need/missed when you first set up.
I used Google translate when I did it a few years back.
If that is the original CPU then I believe you have a later version of that box which means it should have some life left in it. Mine was a year old when I got it and was a display model. That said its over 5 years in operation here.
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The XTM5 does that after a reboot for some reason, the scrolling with no text output thing. Closing and re-opening putty always brings it back for me.
That the last output you see on both consoles so if you do not have the serial console set as the primary console you will not see the interfaces assign screen. Make sure you are using the memstick serial image or you enabled serial and set as primary if you installed in some other way.
Com3 in putty is just whatever the local serial port is detected as in Windows, that's no problem.
Steve
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So I put the CF card back in, repaired the install media (old laptop hard drive) and it worked from that point on. Every time a new option for me to type, i would just restart the putty terminal and it would show again. Problem resolved.
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Nice. What were the instructions you were following out of interest?
Steve
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I believe both the 1st comment in this thread and a couple other places said it was a damaged medium as it couldn't mount it and hadn't been shut down correctly previously. While going to reinstall it I noticed I could just repair the system, which I did and it worked. The Putty terminal was your advice.
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Sorry I meant what reddit thread had install instructions?
Steve
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I followed this youtube tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwQpB5hlvD4Pand this reddit thread
https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/3rt1v5/loading_pfsense_on_watchguard_xtm_5_series_model/