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    PfSense on a Riverbed Steelhead

    Hardware
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    • stephenw10S
      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
      last edited by

      Hmm. Have you also seen that script work in Linux?

      I could imagine the device might come up at a different address in FreeBSD perhaps...

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        Okijames @pauloalb
        last edited by

        @pauloalb Since you got the script to work under Linux...

        What were the values for "calcCheckSums" in this bit of the script?

        s.write_block_data(0x24, 0x55, calcChecksums(cmd_0))
time.sleep(0.1)
s.write_block_data(0x24, 0x55, calcChecksums(cmd_1))

        This would give us clues as to what we should give smbmsg to send the same values under BSD. Changing the 0x24 address location per what we see from using "smbmsg -p" .

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          Okijames @Okijames
          last edited by

          Per some docs...

          write_block_data(i2c_addr, register, data, force=None)
          Write a block of byte data to a given register.
          Parameters
          • i2c_addr (int) – i2c address
          • register (int) – Start register
          • data (list) – List of bytes
          • force (Boolean) –

          So I'm thinking the smbmsg equivalent could be something like this per my smbus scan...

          smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 3 0x?? 0x?? 0x??

          With the ?? pieces being the values the rbmod script calculates in the above bit of python.

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          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by stephenw10

            With some extra print calls and no actual smbus writes:

            steve@steve-MMLP7AP-00 ~/Documents $ sudo ./rbmode.py u
[sudo] password for steve:      
Setting mode to universal
[3, None]
[3, 1]
[3, 252, 1, 254, 102, 153]
[3, 0]
[3, 252, 0, 255, 102, 153]

            So I expect the required smbmsg command to be something like:

            smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99
smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x00 0xff 0x66 0x99

            BUT I'm unsure how the checksum applies. i2c doesn't have a checksum but the script calculates the checksum from the data because smbus does. So if smbmsg does the checksum for us it might be:

            smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 2 0x03 0x01
smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 2 0x03 0x00

            That all depends on 0x24 being the real device address....

            Steve

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              Okijames @stephenw10
              last edited by

              Considering this comment was in the rbmode script all along...

              universal

              port 0: 06-03-fc-01-fe-66-99 -> 0x03, 0x01

              port 1: 06-03-fc-00-ff-66-99 -> 0x03, 0x00

              Lines up precisely with your converted output and possible smbmsg commands...

              smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99
              smbmsg -s 0x24 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x00 0xff 0x66 0x99

              I guess the info was staring us in the face this whole time :)

              Now will it work? smbmsg syntax is cryptic, but will give it a go.

              Thanks!

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                Okijames @Okijames
                last edited by

                Huge thanks to Steve, his print output of rbmode filled in the final pieces!

                First a bit of a caveat: I did this with FreeBSD 12.1. I used a full install of a current FreeBSD version to improve chances of stuff working, have access to extra tools, drivers, etc. that are not in pfSense, let alone and old version of pfSense.

                One thing to note BTW is 12.1 installed from a USB key inserted in the front panel directly to an internal SATA without issue. FreeBSD 10.3 and pfSense 2.3.5 based on same were unable to install directly to an internal SATA.

                So anyway...

                Success! Instant relay click and nic link lights with the first smbmsg command below! LAN0_0 (em0) and WAN0_0 (em1) both working!

                Note they nics did require an "ifconfig emX up" before they could be used but that's to be expected.

                smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99
                smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x00 0xff 0x66 0x99

                The second command doesn't seem to do anything but does not return an error. I rebooted, which does reset the relays, and tried the second command alone, still doesn't seem to do anything, good or bad.

                So next steps would entail getting the following on pfSense, if it's not already there...

                -ichsmb.ko
                -smb.ko
                -smbmsg

                Then alter boot-up config to load the kernel modules and issue the smbmsg commands automatically.

                I won't be doing any of the pfSense bits cause I don't actually want to run a 32bit box. It just always bugged me that half the nics wouldn't work without the original software.

                Anybody want to buy one? :)

                I think I have 2 250s and 2 550s. The 550s for sure (because that's been my box for all this hackery) have a Xeon Sossaman and 4GB ECC RAM. IIRC the 250s have a Celeron and 2GB ECC RAM. No USB DOMs, no HDDs, no software.

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                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  The modules are there in pfSense, just not loaded. To run that you would need to add to /boot/loader.conf.local:

                  ichsmb_load=yes
smb_load=yes

                  Then run that smbmsg with a shellcmd at boot. Pretty easy.
                  Of course not if that is 32bit hardware though. 😉

                  I assume the second line is for larger models that have two pairs of ports.

