SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS
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Hi, just received my SG5100, installed Transcend M.2 SATA 256Gb disk.
In boot menu I can select the M.2 drive to boot from, but it does not show as an option to boot from in the BIOS boot settings.
I only have the MMC, USB, UEFI options and Network :IBA.But not the M2.SATA.
I can only boot from it when I manually select this drive when booting up.
Thanks!
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@sparza said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
I can only boot from it when I manually select this drive when booting up.
Hi,
I think this will give you more information
https://forum.netgate.com/topic/141176/sg-5100-m-2-sata-installation-question -
@daddygo Hi, thanks for your prompt response.
I had a look at that article indeed, but to no avail.
My BIOS menu/setting does not show the M.2 in the boot configurations tab in the BIOS settings.
On boot when I press ESC, I get the boot options to select a device to boot from, here I see the MMC, Network:IBA and the M.2 drive.
I can boot from it. I actually have installed latest pfsense on it via USB boot and then selected the drive. It works , but on reboot, it defaults to the MMC drive again.
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@sparza said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
I can boot from it. I actually have installed latest pfsense on it via USB boot and then selected the drive. It works , but on reboot, it defaults to the MMC drive again.
Hmmm, this is interesting because after installing M.2, the eMMC should be ignored by the BIOS at boot time and the M.2 will be the primary
as I understand it
+++edit:
there is a hardware specialist on the forum, he will help you @stephenw10
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@daddygo Exactly what I understood too, but not on my system somehow.
I tried options in the BIOS, but can't get it to be recognised in the boot options.
Last option in 3rd image shows " Topology - M2 "
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and what about the "BBS Priority", you can't setup the boot order?
+++edit:
m.2 is usually handled separately by the BIOS -
@daddygo BBS Priority, so far I can't find anything else apart from what you see in 2nd image.
3 image is an image of the separate settings for M.2 found in South Bridge Chipset configuration. (In here there's also 'just' SATA, and a few others). No Boot options here.
Perhaps I need to upgrade the BIOS?
(That'd be weird, because I literally received the new Sg5100 this morning, shipped a week ago, with already the latest USB to UART serial console chip.).How does on upgrade the BIOS? Hmm..
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@sparza said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
How does on upgrade the BIOS? Hmm..
https://forum.netgate.com/topic/151195/firmware-bios-update-for-sg-5100 -
@daddygo hehe, thanks. just found the same. :)
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@daddygo I fixed it.
First I disabled CMS.
BIOS Settings:
Advanced -> CMS Configuration:
CMS - Disable-reboot-
It will boot into BIOS because without CMS nothing seem to work.Then in CMS Configuration:
Change 'Storage' option from Legacy to UEFI.-reboot-
Press ESC to get in BIOS and now the drive is detected as a boot option.Happy Days.
Thanks!
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@sparza said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
Legacy to UEFI.
that would have been my last question
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Yes, it only shows you UEFI boot options unless you enable CMS.
You can enable both if you need to.
Alternatively you can install to m.2 UEFI and it will then appear as an option you can move to the top of the list.
Steve
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@stephenw10 said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
only shows you UEFI boot options
we haven't gotten this far yet with OP
back then -
@sparza said in SG-5100 M.2 SATA not option in BIOS:
First I disabled CMS.
BIOS Settings:
Advanced -> CMS Configuration:
CMS - Disable
-reboot-
It will boot into BIOS because without CMS nothing seem to work.
Then in CMS Configuration:
Change 'Storage' option from Legacy to UEFI.
-reboot-
Press ESC to get in BIOS and now the drive is detected as a boot option.
Happy Days.
Thanks!@sparza - OMG Thank you!!! I have been suffering in your footsteps with the EXACT same problem and living your pain. Hopefully after reading this post it will end after my next attempt.
I purchased a new SG-5100, 16GB RAM & a compliant M.2 card.
I also read the post that stated when you add the M.2 card, the onboard memory would be 'invisible' and if you removed the M.2 it would go back to the onboard... Which I highly doubt without changing the BIOS now.I installed my memory and M.2 and I was all happy about bringing this bad boy online... Oddly during the setup, I saw my M.2 and selected it for the install. Golden.! Then when I got to the console I saw that my 16GB memory was good but the install somehow went to the onboard memory and my M.2 was nowhere to be found. NOT GOLDEN!!!
I was reading through the forum, pfSense manual, and the SG-5100 manual to figure out where I went wrong so I don't do it again, and again, and again! After the kids are done with school and my wife and I are done with remote work tonight, I am going to give your method a tray.
BTW - I did not see this process anywhere in the NETGATE manual - or the Netgate - How to add an M.2 page with what seems like critical details.
I will respond back today or tomorrow after I give it another go.
(Side note - 100% not related : Trying to SSH from a MacOS to the console with the drivers loaded and Terminal - is freaking horrible. Spent an hour trying to get this to work. Stopped the insanity and got an old windows laptop form my closet with Putty.exe and I was in within 5 seconds.)
Dean
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hardware I Installed Below:KingSpec 2242 NGFF 512GB M.2 SSD SATA III 6Gb/s Internal Solid State Drive for Ultrabook (512GB)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CJ4BSK8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Kingston KSM24SED8/16ME Server Premier - DDR4-16 GB - SO-DIMM 260-pin - 2400 MHz / PC4-19200 - CL17-1.2 V - unbuffered - ECC
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BG9G8W3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DOCS:M.2 Installation: This went well.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/sg-5100/m-2-sata-installation.htmlRe-Installling pfSense: I thought this went well - but I was missing your steps.
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/sg-5100/reinstall-pfsense.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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@dbux Hey there! I hope it worked out for you. I'm a happy camper at the moment. All works fine.
Even console access from my mac.
Installed the drivers for that new chip, and all I have to do is insert usb cable, wait a few seconds and then:
screen -U /dev/tty.Plser 115200/8/N/1undocumented Plser :-) I know.
My 16GB Mem RAM btw did not work. But that was because I bought 2666Mhz , instead of 2400Mhz. Well.. for now it runs beautiful. 8Gb is enough for me for now. How many VPN's does that give me? ;-)
Have fun!
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@sparza Hello - Yes it was a success! But I admin I was up kinda late.
I would have never guessed the sequence of those steps, or it would have taken me a while. Everything worked out just as you said.
The only problem I had was that I was using Putty on Win10 VM running on my Mac. When I got to editing the boot order on the Netgate in the BIOS every time I tried to make a change the Netgate exited setup and rebooted. I think something was wonky in the virtual keyboard mapping. I got an old windows PC out of my closet, added the drivers, connected the USB... and the Putty session was easy as it should be.
Lesson learned - don't use us MacOS... don't use Windows VM on MacOS... Do use a non-virtual Windows host and you'll be done in minutes.
So now I have my 16Gb of memory and the 512Gb M.2 and I am happy camper. Off to configuring the fun stuff now like how to put my WiFi router behind the pfSense firewall.
Thanks for your help! BTW I told support to updated their M.2 install docs and mention something about this to save customers many hours of wasted time. They said they would.
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Just as alternative dual booting a MBP with Mint works great for console access. Drivers for everything already in kernel etc.
Also I'm pretty sure if you install UEFI to the m.2 drive it will then boot from that by default.
The 2.5 installer gives you more options in that respect.
Steve
