<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Yesterday, I had ANOTHER 4100 die, just 2 years old. I tried to salvage the situation by remotely walking the customer through installing pfSense onto a USB drive, but unfortunately, after I logged into the fresh installation and restored the configuration, the firewall refused to boot or even power on. There is no console activity and it just sits with a flashing orange LED. This is the second unit to die completely and refuse to power on.</p>
<p dir="auto">I have tried to defend other pfSense issues as anomalies, but these storage and device failures are now a complete disaster.</p>
<p dir="auto">No other firewall brand stipulates that storage must be treated gently for it to last.</p>
<p dir="auto">This limitation might not be so bad if it was clearly visible and disclosed before purchase, but I challenge anyone to find any mention of the limitations/dangers of eMMC storage on the product pages or anywhere other than the 2 troubleshooting articles.</p>
<p dir="auto">Let's take a look at the 6100 product page:<br />
https://shop.netgate.com/products/6100-base-pfsense</p>
<pre><code>LOW TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
-No artificial limits or add-ons required to make your system fully functional.
-This system is designed for a long deployment lifetime.

GROWS WITH YOU
-From firewall to Unified Threat Management, get all the security features you need to protect your home or business.
-Flexible configuration and support for multi-WAN, high availability, VPN, load balancing, reporting and monitoring, etc.
-Add optional packages such as Snort or Suricata for IDS/IPS and network security monitoring.

EASY GUI MANAGEMENT
 -Manage pfSense Plus software settings through our web-based GUI.
 -No fumbling with a command-line interface or typing arcane commands.
</code></pre>
<p dir="auto">The only noticeable difference between the BASE and MAX versions is the addition of a 128GB SSD for $100. The product pages mention all the great things that can be done natively and with packages, but they do not mention any storage concerns.</p>
<p dir="auto">The product pages need a section that describes the limitations of the onboard eMMC storage with links to the "troubleshooting" documents, and advises getting the MAX version for anything other than basic, out-of-the-box usage.</p>
<p dir="auto">Further, packages and any other system features, such as RRD graphs and logs, should include text warning of the storage issues, and contain links to the documentation. The current situation leaves a high risk that a user will make a few simple changes and unknowing turn their Netgate appliance into a ticking bomb.</p>
<p dir="auto">To make things worse, the default configuration does not automatically perform disk health monitoring nor does it place the SMART widget on the dashboard. Monitoring eMMC storage requires using the CLI to install a package and run commands manually. Even worse, the storage of the 4200 cannot be monitored at all!</p>
<p dir="auto">I have read recommendations from Netgate staff to disable logging the default firewall ruleset to reduce storage wear.</p>
<p dir="auto">Enabling RAM disks could help alleviate these issues, but then all logging is lost on reboot. This would be a possible solution if the general system log was kept on disk for troubleshooting and security monitoring, but some things (like ARP watch, gateway issues etc) can still flood the log and cause disk writes.</p>
<p dir="auto">We like pfSense, and the Netgate hardware is fine, but the Achilles heel is the eMMC storage, which is simply unfit for purpose. There are many posts online and here in the forums of people with similar issues.</p>
<p dir="auto">For a business-class device, the onboard storage device and limitations do not make sense.</p>
<p dir="auto">My management team is concerned and we are looking at solutions for our entire fleet of 45 Netgates before more fail and cause disruption to our customers.</p>
<p dir="auto">If there is something we are overlooking, I would be happy to hear any suggestions.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/topic/195990/another-netgate-with-storage-failure-6-in-total-so-far</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:24:07 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://forum.netgate.com/topic/195990.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2025 17:47:34 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:09:52 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/andrew_cb">@<bdi>andrew_cb</bdi></a> Hi, I have updated the widget code a bit.<br />
<strong>/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/emmc_health.widget.php</strong></p>
<pre><code>&lt;?php
require_once("functions.inc");
require_once("guiconfig.inc");

define('SEND_ALERTS', false);            // Sending alerts not tested
define('AUTO_INSTALL_MMC_UTILS', false); // Don't presume to install packages on the system

// Function to retrieve eMMC health data
function get_emmc_health() {

    // Check if eMMC device exists
    if(!file_exists("/dev/mmcsd0rpmb")) {
        //return ["status" =&gt; "error", "message" =&gt; "/dev/mmcsd0rpmb not found."];
    }