                  The fact that code was already in the comments there was confusing. The way it's written looked like they got the i2c output from original OS maybe. The extracted the actual commands from it. But then recreate the same string by calculating the checksum... odd.

                  Steve

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                    pauloalb @stephenw10
                    last edited by

                    Special thanks to @stephenw10 and @okijames and everyone that helped.

                    I am on my lunch break so i couldn't test this much but i call this a SUCCESS! Both nics do light up and show activity.

                    I am running this on a Rivebed Steelhead 250 with pfSense 2.3.5 running from a flash drive plugged in the front of the device with no hdd and no subonModule internal flash plugged in.

                    The exact sequence that worked for me, gathering all the bits from previous messages is this:

                    kldload ichsmb
                    kldload smb
                    ifconfig em0 up
                    ifconfig em1 up
                    smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99
                    smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x00 0xff 0x66 0x99

                    Thanks again for the fantastic comunity support and engagement from everyone 👍 😁

                    pauloalb

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                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      Nice!

                      Interesting that it's apparently at a different address in FreeBSD/pfSense.

                      I wouldn't expect you to have to ifconfig up the interface assuming it is assigned and enabled. Usually in that sort of setup the relays disconnect the physical ports but the OS can always see the NIC chip.

                      Steve

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                        Okijames @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10

                        Yeah, different drivers so different reference address I guess.

                        You're right re "ifconfig up" requirement, under pfSense anyway. Going through the nic assignment process and ticking the "Enabled" box gets them up and running.

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                          Okijames @Okijames
                          last edited by Okijames

                          Ok I wrote a full soup-to-nuts howto on this whole thing but it keeps getting flagged as spam and won't post. Any pointers?

                          The issue seems to be the text related to shellcmd entries in the pfSense config file. I literally dare not include it here or this post would be blocked. :(

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                          • stephenw10S
                            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                            last edited by

                            Try again. I upvoted your posts so you have the required rep level, 5, that should avoid the filter.

                            It looks like you wrote this and then deleted it a number of times. I could try to recover those?

                            Steve

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                              Okijames @stephenw10
                              last edited by

                              @stephenw10 Thanks for the upvote and please delete those other posts. I'll try posting the whole thing right now...

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                                Okijames @stephenw10
                                last edited by

                                @stephenw10 No joy, still getting flagged as spam.

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                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                  last edited by

                                  Hmm, maybe a combination of the IP you're coming from? Maybe remove any links you have in the post?

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                                    Okijames @stephenw10
                                    last edited by

                                    @stephenw10 There are not links :) . Just this piece seems to be the problem.

                                    	<shellcmd>smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99</shellcmd>
</system>
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                                      Okijames @Okijames
                                      last edited by

                                      Ok that's weird :)

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                                        Okijames @Okijames
                                        last edited by Okijames

                                        WARNING: These instructions apply to older 32bit CX-250/550 Steelheads. Steelheads in the CX-570/770 and possibly the x55 generation, have BIOS settings for controlling bypass NICS. Please do not use the method below if your Steelhead offers BIOS controls.

                                        Here’s what I hope is a full soup-to-nuts process for getting pfSense 2.3.5 up and running on these boxes with all 4 nics active…

                                        Prep work and nic mapping info:
                                        -Remove the internal USBDOM boot device, label it and keep it safe incase you ever want to run as a Steelhead again
                                        -Remove the internal HDD (remove the whole drive cage, just 3 screws and lift the cage straight up and out)
                                        -Optional: Label and put the original HDD aside and keep it safe incase you ever want to run as a Steelhead again

                                        -Nic mapping in pfSense compared to front panel labeling:
                                        em0 = LAN0_0
                                        em1 = WAN0_0
                                        em2 = Primary
                                        em3 = Aux

                                        BIOS setup:
                                        -Connect to serial port using 9600 8,none,1 then power up

                                        -Hit Delete key during BIOS initialization, use “minnow” when prompted for a password and change these settings…

                                        -Exit Menu -> Load Optimal Defaults (do this first)

                                        -Advanced Setting Menu -> Configure Remote access -> Serial Port Mode “115200 8,n,1”

                                        -Optional: Boot Menu -> Quick Boot “Disabled” (this will give you more time to hit the Delete key and plug USB devices in in the future)

