Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.
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Hi There,
This week i bought a Protectli V1610 (6 port 2,5GBE) unit, with 500GB NVMe to run as the main firewall for my small business.
I can install PFsense CE using an USB3 stick just fine, and it will boot off the NVMe without issue. (I am trying to set the firewall up before i put it into production, so the install will have to go through my existing network.)
During setup, i can configure the WAN and LAN interfaces, and the IP i set, or the IP the unit gets from DHCP will be pingable, and will display a setup webpage on other hosts on the network, during the setup.
But after rebooting from setup into the freshly installed instance of PFsense on the NVMe, the IP will be unreachable and i am not able to access the config webpage. No matter if i put both the WAN and LAN interface on DHCP, or set a static IP address. None of the interfaces on the device seems to use the IP address assigned during setup, nor will any interface query an existing DHCP server for an address on the network.Now the Protectli V1610 does have a USB-C console port, as well as a HDMI port, and both show the console output for PFsense. But the console cannot be interacted with, and seems to be logging only.
Using the console i can interact with the device BIOS, and with the setup off the USB key, so i know my hardware/keyboard is operating as it should.
Thus leaving me with a unit that has an instance of PFsense CE on it i cannot seem to reach, since SSH and webconsole are unavailable due to the unit not registering the IP from setup, or any IP given by a DHCP server, and the unit console appears to be non-interactive.
The only thing i get after install is the following console output, which does show me disconnecting a cable from the specified interface;
XSAVE Features=0xf<XSAVEOPT,XSAVEC,XINUSE,XSAVES>
IA32_ARCH_CAPS=0x14020c6b<RDCL_NO,IBRS_ALL,SKIP_L1DFL_VME,MDS_NO>
VT-x: PAT,HLT,MTF,PAUSE,EPT,UG,VPID,VID,PostIntr
TSC: P-state invariant, performance statistics
igc4: link state changed to UP
igc0: link state changed to UP
igc0: link state changed to DOWNWhat am i missing here? Is there any other way for me to set the unit up? Or will PFsense CE not run at all on this hardware?
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@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
Did the installation actually run successfully?
Since it's an online installer you first have to configure WAN for the installer.See Netgate doc: Installation Walkthrough
But the console cannot be interacted with, and seems to be logging only.
That can happen if the video console is the primary and console the secondary.
You may want to change that (press '5' when the boot menu displays and you can iterate through the modes).I assume pfSense is stuck at asking to assign the interfaces but since it is displayed on the video console, you can't see that part.
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@patient0 Thanks so much, you are a dear!
You were right, the console appears to have been in the wrong mode. Now when i change it to "5. Cons: Video" or "5. Cons: Dual (Video Primary)" it gives me an interactable console on the local HDMI screen, while the serial console remains logging only.After these changes, the first boot had me set up the WAN and LAN all over again from the console, so it seems the interface settings made during setup are lost after completing setup and rebooting. However setup did install the base system on the NVMe, and with this console setting i was able to set up the interfaces again from console, and after that i could reach the web configuration page.
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@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
so it seems the interface settings made during setup are lost after completing setup and rebooting
Yes, unfortunately that is the way is seems to be for now. The installer walkthrough mentions:
"The next step is to select the LAN interface. This is used for connecting to the installer from a local network if needed. While not used in this particular walkthrough, future installer features will rely on having a working LAN configuration, and it can also make obtaining information about installation problems easier to gather for support purposes.
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Yup, that is coming in the next installer version though it requires code in pfSense too so it will probably be Plus only at that point.
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@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
But after rebooting from setup into the freshly installed instance of PFsense on the NVMe, the IP will be unreachable a
While the console output, still attached and active, that a reboot was in progress, the USB drive from which you installed pfSense, was removed, right ?
What 'IP' is unreachable ?
You mean the LAN interface ?@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
and will display a setup webpage on other hosts on the network, during the setup.
A setup page ? What does it show ?
@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
No matter if i put both the WAN and LAN interface on DHCP, or set a static IP address.
Valid for 'everybody' :
WAN == dhcpc or DHCP - the DHCP client process will request a lease-WAN-IP for you from somewhere 'upstream'.
LAN : set it to static IP address like 1992.168.1.1 /24 or 255.255.255.0 and set up a DHCP - server, this time - a pool from 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.200
Done.
For experts : dozens of (far) less common setups are possible.
Although :
dhcp client on LAN ? Never saw that one before.
dhcp server in WAN ? same thing.@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
Now the Protectli V1610 does have a USB-C console port, as well as a HDMI port, and both show the console output for PFsense. But the console cannot be interacted with, and seems to be logging only.
When you install pfSense, what version ? their might be a choice to make :
Serial console ?
or
Video+keyboard console ?
It's possible that at first the BIOS uses the serial console - and then later on, while booting, pfSense uses the video mode.
Or the other way around.@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
igc4: link state changed to UP
igc0: link state changed to UP
igc0: link state changed to DOWNWhat's connected to igc0 ? If it's the LAN - connect this port to a switch, and connect all your LAN devices (PC's AP's printers etc etc etc to this switch). You really want to be sure the LAN 'never' goes down.
Same thing for the WAN btw, connect it to an upstream 'other (ISP ?) router or modem etc.@NetworkTechie said in Installing on Protectli V1610: No network after first boot, and read only console.:
Or will pfSense CE not run at all on this hardware?
edit : Oh, wait, didn't saw the other replies. Sorry if I lost the subject.
I never saw a "Protectli " device IRL but they are quiet known. Check their web site again : I'll bet they say that their devices support 'pfSense' (whatever version).