    // Check for the mmc-utils binary and install if missing
    if(!file_exists("/usr/local/sbin/mmc")) {
        if (AUTO_INSTALL_MMC_UTILS) {
            exec("pkg install -y mmc-utils", $code);
            if ($code &lt;&gt; 0) {
                return ["status" =&gt; "error", "message" =&gt; "Failed to install mmc-utils."];
            }
        } else {
            return ["status" =&gt; "error", "message" =&gt; "mmc-utils not installed."];
        }
    }

    $cmd = "/usr/local/sbin/mmc extcsd read /dev/mmcsd0rpmb | egrep 'LIFE|EOL'";
    $output = shell_exec($cmd);

    if (!$output) {
        return ["status" =&gt; "error", "message" =&gt; "Failed to retrieve eMMC health data."];
    }

    // Explode the output into separate lines (assumes the lines appear in the right order with no false positives)
    $outputArray = explode("\n", $output);

    // Get the value of 'TYP_A' (SLC) wear
    preg_match('/.*TYP_A]:\s+(0x[0-9A-F]+)/i', $outputArray[0], $matchA);
    // Get the value of 'TYP_B' (MLC) wear
    preg_match('/.*TYP_B]:\s+(0x[0-9A-F]+)/i', $outputArray[1], $matchB);
    // Get the value of Pre-EOL information
    preg_match('/.*EOL_INFO]:\s+(0x[0-9A-F]+)/i', $outputArray[2], $matchC);

    // Convert the wear values from hex to decimal
    $lifeA = isset($matchA[1]) ? hexdec($matchA[1]) * 10 : null;
    $lifeB = isset($matchB[1]) ? hexdec($matchB[1]) * 10 : null;
    $eol   = isset($matchC[1]) ? hexdec($matchC[1]) : null;

    if (is_null($lifeA) || is_null($lifeB) || is_null($eol)) {
        return ["status" =&gt; "error", "message" =&gt; "Invalid eMMC health data."];
    }

    return ["status" =&gt; "ok", "lifeA" =&gt; $lifeA, "lifeB" =&gt; $lifeB, "eol" =&gt; $eol];
}

// Determine color class based on wear level
function get_wear_color_class($value) {
    if ($value &lt; 70) {
        return "success"; // Green
    } elseif ($value &lt; 90) {
        return "warning"; // Yellow
    } else {
        return "danger"; // Red
    }
}

function get_eol_color_class($value) {
    switch ($value) {
    case 0x01: return "success"; // Green
    case 0x02: return "warning"; // Yellow
    case 0x03: return "danger"; // Red
    }
    return "warning";

    if ($value &lt; 1) {
        return "warning"; // Yellow
    } elseif ($value &lt; 2) {
        return "success"; // Green
    } elseif ($value &lt; 3) {
        return "warning"; // Yellow
    } else {
        return "danger"; // Red
    }
}

function get_eol_percent($value) {
    switch ($value) {
    case 0x01: return "&lt; 80%";
    case 0x02: return "&gt; 80%";
    case 0x03: return "&gt; 90%";
    }
    return "Not defined";

    if ($value &lt; 1) {
        return "Not defined";
    } elseif ($value &lt; 2) {
        return "&lt; 80%";
    } elseif ($value &lt; 3) {
        return "&gt; 80%";
    } else {
        return "&gt; 90%";
    }
}

// Send email notification if wear level is critical
function send_emmc_alert($lifeA, $lifeB, $eol) {
    global $config;

    $eol_percent = get_eol_percent($eol);
    $subject = "[pfSense] eMMC Wear Level Warning";
    $message = "Warning: eMMC wear level is high!\n\n" .
               "Life A: {$lifeA}%\nLife B: {$lifeB}%\nEOL: {$eol_percent}\n\n" .
               "Consider replacing the storage device.";

    if ($lifeA &gt;= 90 || $lifeB &gt;= 90 || $eol &gt;= 3) {
        notify_via_smtp($subject, $message);
    }
}

// Main program logic
// Get get the eMMC health data
$data = get_emmc_health();

if (SEND_ALERTS &amp;&amp; $data["status"] === "ok") {
    // Send an email notification if eMMC is not healthy
    send_emmc_alert($data["lifeA"], $data["lifeB"], $data["eol"]);
}