                                        -Boot Menu -> Boot Settings Config -> USBDOM Boot Only “Disabled”

                                        -Boot Menu -> Boot Device Priority (should not need to be changed, but take note and adjust if needed)

                                        -Exit Menu -> Save Changes and Exit -> Hit Enter twice to save changes

                                        Note regarding the roundabout installation instructions below:
                                        Unfortunately attempting to install pfSense 2.3.5 directly to an internal SATA drive fails, getting stuck with messagings like…
                                        (ada0:ahcich0:0:0:0): CAM status: Command timeout
                                        (ada0:ahcich0:0:0:0): Retrying command
                                        FWIW newer versions of FreeBSD have no such issue, v12.1 for example installs directly to an internal SATA drive just fine.

                                        pfSense 2.3.5 Installation:
                                        -Switch your serial port terminal settings to 115200 8, none, 1 (you should never have to crawl at 9600 again)

                                        -Insert a USB key with the installer in the top USB port on the front panel (shows as da0 in pfSense)

                                        -Connect a SATA drive via USB-to-SATA adapter to the bottom USB port on the front panel (shows as da1 in pfSense)
                                        —Note my SATA drive would not power up from a cold start, I had to plug it in after power-up, during the memory count

                                        -Power up and the box should automatically boot from the USB key
                                        —If not, leave the USB key and SATA drive connected, reboot into the BIOS and set to boot off the USB key and reboot

                                        -Hit “I” to launch the Installer or let it boot automatically

                                        -Install pfSense per standard instructions (Quick/Easy Install worked for me)

                                        -Choose “Embedded kernel (no VGA console, keyboard”) when prompted

                                        -Reboot when prompted and power down

                                        -Remove the USB key

                                        -Move the SATA drive to the top slot of the internal drive cage and this will now show up as ada0
                                        —Note if you install a 2nd drive in the bottom bay it will show up as ada1

                                        -Power-up and pfSense should boot from the internal SATA drive

                                        -Configure the LAN and WAN ports to em2 and em3 (my recommendation is em2=LAN em3=WAN)
                                        —Why not use em0 and em1 for LAN and WAN? Because em0 and em1 CAN be set to bypass/bridge mode which causes them to act as a hard wired crossover coupler. This is the normal mode of these nics when running Steelhead software. In that state, EVERYTHING will pass between them like a wire, regardless of power being on or off. Not good for a firewall unless you have a special need for this capability.
                                        —Special note regarding POE and em0/em1: These boxes have a design defect related to POE so you MUST use the supplied 2-port dongle if you intend to connect em0 and em1 to POE ports. Doing so without the dongle risks damaging your POE devices.
                                        —If you want to play with the bypass/bridge mode, just issue the below command at a shell prompt… Final word of warning, DO NOT connect both ports to the same switch when you do this. It’s the same as doing so with a crossover cable.
                                        smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 8 0x02 0xfd 0x01 0xfe 0x00 0xff 0x88 0x77

                                        Automatically enable em0 and em1 so you can use them as normal nics:
                                        -Drop to shell and add the following to /boot/loader.conf.local to load the smbus drivers
                                        ichsmb_load=“YES”
                                        smb_load=“YES”

                                        -Follow pfSense docs to modify your config.xml to with shellcmd to issue the following smbmsg command just above the </system> line…

                                        	<shellcmd>smbmsg -s 0x48 -c 0x55 -o 6 0x03 0xfc 0x01 0xfe 0x66 0x99</shellcmd>
</system>

                                        -Basic workflow for modifying your config.xml if you don’t want to read the docs, do the following via the Web UI…
                                        1: Main Menu-> Diagnostics -> Backup & Restore Menu -> Download configuration as XML (it will download via your browser)
                                        2: Edit the downloaded file adding the smbmsd command just above the existing line containing </system>, save the edited file
                                        3: Click the Choose File button, select the edited file, click the Restore Configuration button
                                        4: pfSense should restore the file and automatically reboot

                                        Upon reboot, and toward the end of the boot process you should hear a nice “click” sound from the bypass relays, enabling em0 and em1, and you should have 4 usable nics under pfSense

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                                        • stephenw10S
                                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                          last edited by

                                          Ha. Maybe the few more upvotes I gave you.... though the level is set at 5.

                                          You can use the shellcmd package to add that without manually editing the config.

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                                            Okijames @stephenw10
                                            last edited by

                                            @stephenw10 Just glad it worked! Roger on using shellcmd package, I have not tried it.

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