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    realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?

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    • S
      SteveITS Galactic Empire @Jon8RFC
      last edited by

      @jon8rfc said in realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?:

      do you mean to turn off log compression before making the config backup, or a new 2.6.0 system should have log compression turned off before restoring a config

      It's not related to the config backup or restore, other than making sure it's off when done. See the release notes:

      "Log Compression for rotation of System Logs is now disabled by default for new ZFS installations as ZFS performs its own compression.

      Tip
      The best practice is to disable Log Compression for rotation of System Logs manually for not only existing ZFS installations, but also for any system with slower CPUs. This setting can be changed under Status > System Logs on the Settings tab."

      Pre-2.7.2/23.09: Only install packages for your version, or risk breaking it. Select your branch in System/Update/Update Settings.
      When upgrading, allow 10-15 minutes to restart, or more depending on packages and device speed.
      Upvote ๐Ÿ‘ helpful posts!

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      • G
        Gerard64 @RK0
        last edited by

        @rk0 thank you. In a earlier link from you to the pfSense manual I read about the log compression. I switched compression off. Today i was planning to do the upgrade to 2.6.0 but to little time today. So hopefully tomorrow. I hope the bios upgrade fixed the problems.

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        • R
          RK0 @Gerard64
          last edited by RK0

          @gerard64 I must admit, if the BIOS upgrade changes the system behavior, that is wonderful...(but really that one thing would be a stretch concerning reliability of Realtek NIC cards....). I'm concerned there may be some "other" more subtle problem. Having the BIOS current is a good best practice however, as for many systems AMD and Intel release processor microcode to system manufacturers that is effectively a processor update...and "applies" with a BIOS update. That started after Pentium Pro microprocessors in the '90's had a problem calculating certain mathematical issues (the Pentium FDIV bug), and Intel had a massive (and expensive) recall of physical processors...to avoid that in the future, some subsequent elements of processor microcode could be updated via a firmware flash.

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          • R
            RK0 @virusbcn
            last edited by RK0

            @virusbcn Follow the directions outlined eariler in this post to SSH into PFSense after you install 2.6.0, install the Realtek driver package from freeBSD, and edit your loader.conf.local file with a text editor...I put some fairly detailed steps in this post as to what to do in this post string, leveraging the excellent information from @w0w. If those are unclear, you may need to enlist a friend with some Linux experience to make the changes to your PFSense system.

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            • R
              RK0 @Jon8RFC
              last edited by RK0

              @jon8rfc, the post from @SteveITS is correct...I made that post because...

              1. If you have an old system (pre 2.6.0) that did NOT use ZFS (like mine was), and take its backup XML config file, it is likely the setting for Log Compression is on.

              2. Then you do a fresh install of 2.6.0, but this time with the drive formatted for ZFS, and then restore the backup from the older system that didn't use ZFS...you have likely turned log compression back on, as that WAS the old setting from your old system. It would have "copied over" the default from the fresh install, where (at first) Log compression was off with ZFS.

              3. Thankfully, this is easy to fix, just check the setting, and make sure it is off on the fresh install after you restore your backup XML file. (then take another snapshot backup XML file from your new install, and save it somewhere.....)

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              • S
                skogs @RK0
                last edited by

                @rk0 While none of what you say is incorrect in any way...it just isn't the end of the world if something has two compression rounds done on it. ZFS will compress...or it won't if something is already compressed. The setting was changed by default because it is relatively pointless, not because it breaks anything.

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                • V
                  virusbcn
                  last edited by virusbcn

                  Yes, I can confirm that on two mini pcs with Realtek network cards, with a 1Gb/1Gb PPOE fibre connection, I have been able to confirm that on both with Pfsense 2.6 newly installed, the WAN network card would disconnect when network traffic was high for about a minute and reconnect, with the new drivers it works perfectly under any level of network card stress.

