Navigation

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

    Noob needs a little help getting started

    Hardware
    5
    11
    750
    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.
    • G
      guruatds last edited by

      Hello,

      I bought a Qotom Q355G4 box for the purpose of installing pfsense. This was a barebone purchase from Ali Express.
      I did install the memory of 8GB and a SATA 256 GB SSD storage.

      How do I access the box. Granted the storage is blank.
      Should I go the route of installing pfsense from a USB stick?

      I connected the HDMI port to my TV and powered up the box. Nothing shows up on the screen. I was expecting some message like from the BIOS.

      Should I just jump right in with the install of s/w?

      Regards

      guru

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

        If you can't even get a display working you will have to contact the manufacturer for assistance with that.

        After that, https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Installing_pfSense

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • G
          guruatds last edited by

          Great. Thanks.

          Update: I had an issue in my set up. Did not turn on the audio receiver which was feeding hdmi signals to my tv. Duh!!!

          I have now installed pfsense on to the device.

          Thanks again.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • P
            pr4499 last edited by

            Hey @guruatds

            256gb SSD for pfsense is massive. Next time try to get a 16gb SSD to save you money. Perhaps you can sell your 256 on eBay or something.

            Did you end up getting everything else set up okay?

            Kind Regards,
            Peter Richardson

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • G
              guruatds last edited by

              Peter,

              Thanks for checking. Yes I got pfsense installed. The SSD was something I had removed from an ASUS laptop. The laptop mb was damaged due to a water spill. It was not worth trying to fix it. Memory and SSD were from this laptop.

              But I ran into a unique issue. May be you or other can help and share some specifics. The unit quit working a day later. I checked the power supply output and it was fluctuating between 8V and 15V constantly. I tried another power supply which was like 15V with the same ampere rating of 5A and that would power up the unit. I quickly shut it off worrying if that would damage the unit. So I am now looking to replace the power supply for 12V with 5A rating. The thing I still need to figure out is the size of the connector that connects to the unit and find it on Amazon or at a local electronics store (Fry's). What is the power rating that I should look for? the original one does not list the power output. Would a 50W or 60W suffice? Don't want to damage the unit.

              I would also like to see a picture of the motherboard. Specifically the SATA connector. I was mulling the idea of sending the entire MB back to the supplier and in the process, removed the SATA connector cables, the data portion of the cable fits in one direction only. The power portion of the SATA cable came off with the base from the motherboard exposing the pins. I think it is a 2 peice, one that is attached to the MB and the one that is part of the cable and goes in only one direction. Since it came off with the base plug, now I am unable to determine the polarity. If anyone can point me to a link that shows the picture of the MB showing the SATA cable side that is greatly appreciated. Hope what I am saying makes sense.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • jahonix
                jahonix last edited by

                When I google for your box I get this as second hit:
                https://sc01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1blnaNXXXXXa6aXXXq6xXFXXXQ/200858034/HTB1blnaNXXXXXa6aXXXq6xXFXXXQ.jpg
                That's probably an image of your board, right?

                And looking at a similar item on Aliex I found:
                Power Adapter: 12V 3A
                DC Jack: 5.5mm, 2.5mm

                That's a 36W PSU and your CPU has a TDP of 15W. That should be sufficient. 5A would be plenty.

                Out of pure interest: what kept you from finding these infos yourself?

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • G
                  guruatds last edited by

                  Thanks Chris for the information.

                  I was hoping to get a picture of the motherboard with the SATA cable installed. That helps me in making sure the polarity of the connector is rightly place. In the picture you shared the power to the SATA cable is right above the yellow SATA data connector. It is white / off-white in color. In my situation, that came off the MB and I am trying to put it the right way. In a ideal situation the white / off-white connector is part of the MB. In my situation it came off the mother board exposing the bare pins.

                  There was a thread in this forum which had detailed pictures of the inside of the Qotom box. I cannot seem to find that thread. Someone had posted pictures showing the details.

                  I wanted confirmation on the power calculation. I googled some more and found that P=V X I. So the original power supply that came in with the box is 12V at 5A which equates to 60W of power. Thank you for the information about the DC jack size. That is helpful.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ?
                    Guest last edited by

                    Have you messaged Qotom yet? They will ship you a replacement power supply for free..

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • G
                      guruatds last edited by

                      Did not want to wait. I did procure one locally at Fry's Electronics. Did not want to wait for shipping and delivery.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • jahonix
                        jahonix last edited by

                        @guruatds:

                        … the power to the SATA cable is right above the yellow SATA data connector. It is white / off-white in color.

                        There are numbers in the picture for a reason.
                        You're talking about #13, right?
                        You clearly see the cut-out of the connector base facing to the outside of the board. Either refit it that way or imagine it being there. Then your power connector will fit only one way, no guessing involved.

                        @guruatds:

                        There was a thread in this forum which had detailed pictures of the inside of the Qotom box.

                        Probably this one which johnkeates started (but I'm definitely too lazy to read through 45 pages to find you a picture…):
                        https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=132528.0

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • G
                          guruatds last edited by

                          @jahonix:

                          There are numbers in the picture for a reason.
                          You're talking about #13, right?
                          You clearly see the cut-out of the connector base facing to the outside of the board. Either refit it that way or imagine it being there. Then your power connector will fit only one way, no guessing involved.

                          Thank you for the information. Really appreciated.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • First post
                            Last post

                          Products

                          • Platform Overview
                          • TNSR
                          • pfSense
                          • Appliances

                          Services

                          • Training
                          • Professional Services

                          Support

                          • Subscription Plans
                          • Contact Support
                          • Product Lifecycle
                          • Documentation

                          News

                          • Media Coverage
                          • Press
                          • Events

                          Resources

                          • Blog
                          • FAQ
                          • Find a Partner
                          • Resource Library
                          • Security Information

                          Company

                          • About Us
                          • Careers
                          • Partners
                          • Contact Us
                          • Legal
                          Our Mission

                          We provide leading-edge network security at a fair price - regardless of organizational size or network sophistication. We believe that an open-source security model offers disruptive pricing along with the agility required to quickly address emerging threats.

                          Subscribe to our Newsletter

                          Product information, software announcements, and special offers. See our newsletter archive to sign up for future newsletters and to read past announcements.

                          © 2021 Rubicon Communications, LLC | Privacy Policy