Watchguard Firebox M400/M500
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@korenchkin ... Answering your comment, yes, I don't see any bios output it comes with that screen shot I posted before. Yes, I do have the 115200 baud rate.
I'm inclining to go the direct connection to flush a new bios. I have to get one kit first.
I don't understand the last part where you mention to use an Autoexe.bat.
I have tried hitting the Tab key as soon as power the box on, stil don't do anything. -
@stephenw10 .... I went to check the cable to see in the rj45 how many connections are, well 4 for sure and 3 more that are not very clear.
I have a cable that I will try tomorrow. It is an old Cisco cable with rj45 at one end and a db9 at the other. My old workstation Dell precision has serial db9 connection, will see if that will allow me to see the BIOS boot up output.
Fingers crossed.... -
Ok I read back through the thread here and it's been too many years and too many box variations but looks like console redirect is not enabled by default so you won't see any BIOS output. The first thing you see is from the bootloader as you found.
But that tinycore image should work. I used that to flash an m500 not that long ago. How did you write it out to CF?
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@stephenw10 .... Well, I tried with the USB at first then I tried with the CF card. I used Rufus first in both, didn't work so I used belena etcher and last I used a piberry image writter with the USB and CF card. I also tried the tylinux in the USB and CF card... No joy. I used 2 different USB sticks and 2 different CF cards... Nothing, nada, zilch...
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Yeah it won't boot USB by default, you have to use CF.
Do you hear it beep like it's booting? Try using Etcher to write the image.
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@stephenw10 ... Yes. I do hear a couple beeps with either USB or CF card. As I mentioned earlier I did used etcher too.
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Hmm, well I just tested here on an m400 I have that still has the original BIOS and that tinycore image does boot. I had to try 2 CF cards though. I can only suggest trying a different card.
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@stephenw10 ... Will do, I will get a new CF card and use etcher too... Hope it works.
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@stephenw10 @jriofrio If I remember correctly, I had to flash the tinylinux image onto the orignal CF card to get the machine to boot from it. I tried other CF cards but it wouldn't boot from them until I flashed the BIOS. Once it was flashed, the machine will boot from anything. You won't see the BIOS POST until it's flashed; the original BIOS doesn't output anything over serial, at least mine didn't!
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Mmm, you might just retry the CF cards you have I found it failed to boot the card I have a few times but did eventually boot it. No idea why. Cosmic rays perhaps!
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@jriofrio some bioses can lock out 'unapproved' pci cards,i could guess there could be some kind of lockout for cf cards,so maybe trying the original (with verified backup)
as for autoexec.bat,that is something that dos starts after boot (since you are headless - no keyboard/monitor),this would work if it boots but don't show serial,there would be commands exactly as you type them manually...but hard to debug if you don't see anything,it could be asking for bios file,or wrong switch or telling bad command and you never know...so if you are certain what to type with paths,you can try this,i bet there is switch to 'reset/reboot' after flashing,probably cmos clear parameter too,so you could wait for console (can't restart while flashing still works,so you need to be sure you can reset or wait long enough)
edit:cf cards also have some modes of operation(udma,pio),so maybe it just can't talk correctly to that asmedia sata bridge(asmedia are not that great,sensitive to firmware versions-talking from experience with theirs usb-sata bridges,i don't trust them),so best could be sticking to the original..maybe even adding floppy image as image to grub,that could work,but requires a bit of linux/booting knowledge,i think there must be some loader too,not sure
edit2:i finally looked at your image(sorry,too much up,didn't read it all),when it boots,you should see it there i believe,this kinda looks like it is really not booting,so getting into grub seems like great idea,maybe allowing editing for starters...(need to do in grub.cfg probably on cf /boot/grub.cfg or menu.lst)
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@korenchkin .... Hello everyone, just wanted to mention that the cable (the rj45 to db9) and a new CF card didn't work at all. Same results.
So, my only option is to flash the BIOS directly.
I was looking for guidance here (I was reading through 5he comments) but I only saw mention of the success. I was looking for a guidance and details that I should pay attention to the process.
I downloaded the program and ordered the kit.
If there is any details and or advice in how to proceed, I will be please to hear it.
Good day..... -
@jriofrio if by the kit you mean ch341,that is one awesome device,just some usual warnings,i use neoprogrammer (i hope the name is right,not at my pc),if you search for it,watch out for viruses,same for drivers,maybe use zadig(not sure),also watch for polarity/orientation of chip...
Neoprogrammer has detect chip,once it says some name,it might need to confirm/select of several choicesThe chip should be 8pin (2x4 pins),should be some 25xxx (mx25xx or similar,google for details,it will be probabli 64mbit nor flash)
The chip is either smd(usuallly)-use clip,red wire is one/dot,i would clip it first,then connect it to programmer and then usb....One important thing-use usb cable,you can plug it directly,but cable is def better
I use the kit for different things and it just works(severeal accespoints,some motherboards)...
Once you are connected,just read it and save,then either read again,save,compare,or button verify....and then you can play with flashing
Off course without power! (Better disconnect from mains,or if you have good+single ground(with flashing pc),off should be okay
And once you have the bios,do some comparison with new bios file,i suggest total commander file compare(one of the best for binary comparisons),and see if there are similar beginnings(once compression starts,it will be completely different,but boot block should be similar,at least header...or if you are stuck,upload it somewhere and we can take a look
Edit:if you want to train before,open some old wifi accesspoint or motherboard to train..if the chip is 24xx,it is just a small eeprom(other position on socket,you'll see markings),but otherwise same...
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@jriofrio said in Watchguard Firebox M400/M500:
@korenchkin .... Hello everyone, just wanted to mention that the cable (the rj45 to db9) and a new CF card didn't work at all.
Id have to go back and look but did you try a (light blue) Cisco cable? The ones I have do work and are fully wired.
From my rememberings.. I used an old laptop and wrote the hard drive that I installed in my M400 and then used a package to install the firmware.
I was just having too many issues trying to get the CF card to work.
