Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    Watchguard Firebox M400/M500

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    584 Posts 58 Posters 670.8k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      No idea on that header cable. If it's 2mm dot pitch rather than 0.1" it can probably be made to work if the pins can be swapped.

      I can tell you an i3-4160 does not reboot and that's one of the 2014 models.

      Steve

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • C
        caKuma
        last edited by

        This post is deleted!
        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • H
          halk8888
          last edited by

          Just want to list my experience with the M400.

          -flashed unlocked bios
          -removed CF, added SSD
          -stock cpu, idle cpu temp ~53C, 35W , ambient 28C
          max cpu 45W

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

            That seems quite warm for the stock CPU at idle unless you've turned the fans right down?
            Not alarmingly hot though.

            Steve

            H 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • H
              halk8888 @stephenw10
              last edited by

              @stephenw10 yea, my temps are quite high compared to others. I messed with the fan settings to full blast and that was still the lowest temp I got.

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

                Hmm, maybe re-apply the hearsink compound then. Or just not worry about it, it's not that hot.

                Steve

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • C
                  caKuma
                  last edited by caKuma

                  Hey all, Just got a M500 box and I am trying to flash the bios via FreeDOS but I couldnt get putty or screen to output anything via serial. I am using a FTDI rj45 serial to usb adapter, could this be the issue? Thanks in advance.
                  alt text
                  alt text

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

                    Do you see the BIOS output at 115200bps?

                    The console redirect will probably allow you to see the FreeDOS output at that baud rate too unless you are setting 9600 specifically.

                    C S 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • C
                      caKuma @stephenw10
                      last edited by caKuma

                      @stephenw10 Nope I didnt see BIOS output at 115200 bps as well. Is my console port dead? Trying to crimp some connector to connect VGA but cant find a VGA cable for the life of me. I just ordered some VGA extension cable and it should arrive the same day. Ill update on whether or not I get a VGA output.

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

                        Mmm, I would certainly confirm the console setup on something else if you can.

                        Do you hear the fans spin down slightly? Does it beep? Any indication that it's actually POSTing.

                        Steve

                        C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • C
                          caKuma @stephenw10
                          last edited by caKuma

                          @stephenw10 said in Watchguard Firebox M400/M500:

                          Yea it posts, I heard the 4 beep when i swapped the cpu to i5-4590T + the fan won't spin down. I swapped it back to the Pentium it came with and it boots with a single chime then the fans spins down. I believe that indicates POST. Also the LED indicator on the side shows green before i wiped the CF card to flash FreeDOS.

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

                            Yup OK you should definitely see some output on the serial console at 115200 then.

                            Edit: Wrong! There's no output from the default BIOS.

                            C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • C
                              caKuma @stephenw10
                              last edited by caKuma

                              @stephenw10 I guess my serial console port dead then. Tried putty on windows, reinstalled FTDI drivers. Tried it on linux. I got nothing on 115200 and 9600. Unless it want me to plug it in to a real serial port rather than using ftdi usb.

                              S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • S
                                Smoothrunnings @stephenw10
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10

                                Doesn't need to have flashed the M500 with the unlocked BIOS before he can use the console port?

                                Mookatroid (I think) who setup my M400 told me recently to access the bios from the console required the bios on the M400 to be unlocked, which he did for me.

                                I moved to a UDM-Pro recently and wanted to reinstall pfSense.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • S
                                  Smoothrunnings @caKuma
                                  last edited by

                                  @cakuma

                                  Try using a Windows 10 machine with Putty see if that makes a difference.

                                  Make sure you go into device manager to find out which COM port your cable is plugged into.

                                  C 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • C
                                    caKuma @Smoothrunnings
                                    last edited by

                                    @smoothrunnings Did both on linux and windows. No dice. Im going to jerry rig the VGA once i get the extension cable.

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

                                      Mmm, you're right. Too many boxes!

                                      Yeah, there's actually no output at all on the console until pfSense boots with the default BIOS on there.
                                      Do you see that using a CF card with the memstick-serial image on it?

                                      You don't have to flash the BIOS.

                                      Steve

                                      C 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • C
                                        caKuma @stephenw10
                                        last edited by caKuma

                                        @stephenw10 Yea I didnt use CF card with memstick serial image on it. I wanted flash the bios to use my i5-4590T. Give me a sec ill flash the CF card again real quick with the memstick serial image.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • Z
                                          zanthos @caKuma
                                          last edited by

                                          @cakuma Just to let you know, If you're using my unlocked BIOS, there won't be any output on the VGA port, it is disabled in the BIOS. Also, VGA output depends on the CPU if it has an integrated IGP or not.
                                          You would need to change the BIOS settings to enable VGA output which seems to be impossible without a working serial console.

                                          My first advice: get another serial adapter. It might be broken. I had that several times. Those cheap china adapters cannot handle currents that may be high on serial ports and get damaged quickly.
                                          Also, according to your picture, it seems your adapter is RJ45 (CISCO console style) to USB. Make sure, the cable REALLY is CISCO style and has proper pinout.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • C
                                            caKuma
                                            last edited by caKuma

                                            Capture.PNG

                                            Yea you guys were right the console is actually outputting now with the memstick-serial image.
                                            Just wanted to flash the unlocked bios so I can use the spare CPU i have. There should be a way to flash from within pfsense/freebsd right?

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.