Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0

RK0

@gradius Thank you! Good addition to this post string!
...if any people has experience with 198 in a production environment, it would be good to hear from them...

DominikHoffmann

@rk0: Your post raises the following questions:

What specific edits do I have to make to loader.conf.local?
What directory is it in?
Does loader.conf.local supersede loader.conf?
If so, am I correct in assuming that loader.conf remains unchanged?

I realized just now that Question 1 & 2 are answered in @RK0’s [post from Nov. 28, 2022] (https://forum.netgate.com/post/1072717) and @stephenw10’s post from the same day.

RK0

@dominikhoffmann it should be the same entries I outlined in this same post string on Nov 28, 2022, 7:16 AM

I did load nano as the editor, just because it is easier.

Putting the entries in /boot/loader.conf.local should just have that file persist if you update PFSense.

You won't have those entries in /boot/loader.conf, unless you already modified it yourself.

Also, when you install the package, it should flash up on the screen the entries it wants you to make, with the difference being it will tell you to put them in /boot/loader.conf vs /boot/loader.conf.local. I just do it in the /boot/loader.conf.local so it will be persistent.

stephenw10

@dominikhoffmann said in Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0:

Does loader.conf.local supersede loader.conf?
If so, am I correct in assuming that loader.conf remains unchanged?

Yes and yes.

But, as said, mainly you use the .local file because it will survive pfSense updates/changes that may otherwise re-write the main loader.conf file.

Steve

DominikHoffmann

@rk0 said in Updated Realtek NIC drivers missing in PfSense 2.6.0:

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-197.00.pkg
pkg install -f -y realtek-re-kmod-197.00.pkg

Because my Protectli PC with two Realtek NICs had difficulty with one of them, I had trouble controlling it via the WebConfigurator or ssh on the LAN port, while there was an active internet connection. I managed to copy the PKG file over to the Protectli via a USB thumb drive. But then the

pkg install -f -y realtek-re-kmod-198.00.pkg

command did not work, because there was no active internet connection. A bit of a chicken-and-egg problem.

I think, I’ll wait for the next major version beyond 2.6.0 and hope that the drivers will be included.

By the way the 197 drivers are no longer at pkg.freebsd.org, although the 198 drivers are.

Gradius

@dominikhoffmann just use "pkg add" instead

RK0

@stephenw10 is there any chance the Realtek 198 drivers will be natively integrated into the next public release of PfSense?

Or...is this impossible since PFSense will probably move to FreeBSD 14.x? Looking at https://pkg.freebsd.org/FreeBSD:14:amd64/latest/All/ I get a "forbidden" message, unfortunately.

stephenw10

The kmod pkg is in our repo for pfSense 2.7 and 23.01 so installing it there is much easier.

It's unlikely they will be used instead of the native driver by default though. At least not any time soon.

Steve

RK0

@stephenw10 any word on what that native realtek ethernet package driver version would be for FreeBSD 14? I ask because the previous realtek ethernet native driver version in FreeBSD 12.x (and PfSense) was problematic with the native realtek driver at the time, while the 197 and 198 driver seems to run well.

this site implies 198 exists for FreeBSD 14, but doesn't explicitly say it will be the native driver, and I can't say its in any way authoritative.
https://www.freshports.org/net/realtek-re-kmod/

stephenw10

It does. Freshports is pretty accurate, I don't think I've seen it wrong.

The native FreeBSD driver doesn't use the same numbering scheme as Realteks driver:
https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/blob/main/sys/dev/re/if_re.c

DominikHoffmann

@stephenw10: Can you comment on when those versions will be out?

stephenw10

23.01 should be out very soon, there were some last minute hardware issues to resolve before a public RC.
2.7 doesn't have a target date.

Steve

RK0

I went ahead and installed the 198 drivers. No errors, no issues with about 30 hours of operation going on so far on my dual NIC M90n

JimBob Indiana

I just tried a Realtek based 2.5gb NIC. I swear I followed the steps. Did not work. I have a Realtek 1gb builtin NIC in the PC. It was found by the updated driver. I was trying out of curiosity’s sake so not critical. Went back to my Intel i-225 NIC and am good to go again…..

stephenw10

If the driver is installed and loading at boot correctly it will be reported clearly as such in the boot log for each NIC:

re0: version:1.97.00

JimBob Indiana

@stephenw10

I don’t see that, or anything like it, in system log. Where is the log for the NIC’s?

RK0

@jimbob-indiana

Status > System Logs > System > OS Boot

scroll down to look for the re0 and re1 interfaces

jsmiddleton4

@rk0

Have those entries. They just don't have the 197.0, 198.0, etc.

stephenw10

In the boot log. Also in the system log if you've just rebooted. Like:

re0: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x1000-0x10ff mem 0xf7a00000-0xf7a00fff,0xf7900000-0xf7903fff irq 16 at device 0.0 on pci1
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: version:1.97.00
re0: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:10
This product is covered by one or more of the following patents:
US6,570,884, US6,115,776, and US6,327,625.
re0: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:10
pcib2: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> irq 17 at device 5.0 on pci0
pci2: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib2
re1: <Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller> port 0x2000-0x20ff mem 0xf7c00000-0xf7c00fff,0xf7b00000-0xf7b03fff irq 17 at device 0.0 on pci2
re1: Using Memory Mapping!
re1: Using 1 MSI-X message
re1: ASPM disabled
re1: version:1.97.00
re1: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:11
This product is covered by one or more of the following patents:
US6,570,884, US6,115,776, and US6,327,625.
re1: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:38:30:11

Gradius

@jsmiddleton4 Everything is on driver:

name:realtek-re-kmod
origin:net/realtek-re-kmod
version:198.00
comment:Kernel driver for Realtek PCIe Ethernet Controllers
maintainer:ale@FreeBSD.org

description:
Realtek PCIe FE GBE 2.5G
Gaming Ethernet Family Controller kernel driver.

This is the official driver from Realtek with a few patches to
improve stability and performance. It can be loaded instead of
the FreeBSD driver built into the GENERIC kernel if you experience
issues with it (eg. watchdog timeouts), or your card is not supported.

Supported devices:
2.5G Gigabit Ethernet: RTL8125 / RTL8125B(S)(G)

10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet:
RTL8111B / RTL8111C / RTL8111D / RTL8111E / RTL8111F / RTL8111G(S)
RTL8111H(S) / RTL8118(A)(S) / RTL8119i / RTL8111L / RTL8111K
RTL8168B / RTL8168E / RTL8168H
RTL8111DP / RTL8111EP / RTL8111FP
RTL8411 / RTL8411B

10/100M Fast Ethernet:
RTL8101E / RTL8102E / RTL8103E / RTL8105E / RTL8106E / RTL8107E
RTL8401 / RTL8402

See also:
https://www.realtek.com/en/component/zoo/category/network-interface-controllers-10-100-1000m-gigabit-ethernet-pci-express-software