// Format the data into HTML for display in the widget
?&gt;&lt;div class="panel panel-default"&gt;
    &lt;!--div class="panel-heading"&gt;
        &lt;h3 class="panel-title"&gt;eMMC Disk Health (redundant header)&lt;/h3&gt;
    &lt;/div--&gt;
    &lt;div class="panel-body"&gt;
        &lt;?php if ($data["status"] === "error"): ?&gt;
            &lt;div class="alert alert-danger"&gt;&lt;?php echo $data["message"]; ?&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
        &lt;?php else: ?&gt;
            &lt;table class="table"&gt;
                &lt;tr&gt;
                    &lt;th&gt;Type A Wear (Lower is better)&lt;/th&gt;
                    &lt;td class="bg-&lt;?php echo get_wear_color_class($data['lifeA']); ?&gt;"&gt; &lt;?php echo ($data['lifeA'] - 10) . "-" . $data['lifeA']; ?&gt;%&lt;/td&gt;
                &lt;/tr&gt;
                &lt;tr&gt;
                    &lt;th&gt;Type B Wear (Lower is better)&lt;/th&gt;
                    &lt;td class="bg-&lt;?php echo get_wear_color_class($data['lifeB']); ?&gt;"&gt; &lt;?php echo ($data['lifeB'] - 10) . "-" . $data['lifeB']; ?&gt;%&lt;/td&gt;
                &lt;/tr&gt;
                &lt;tr&gt;
                    &lt;th&gt;Pre-EOL (% of reserved blocks used)&lt;/th&gt;
                    &lt;td class="bg-&lt;?php echo get_eol_color_class($data['eol']); ?&gt;"&gt; &lt;?php echo get_eol_percent($data['eol']); ?&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
                &lt;/tr&gt;
            &lt;/table&gt;
        &lt;?php endif; ?&gt;
    &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</code></pre>
<p dir="auto">And a quick include to neaten up the title (which removes the need for the redundant panel heading):<br />
<strong>/usr/local/www/widgets/include/emmc_health.inc</strong></p>
<pre><code>&lt;?php // /usr/local/www/widgets/include/emmc_health.inc
$emmc_health_title = gettext("eMMC Disk Health");
?&gt;
</code></pre>
<p dir="auto">I changed the output to report <a href="https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/disk-lifetime.html#:~:text=steps%20of%2010%25.-,Type%20A%20and%20B%20Values,-%3A" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow ugc">percentage ranges</a>, and added a row for the <a href="https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/disk-lifetime.html#:~:text=a%20given%20time.-,Pre%2DEOL,-%3A" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow ugc">Pre-EOL</a> info.</p>
<p dir="auto">I've included the Pre-EOL information in the email notification, but I've not tested this functionality, so I've disabled sending emails with a define() near the top.</p>
<p dir="auto">There was previously a function to automatically install <code>emmc-utils</code>, but it wasn't called.  I've added the ability to install it automatically, but also left it disabled by default with a separate define().</p>
<p dir="auto">I've also included error reporting for trivial cases like the device not existing or <code>mmc</code> not existing (or if applicable, failing to install).</p>
<p dir="auto">One caveat is that it still assumes the LifeA/LifeB/Pre-EOL info will all appear in the output in that order (and no other lines slip in).  If that assumption breaks, better parsing will be needed.</p>
<p dir="auto">(In case there's any hope of including a widget like this in pfSense, all my changes are Public Domain.)</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1249676</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1249676</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[matthewfearnley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:09:52 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:08:47 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Apologies <a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/andrew_cb">@<bdi>andrew_cb</bdi></a> for not responding directly to your boot environments observations, I do agree with you that heavy use of ZFS snapshots hurts write amplification, as it ultimately consumes more space on the storage, it also increases fragmentation, which can affect how ZFS operates if it hits a high enough level.</p>
<p dir="auto">If the storage is over spec'd such as a 256 gig SSD, then I expect boot environments can be comfortably handled, but perhaps more care on something small like 32 gigs.</p>
<p dir="auto">Luckily the txg delay increase should mitigate the majority of issues.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238197</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238197</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[chrcoluk]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:08:47 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:23:50 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Yup changes to address that went in in 25.07: <a href="https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/16210" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow ugc">https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/16210</a></p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238056</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238056</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[stephenw10]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:23:50 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:28:11 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/tvts">@<bdi>TVTS</bdi></a> https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/25-07.html#:~:text=Changed:%20Reduce%20writes%20to%20disk</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238042</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238042</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SteveITS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:28:11 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:02:36 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">I ended up on this thread after having THREEE SG1100s all die of the same issue, ALL IN THE LAST 60 days! I've used and loved pfsense for years, but I wasn't aware how big of a problem this issue was until recently. Super disappointing to find out... I've opened a ticket, but all of these devices are older than 1 year, so I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the netgate is gonna tell me to go pound sand. Insane that they are VERY aware of this issue yet have done nothing to rectify it in years... I've deployed over 20 1100's, mostly for small business with basic needs and simple networks. They have been great given how feature rich they are for the price tag. Id happily pay an extra $50 for these devices if they would take the time to use better storage. Fingers crossed that netgate will replace any of these failed devices, but seems unlikely..</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238041</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1238041</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TVTS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:02:36 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Jan 2026 20:38:08 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/w0w">@<bdi>w0w</bdi></a> different technology and more than twice the difference in listed performance. That’s not something I would attribute to testing methodology with out real data suggesting otherwise.</p>
