odroid H3 with RealTek NIC an pfsense
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Hello,
I have an Odroid H3 (amd64) here with two Ethernet ports. The NIC hardware is Realtek RT8125B. I’ve installed pfSense 2.7.0 (FreeBSD 14.0). However, Realtek hardware is not fully supported by pfSense, so I need to manually download and install the appropriate drivers.
The current compatible drivers can be found at the freebsd pakage webside.
This package contains the module
if_re.ko, which I placed in /boot/modules/ on my pfSense system. I also added the following lines to /boot/loader.conf:if_re_load="YES" if_re_name="/boot/modules/if_re.ko"In previous versions, I was used to the two NICs becoming usable after this step — but unfortunately, that’s not the case this time.
Here’s my troubleshooting so far:
/root: kldload /boot/modules/if_re.ko kldload: an error occurred while loading module /boot/modules/if_re.ko. Please check dmesg(8) for more details.And in dmesg:
KLD if_re.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch linker_load_file: /boot/modules/if_re.ko - unsupported file typeThis suggests the driver doesn’t match the kernel version or architecture — but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
After a full day of searching, I haven’t found a satisfactory solution — and I also don’t understand why the driver shouldn’t be compatible.
Does anyone else here have an Odroid H3 and recognize this issue? -
@krabat said in odroid H3 with RealTek NIC an pfsense:
I’ve installed pfSense 2.7.0 (FreeBSD 14.0). However, Realtek hardware is not fully supported by pfSense, so I need to manually download and install the appropriate drivers
You've already solved the issue then.
You think you have the "appropriate" Realtek drivers FreeBSD 14.0 / pfSense 2.7.0.
Your system is telling you : this is not the case.
This :KLD if_re.ko: depends on kernel - not available or version mismatch linker_load_file: /boot/modules/if_re.ko - unsupported file typeFreeBSD used .ko files, that the extension of a library (being a driver here) but you installed something, not recognized by the system.
This is what you would be calling 'DLL hell', which is not only reserved for Windows, but also Linux or FreeBSD : every (code) library used needs to be build/compiled/linked for that OS.
The easy way out has two major advantages :
Use the latest pfSense, as older ones are depreciated, and as this concerns 'firewall' and not just the OS of a light bulb, consider it as a real security issue.Also, and this just my opinion : I would be a very nasty person if I would remove Realtek NICs from my own equipment, and then give it away to some one else. That would be very bad for this some one else if this person uses it in a device that doesn't a have a Microsoft OS.
Realteks belong in the waste bin. Sorry : way say recycled now.
This is because the original Realtek drivers are written by Realtek for Microsoft OSs only (maybe MAC also ?). They didn't make drivers for others OSs, and sure enough not for FreeBSD. This means the drivers are created by people like you and me, who don't have access to the full hardware specs so these are extra buggy.
In your firewall, router, switch (me : any) device, use 'good' NICs, like the ones for Intel.
Do this, and you'll be good. Realtek isn't worth your time.Btw : afaik, for the latest 2.8.0 and 2.8.1 pfSense versions, Netgate made avaible drivers that do seem to work fine. 2.7.0 is to ancient, I can't recall anymore.
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