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    Configure port to be used as serial port when booting

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • T
      tonysud
      last edited by

      I have two serial ports:

      [2.3.4-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: ls /dev/cua*
      /dev/cuau2      /dev/cuau2.lock /dev/cuau3.init
      /dev/cuau2.init /dev/cuau3      /dev/cuau3.lock
      [2.3.4-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root:

      I'd like to boot using serial port, so that I can connect to pfsense, using another pc via serial port

      where to choose the serial port to use to boot?

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      • DerelictD
        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
        last edited by

        Look at the bottom of System > Advanced.

        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)

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        • T
          tonysud
          last edited by

          it doesn't allow me to select the port the use

          which file should I edit?

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

            So use the port it chooses? Are they both available to connect to?

            https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/serialconsole-setup.html

            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)

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            • T
              tonysud
              last edited by

              I don't understand one thing:
              which port pfsense use as default?
              both ports available?
              I don't understand if the cable I have doen't work, if serial port doesn't work, or if pfsense doesn't work via serial port…..

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              • DerelictD
                Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                last edited by

                Sounds like you have some diagnostic work to do. Certainly would require a crystal ball from here with the information presented.

                You are asking about something few people have done. I cannot even test it because none of my pfSense nodes have VGA or serial ports other than designated console ports that are not typical UARTs at boot time.

                Netgate ADI units have a special community edition built for them that changes the console to what most people would call COM2. You can see the logic here for what it places in the /boot/loader.conf file. The RCC stuff at the end is for the ADI units. Those who have been around a while know that the standard address/port for COM1 is 0x3F8 and COM2 is 0x2F8:

                
                if ($serial_only === true) {
                		$data[] = 'boot_serial="YES"';
                		$data[] = 'console="comconsole"';
                	} elseif ($vga_only === true) {
                		$data[] = 'console="vidconsole"';
                	} elseif (is_serial_enabled()) {
                		$data[] = 'boot_multicons="YES"';
                		$data[] = 'boot_serial="YES"';
                		$primaryconsole = isset($g['primaryconsole_force']) ?
                		    $g['primaryconsole_force'] :
                		    $config['system']['primaryconsole'];
                		switch ($primaryconsole) {
                			case "video":
                				$data[] = 'console="vidconsole,comconsole"';
                				break;
                			case "serial":
                			default:
                				$data[] = 'console="comconsole,vidconsole"';
                		}
                	}
                	$data[] = 'comconsole_speed="' . $serialspeed . '"';
                	if ($specific_platform['name'] == 'RCC-VE' ||
                	    $specific_platform['name'] == 'RCC' ||
                	    $specific_platform['name'] == 'RCC-DFF') {
                		$data[] = 'comconsole_port="0x2F8"';
                		$data[] = 'hint.uart.0.flags="0x00"';
                		$data[] = 'hint.uart.1.flags="0x10"';
                	}
                
                

                You might try placing similar items that match what you need on your hardware in /boot/loader.conf.local

                Something like this for COM2:

                boot_multicons="YES"
                boot_serial="YES"
                console="comconsole,vidconsole"
                comconsole_speed="115200"
                comconsole_port="0x2F8"

                Looking at /var/run/dmesg.boot should show you what COM/UART ports are where.

                uart0: <16550 or compatible> at port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 on isa0
                uart1: <16550 or compatible> at port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3 flags 0x10 on isa0
                uart1: console (115200,n,8,1)

                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)

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                • T
                  tonysud
                  last edited by

                  please indicate me with type of nullmodem cable I have to buy
                  there are a lot of configuration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_modem

                  please indicate which do I need to buy to connect pfsense machine to a linux machine

                  thanks

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                  • DerelictD
                    Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                    last edited by

                    Impossible without knowing what ports you have on your "linux machine" and your router.

                    If you have no idea how to use a serial console why are you so hell-bent on using one?

                    FWIW I generally use these and connect my USB serial adapter directly to it:

                    https://www.amazon.com/Bargain-Cable-Female-Modem-Adapter/dp/7507825604/

                    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
                    • T
                      tonysud
                      last edited by

                      update:

                      the cable I have seems to be ok
                      I have tested it connecting another pfsense machine via serial to the other pc

                      so, the second pc is ok, the cable is ok, the problem is pfsense that doesn't send data to serial port

                      tomorrow I'll do other tests

                      Impossible without knowing what ports you have on your "linux machine" and your router.

                      serial ports on pci card and integrated serial port

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

                        sigh.

                        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
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