<p dir="auto">Imo a much more likely explanation is Netgate were not focusing on SSD wear as a major limit to device reliability and brand reputation at that time. They are now and I would be surprised if they made the same decision in the future.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234419</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234419</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Patch]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 20:38:08 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:41:42 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/aivxtla">@<bdi>aivxtla</bdi></a><br />
Overall, this could simply be variability in how the manufacturer evaluates TBW. As far as I know, there is no strict standard defining how TBW should be tested or calculated. Some manufacturers focus on producing nice-looking numbers for the datasheet, while others prioritize long-term stability.<br />
A real-world example: recently I ran into unexplained issues on a friend’s home PC. It took quite a while to track down the cause, which—unsurprisingly—turned out to be a 5-year-old SSD with about 88% wear reported. The total written data was still far below the rated TBW, and the drive was not at 100% wear, but the problems were severe enough to make the system practically unusable.<br />
In the end, the datasheet even stated in a footnote that the specified TBW does not guarantee stable operation of the drive. Everything depends on the criteria chosen by the manufacturer. I don’t think TBW alone should be taken too seriously, although the controller may also play a role.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234409</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234409</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[w0w]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:41:42 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:18:23 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/w0w">@<bdi>w0w</bdi></a> it’s listed as 93TBW in the innodisk data sheet I linked, that texim link is to the official more detailed data sheet. It’s not listed in most places and hard to find normally. It’s not much different in endurance ~100TBW than the WD SN520 which is also cheaper but definitely less than the Transcend MTE352/452, I think the NAND controller also has impact in regards to things like curtailing write amplification etc. Then again some also warranty the TBW to less than max ability depending on sales tier like the WD Blue/Red SATA SSDs with same hw.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234404</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234404</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[aivxtla]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:18:23 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:58:32 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/aivxtla">@<bdi>aivxtla</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1234394">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Seems endurance is only 93TBW for the 128 GB</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">There’s no official TBW rating for the 128GB SSD version, but based on the type of flash used, I expect it to be similar to Transcend’s TBW.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234395</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234395</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[w0w]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:58:32 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:46:39 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/stephenw10">@<bdi>stephenw10</bdi></a> Out of curiosity any reason for the Innodidk 3TE6 being shipped with the SG6100/8200? Is it Silicom’s shipping default or Netgate’s selection?<br />
https://www.texim-europe.com/getfile.ashx?id=131537<br />
Seems endurance is only 93TBW for the 128 GB vs something like the Transcend MTE452T (or MTE352T DRAMless) also an industrial SSD with DRAM cache rated around 270TBW. https://cdn.transcend-info.com/products/images/modelpic/1164/Transcend-MTE452T2_202307.pdf</p>
<p dir="auto">The Transcend model also seems cheaper like ~$86 (when I bought the 256GB) vs $90-100+ for the inndodisk 128 GB at least for consumers, along with lower power draw and faster overall (for 128/256). I take it steeper discounts in bulk on the Innodisk?</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234394</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1234394</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[aivxtla]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 07:46:39 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:49:04 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/jwt">@<bdi>jwt</bdi></a> Hahaha yeah. I had to give it to a "professional" who used that heat gun. <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f606.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--laughing" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":laughing:" alt="😆" /> I am delighted with Netgate's great customer service, and I really appreciate the patience Gonzo had with me trying to fix my problems and also get the unit replaced</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231172</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231172</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[ablephri]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:49:04 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:40:52 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">To generally address this thread:</p>
<p dir="auto">A larger flash device is only part of the solution. Netgate moved the entire product line to a larger eMMC device running in pSLC mode much earlier this year, without a price increase.</p>
