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Thank you so much @stephenw10 very grateful for your efforts here.
I attempted this approach and it indeed worked perfectly. Had to use a microscope in order to sever that small connection!
In my use case, each of the 5-port switch interfaces would belong to the same flat network segment. So, while the security aspect of this mod is important to consider, for me it makes no difference. In fact, for me it is simpler this way, as I actually wanted these 5 ports to function as an unmanaged switch. Cheers to you @stephenw10 :)
-Bob
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Nice. Let me know if you see anything unexpected. Those pins are all used for several things but I don't have the specific datasheet for that chip so I'm unsure exactly what. Probably potentially driving an LED somewhere. The NIC LEDs all seem to work as expected here though.
Steve
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@stephenw10 Each of the "1000" interface activity LEDs on my modified WatchGuard T70 operates as expected. As far as I can tell, the "Status", "Attn", and "Mode" LEDs do not illuminate under any circumstances, which for me is not super important. If, one day, the WGXepc package makes it possible to make use of these WatchGuard T70 LEDs from within pfSense, that would be great but I am not expecting this any time soon. Thanks again @stephenw10 :)
Bob
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@networkbob how did you get pfsense installed on the msata drive in the T70? Should I install using another system or can I do boot selection using the serial console and install via USB?
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There's no way to install to it in the T70 directly as the BIOS is locked down, no way to select a boot device other than the mSATA.
So, yes, install in something else and move it across. If that other thing is not a serial console device then be sure to enable the serial console in the webgui before moving it.Steve
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@stephenw10 awesome thanks, I was able to get it installed, but it doesn't look like I was successful in breaking the trace under the blue line. I'm trying to score the board with a utility knife, how did you sever it?
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Yes I used a small craft knife. I think I went over that with the corner of a watchmakers screwdriver. It's a delicate operation!
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@stephenw10 I might just try to remove that resistor instead
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@bruor confirming, used the super fine tip on my iron, popped the resistor off, switch is active on igb3!
Thanks for the help!
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Nice!
I wish there was a better way. Maybe one day...Steve
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@stephenw10 it worked perfectly with my T70 and OPNsense. Thank you very much! Now I can use the 5 port switch as lan interface.
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@stephenw10 can you upload the config.xml with the defaults of pfsense setup . Unable to reconfigure setup, my m2 laptop has no ethernet ports and setup shutdown immediately. Thanks
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It uses igb ports. pfSense will assign igb0 as WAN and igb1 as LAN by default.
Are you seeing something different?
You can setup the interfaces from the console anyway.
Steve
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@stephenw10 Thanks for the reply. I tried getting into the console but unable to directly on the T70. Since I was unable to get to the GUI on my laptop I could not enable console access. I added a USB ethernet interface to the laptop, it automatically makes it a WAN. I can SSH to it as well, but do not know how to enable console access in the initial setup [not listed as an option] so that when I move into T70 it will allow console access.
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@eihab you should be able to just run through the pfsense installation on your laptop, don't boot it, then swap the drive into the t70.
I had no success getting console to work on the t70. Even when configured properly I'll get an initial handshake with some output, but then it goes kind of dead and doesn't respond to keystrokes etc. Have tried a mix of cables with null modem adapters etc.
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Hmm, weird. The serial console works fine here. Nothing special required.
But, yeah. If you install to the mSATA drive on something else and then move it across before the first boot it will use the defaults which should allow you access it on the LAN port.
Steve
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@bruor Thanks for the tip. I tried that using the second option [EFI] but nothing happens on the T70? I am unable to access from a PC connected to the LAN port? Any thing I missed?
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@stephenw10 Any specific version of pfsense? I downloaded the latest iso and installed on the laptop with 2nd option or EFI boot.
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@eihab I just updated to 2.5.2 release here.
My disk shows it's in bios mode, not sure if the T70 supports EFI boot.
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@bruor Thanks! that made it work... I am in on the LAN network...
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