Install on IGEL thin client - Missalignment of interfaces loop

[74rk]

I've successfully installed pfSense 2.1 on a Thin Client, IGEL 5/4, 1500MHz, 1024MB internal mem, 4G CF card. I've added a PCI ethernetcard (Sitecom brand labeled, 10/100/1000mbps) and that one works briliantly. I also have a USB Wifi adapter, labeled LogiLink. This is an N-capable wifi stick that uses the RUN driver. It works in AP mode, but when I restart the system with a configured USB interface, it loops in a 'mismatch of interfaces'.

I guess the USB adapter isn't ready during boot, which causes the mismatch, not?

The thin client has a PCMCIA port and I have a wifi adapter (802.11G, don't know the chipset at the moment) lying around somewhere in my office. Would that work, and would it have the same problem?

I'll try to give feedback on the installation here when I find the time to dive into it in more detail. I appreciate the help from the community very much.

[EDIT:] I found out that the USB interface just isn't available after restarting. Once you remove it and plug it in again, everything can be set up again. I'll try to modify the BIOS setting for a PnP OS to YES to see if this helps.

Regards, René Knuvers

[ptt]

Have you added the needed line to load the RUN module at startup

runfw_load="yes"

to the "loader.conf.local" file

[74rk]

@ptt:

Have you added the needed line to load the RUN module at startup

runfw_load="yes"

to the "loader.conf.local" file

No, I haven't… When I try to echo the text to the file, or create it  (touch /boot/loader.conf.local) I get an error that the file system is read only. I think I'm missing something... Can you help?

[ptt]

http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,22420.0.html

[74rk]

OK, thanks. I did it through the webconfigurator using the echo command. This worked for getting the line in loader.conf.local. Unfortunately it didn't do the trick for it to start the USB wifi adapter.

When I unplug it, it shows up as <ralink>at usbus4 (disconnected)
Then when I plug it in, first I get a "ugen4.2: <ralink>at usbus4"
Run0: <1.0> on usbus4
Then it tells me the mac/BBP is an RT3070…blablabla ant the firmware RT2870 is loaded…

Any thoughts?</ralink></ralink>

[wallabybob]

Try adding something like

kern.cam.boot_delay=10000

(change the number to suit) which causes the system startup to pause the specified number of milli-seconds before scanning USB devices. This would give the USB device a bit more time to initialise itself when it powers up.

Occasionally I had a similar problem to what you describe when I used a USB Ethernet adapter.

My "run" adapter is on a 80MMHz VIA C3 system and I don't see this problem. I suspect my CPU is "slow enough" for the run adapter to start up before the OS probes the USB buses.

[74rk]

I've added the delay parameter to the /boot/loader.conf.local file with no apparent result.

I noticed the following message during bootup: ('grepped' for run0)

run0: <1.0> on usbus4
run0: MAC/BBP RT3070 (rev 0x0201), RF RT3020 (MIMO 1T1R), address 00:1f:1f:bb:f2:ba
run0: failed loadfirmware of file runfw
run0: could not load 8051 microcode
device_attach: run0 attach returned 6

Does this help?
» Note that I've now installed an Atheros PCMCIA card, that works perfectly! Still I want to get the USB up and running to provide an open (restricted in bandwith and open ports to the INET, but unprotected) network to visitors and neighbours.

[wallabybob]

@74rk:

run0: <1.0> on usbus4
run0: MAC/BBP RT3070 (rev 0x0201), RF RT3020 (MIMO 1T1R), address 00:1f:1f:bb:f2:ba
run0: failed loadfirmware of file runfw
run0: could not load 8051 microcode
device_attach: run0 attach returned 6

did you erase the "runfw" line from /boot/loader.conf.local?

This is reporting the firmware wasn't found - perhaps the firmware isn't getting loaded by the boot loader! Maybe the firmware is not in the correct location (/boot/kernel/runfw.ko)

[74rk]

I didn't remove the runfw-line, should I?
The firmware is in /boot/kernel/runfw.ko as you describes. Is there an issue maybe that the firmware during boot differs from the 'PnP' firmware after the system has booted? When I plug in the USB interface after boot, it works just fine, so I would say it has the correct firmware somewhere!

[74rk]

I think Wallabybob has already given the answer multiple times.

http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=46325.0

I'll see if the order in which the delay and the fw load command are, makes the difference?

Many thanks for all the help!