<p dir="auto">The larger pSLC isn't because there are more flash sectors to write to as much as it is to compensate for running the eMMC in pSLC mode, and yield the same or larger effective capacity. So now you'll see (for example) the Storage capacity on the 6100 Base as</p>
<p dir="auto">Storage: 21.3 GB eMMC</p>
<p dir="auto">This is really a 64GB eMMC running in pSLC mode.</p>
<p dir="auto">Running the eMMC in pSLC mode provides a write endurance far beyond just the capacity increase of the new eMMC.</p>
<p dir="auto">I'll try to write up something more ... technical to explain why soon.</p>
<p dir="auto">Now I see a number of people desoldering the eMMC to try to recover.  I'm not saying that isn't necessary, but I will say that it should not be necessary.   I'm working with the vendor here to attempt to establish 'why' and issue a remedy.</p>
<p dir="auto">I also want to work with the customer base for existing (pre-SLC eMMC) units to establish a path to getting a working, supported NVMe drive installed in their Netgate device prior to failure of the eMMC.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231169</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231169</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[jwt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:40:52 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:38:39 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Does the external LED start orange then change to blue?</p>
<p dir="auto">The diag LEDs look like a normal POST.</p>
<p dir="auto">Did you try both console ports?</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231168</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231168</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[stephenw10]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:38:39 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:33:45 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/ablephri">@<bdi>ablephri</bdi></a> come on, post the video of the 1500W heat gun that was used, like you did on reddit.  <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f601.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--grin" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":grin:" alt="😁" /></p>
<p dir="auto">note to others in this thread: I'm working with him off-thread to get him a replacement in exchange for his broken unit.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231167</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231167</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[jwt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:33:45 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:07:00 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/gertjan">@<bdi>Gertjan</bdi></a> This is the status static lights i get on the device. Do they mean anything?<img src="/assets/uploads/files/1764101199125-img_9152.jpg" alt="IMG_9152.jpg" class=" img-fluid img-markdown" /></p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231157</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231157</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[ablephri]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:07:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:22:13 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/gertjan">@<bdi>Gertjan</bdi></a> Unfortunately, the COM port shows, but there's no connection on Putty.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231156</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231156</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[ablephri]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:22:13 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:58:34 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/ablephri">@<bdi>ablephri</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1231116">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">the console used to work until the device didn't respond again.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Ok, so chances are good that the cable is ok.<br />
Removing the EMMC was a guess then ?</p>
<p dir="auto">The '6100' is like a PC : removing a drive won't stop the system from booting.  You need the console access to select from what device : an EMMC, or some SSD drive or even a USB key drive. Whatever happens with these "drives", the console will give output.</p>
<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/ablephri">@<bdi>ablephri</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1231116">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">the computer can detect the COM port but still not be functional?</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">On the computer side, the USB plug, and the USB chip build into the cable, will power up, and communicate with the USB host (the USB circuitry build in the PC) so the 'PC' knows that an USB device is present, and with the help of the 'ID' of the USB cable chip, it will know what kind of driver it needs. In this case : a serial connection driver, also known as a 'COM' port (in the PC world) type of device. The serial connection itself, 3 wires, a common ground, a transmit and receive line, can not be auto detected like what you see if something is "plug and play". A serial connection is something from te past century.<br />
So plugin in the cable makes the COM port avaible to the PC, but won't tell you anything about the presence of a connection = the receive line going up and down in a fixed frequency (115000 hz - you checked this bit rate of you port ? ) so a serial connection is establish.<br />
That's also you final test : on the console port, if you can find these 'TX' and RX' traces, locate the TX line.<br />