                  @rcoleman-netgate
                  *@RK0
                  *I then issued the commands to download the revised Realtek drivers from freebsd

                  fetch -v https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                  pkg install -f -y realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                  I then loaded nano...just because it is easier than vi

                  pkg install nano
                  I then created a /boot/loader.conf.local file with the entries

                  if_re_load="YES"
                  if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"
                  ...and then rebooted the system**

                  Also, I have been able to confirm that no matter how PowerD is set, and with the default networking options disabled it works perfectly.

                  e83f3bd9-61f5-47e7-b325-da8705583917-image.png

                  Thanks to all of you for improving this system every day

                  F sokeadaS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 3
                  • R
                    RK0 @skogs
                    last edited by

                    @skogs I think in the vast majority of cases you are correct, and it will mean little to turn off log compression if ZFS is the underlying file system. However, if the system running PfSense has a "weak" processor, every little bit helps...๐Ÿ™‚

                    PfSense documentation states

                    On certain systems, disabling compression (set to none) is the best course of action. Examples include:

                    Firewalls using large log file sizes, which may take too long to compress

                    Slower firewalls which may take too long to compress or search the log files even at default sizes

                    Firewalls using ZFS which by default will already compress disk contents

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                    • w0wW
                      w0w @Gerard64
                      last edited by

                      @gerard64 said in realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?:

                      At the moment I have very little time my wife is in the hospital since yesterday so my time is very limited at the moment.

                      I hope that everything will be alright.

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                      • G
                        Gerard64 @w0w
                        last edited by Gerard64

                        @w0w

                        I hope that everything will be alright.

                        Sadly not yet, but will be, soon hopefully.
                        Thank you for your kind words ๐Ÿ‘

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                        • F
                          fictionedge @virusbcn
                          last edited by

                          @virusbcn It's been working for 3 days now without breaking. I think it worked. Thank you very much.

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                          • B
                            bbfrankopan @w0w
                            last edited by

                            @w0w said in realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?:

                            @gerard64
                            SSH or use Command Prompt in gui

                            fetch -v https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                            pkg install -f -y realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                            

                            or you can temporary disable the FreeBSD repositories (comment out the lines in /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/FreeBSD.conf and /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/pfSense.conf), install the kernel module via pkg , and then uncomment those lines them again.

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              I would not recommend that. It's very easy to pull in other pkgs that overwrite things that pfSense needs.

                              Steve

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                                virusbcn @stephenw10
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10 said in realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?:

                                I would not recommend that. It's very easy to pull in other pkgs that overwrite things that pfSense needs.

                                Steve

                                And what would be the right option? Integrate these drivers in the next Pfsense update?

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                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                  last edited by

                                  It was in our package repo for a while but we had to remove it when it started failing to build in our build system.

                                  If you're installing pkgs from FreeBSD it's better to 'pkg add' individual pkgs to avoid pulling in dependencies that break pfSense.

                                  Steve

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                                  • V
                                    virusbcn @stephenw10
                                    last edited by

                                    @stephenw10

                                    Thank you Stephen, i'm sorry but I don't know if I understood correctly, I'm not a freebsd expert, so to apply the Realtek drivers that work fine and don't cause the network loss problem, what do we have to do?

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                                    • stephenw10S
                                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @w0w
                                      last edited by

                                      This:

                                      @w0w said in realtek-re-kmod missing in pfSense 2.6 repository?:

                                      SSH or use Command Prompt in gui

                                      fetch -v https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/latest/All/realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                                      pkg install -f -y realtek-re-kmod-196.04.txz
                                      
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                                      • R
                                        RK0 @stephenw10
                                        last edited by RK0

                                        @virusbcn

                                        ...and...

                                        don't forget to modify the boot/loader.conf.local file

                                        I consolidated all the steps listed by @w0w and others in this very thread on Feb 18th 2022. Just go back to the top of the thread here, find the one dated Feb 18th, and just follow those series of steps.

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                                        • J
                                          Jakub 0 @w0w
                                          last edited by

                                          @w0w Thanks a million this saved me a lot of work.

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                                          • sokeadaS
                                            sokeada @virusbcn
                                            last edited by sokeada

                                            @virusbcn bro, may I know whether your Interface Statistic got any Error Out? I've followed yours and it seems working fine but I got WAN and other VLANs Interface Error Out except LAN interface no any error.

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