Performance problem with upgrade

maxvig

my network is kind of standard

wan: 8 static IP
lan: 192.168.1.x with dhcp
dmz: 3 virtual ip natted 1:1 with 192.168.2.x
pfSense 1.2.1 running on a PIII 800MHz + hard disk

I had this configuration for many years with monowall and since 2 years with pfsense without problem
I was able to reach the FTP server on the DMZ and upload files from inside the LAN at 12-14 MB/sec.
As I upgraded to pfSense 1.2.3 (via webGUI and same configuration) the transfer speed dropped to 1-2 MB/sec with frequent "stop and go".
I then downgraded to 1.2.2 (clean install from iso to HD) with similar result.
I downgraded again to 1.2.1 (clean install again) and the performance went back as before.

I enclosed here my xml configuration.

I do not really need to upgrade now, but this behavior do not permit me with future upgrade.

Looking for suggestion…

config-pfsense.vallardi.net-20100215102400.txt

mclendening

We are having similar problems and found that if you reboot and open the Webgui throughput will degrade severely (2.0 Beta with vanilla config, no carp, wide-open rules, vlan trunking on interface bge0).
Tested without opening Webgui and did not have any throughput issues.

michael clendening

jimp

Depending on your network card, there could be various driver bugs to blame.

You should try to disable Hardware Checksum Offloading in the Advanced Options and try it again.

mclendening

We solved our similar problem by changing the NIC
http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,22968.msg118458.html#msg118458

Peace,
Michael Clendening

maxvig

Thank you all for the suggestion

I had a very drastic approach: I built a spare firewall with new mobo, new HD and new NICs.
I loaded pfsense 1.2.3 and my configuration.
In office non-working hours I plugged in and tested / stressed for few hours with no problem at all from various workstations. I even increased the download speed to 15/20 MB/sec (depending from the OS of the workstation).
Yesterday I definitively changed the firewall with the new one.

The old firewall (Pentium III 800EB + shuttle mobo) has been on 24/24 from 2001, working as a PC, as a little server, as a Winroute server, as a monowall firewall and lately as a pfsense server.
It still seems operational, but probably the NICs have suffered most.

Max