If you see the TX line go up and down frequently (shortly) after power up, you know the 6100 BIOS is outputting text. If it stays silent ........ <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f630.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--cold_sweat" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":cold_sweat:" alt="😰" /></p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231133</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231133</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gertjan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:58:34 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:53:08 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/gertjan">@<bdi>Gertjan</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1231115">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">You've used the console access before? Was it working before on this device? Is your console cable ok?</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Please, the console used to work until the device didn't respond again. But is it possible that the computer can detect the COM port but still not be functional? I am really frustrated. The money wasted is so sad to think about.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231116</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231116</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[ablephri]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:53:08 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:43:51 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/ablephri">@<bdi>ablephri</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1231106">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">I had no console access</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">By correctly (without creating shorts or cuts in the traces)  removing the EMMC and the BIOS can't find it anymore, and will look for other potential "drives" so it can boot from it.</p>
<p dir="auto">A broken EMMC, imho, won't stop the processor from running the BIOS and communicate with you over the console.</p>
<p dir="auto">No console is scary  : no real proof the processor runs.</p>
<p dir="auto">You've used the console access before ? Was it working before on this device ? Is your console cable ok ?</p>
<p dir="auto">If the power rail is good, but for some reason it sinks the (example) 'common' clock signal to ground, then your processor can't work anymore.<br />
Some good equipment (scoop, or even logic analyser) and schemas and the knowledge how to (electrically) debug this is now needed. Humm, sorry, I start to feel pessimistic about this.</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231115</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231115</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gertjan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:43:51 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:36:02 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/arri">@<bdi>arri</bdi></a> Please, I need help with my bricked 6100 base model. Everything was working fine until the device stopped booting. I had no console access, and the power LED was solid blue. As many people suggested, I was able to remove the EMMC from the device with professional assistance and slotted in a B+M keyed NVMe SSD. I still don't get console access, and the power LED is solid blue. I have tried the USB installer, and still the same thing. Sadly, I am losing $890. Is there anyone who has been able to succeed with this before?</p>
<p dir="auto"><a href="/assets/uploads/files/1764077653683-img_9123-resized.jpeg">IMG_9123.jpeg</a><img src="/assets/uploads/files/1764077654140-img_9127-resized.jpeg" alt="IMG_9127.jpeg" class=" img-fluid img-markdown" /></p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231106</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1231106</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[ablephri]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:36:02 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:45:14 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/mmkkoo">@<bdi>mmkkoo</bdi></a><br />
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/disk-lifetime.html</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222508</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222508</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SteveITS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:45:14 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:29:40 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="/user/fsc830">@<bdi>FSC830</bdi></a> said in <a href="/post/1222376">Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Wow...<br />
very interesting thread.<br />
I found this just yesterday and it takes me half the night to to read it from start to end <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f60a.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--blush" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":blush:" alt="😊" /> .</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">same here, just finished.</p>
<p dir="auto">I confirm, I had no idea. Don't recall seeing it mentioned in the marketing data, docs, nor by the gurus at YT.<br />
I've chosen NG's hw specifically for the reliability and minimal maintenance. Knowing this probably would go 'max'.</p>
<p dir="auto">Adjusted the timings, no sync for tmp. Soon on my way for new ssd. Thanks.</p>
<p dir="auto">Can you advice me how can I check emmc healt in SG2100?</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222503</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222503</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mmkkoo]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:29:40 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Another Netgate with storage failure, 6 in total so far on Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:32:34 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Wow...<br />
very interesting thread.<br />
I found this just yesterday and it takes me half the night to to read it from start to end <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f60a.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--blush" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":blush:" alt="😊" /> .<br />
Actually I am using a SG-3100 device which I switched to SATA SSD abt. 3 years ago.<br />
I was thinking about replacing it with a newer appliance, i.e. a SG-4200, thats why I am looking around here.<br />
To be honest, there is no technical reason for that, it was just to keep pfSense at the latest.<br />
But just this days a new v25.07 was released so I will keep my SG-3100 for a while.</p>
<p dir="auto">And BTW: the SMART values shows the SSD is still at 94% lifetime, so I can run the device may be until a 4300/4400/4x00 is availabe <img src="https://forum.netgate.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/1f601.png?v=717669fab53" class="not-responsive emoji emoji-android emoji--grin" style="height:23px;width:auto;vertical-align:middle" title=":grin:" alt="😁" /> .</p>
<p dir="auto">Regards</p>
]]></description><link>https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222376</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://forum.netgate.com/post/1222376</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[FSC830]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:32:34 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>