Zotac ZBOX CI323 nano

IggyB

What pfsense ver are you using?

ermax

I have the CI327 and was also having throughput and timeout problems. I was able to resolve my problems by compiling 1.93 in a VM running FreeBSD 11. I copied the driver over to my pfSense box and no more timeouts. I disabled all the tuning options that I had previously applied and it still works fine. Before I went this route I couldn't get anything over 50MBit/Sec. Now I am maxing out my 100Mb/100Mb connection.

The process was very straight forward too. Make sure when installing FreeBSD 11 for your build environment that you select the option to install the source tree. Then do a "pkg install curl" and then follow these directions:

On Build Server:
curl -o /tmp/rtlv193.tgz http://12244.wpc.azureedge.net/8012244/drivers/rtdrivers/cn/nic/0006-rtl_bsd_drv_v193.tgz
tar -xf /tmp/rtlv193.tgz -C /tmp/

cp /tmp/rtl_bsd_drv_v193/if_re* /usr/src/sys/dev/re/
cp /tmp/rtl_bsd_drv_v193/Makefile /usr/src/sys/modules/re/
cd /usr/src/sys/modules/re/
make

scp /usr/src/sys/modules/re/if_re.ko root@<pfsenseip>:/boot/kernel/

On pfSense:
cd /boot/kernel
chmod 0555 if_re.ko
chown root:wheel if_re.ko

Add this line to /boot/loader.conf.local:
if_re_load="YES"

reboot pfsense

After reboot verify that it loaded the new driver with:
dmesg | grep re0</pfsenseip>

Edit: One other problem I had on the CI327 was boot time took forever due to it trying to access the SD card reader. I was able to resolve this by hitting ESC at the boot loader (from the install media) and then typing:


set hint.sdhci_pci.0.disabled=1
set hint.sdhci_pci.1.disabled=1
boot

Then at the end of the install it prompts you about going to a shell to make additional changes. Say yes and then add these lines to /boot/loader.conf.local:


hint.sdhci_pci.0.disabled=1
hint.sdhci_pci.1.disabled=1

This was all done on pfSense 2.4 nightly.

cristi_gh

@cinnamon:

Installed latest version 2.3.4 yesterday and wireless card is not recognized.

Add these two lines in /boot/loader.conf

legal.intel_iwi.license_ack=1
legal.intel_ipw.license_ack=1

Just added this and still doesn't work.

cristi_gh

@cinnamon:

There is a new driver on Realtek's site v.193 with included patches. Work's on 2.3.4

If you want to compile your own on FreeBSD 10.3

1. update the driver source code:
Remove existing if_re.c from /usr/src/sys/dev/re or rename to if_re.c.org
Copy the new 1.93 dirver source code( if_re.c and if_rereg.h) into /usr/src/sys/dev/re
Remove existing Makefile from /usr/src/sys/modules/re or rename to Makefile.org
Copy the new 1.93 Makefile into /usr/src/sys/modules/re

2. build the driver:

cd /usr/src/sys/modules/re

make clean

make

3. Upload the new if_re.ko from /usr/src/sys/modules/re to your pfSense box in /boot/kernel
# cd /boot/kernel
# chmod 0555 if_re.ko
' # chown root:wheel if_re.ko
edit /boot/loader.conf in pfSense with vi
add line add line if_re_load="YES"
# reboot

Don't forget to rename old .ko module if you want to keep it or remove it

I don't quite understand why each should compile the driver, since we're all going to be using it on the same hardware.
Do you happen to have the 1.93 driver already compiled? Attaching it here would be of great help for many strugling to get the wan stable. I know I am…
Just add .txt to the end of the file and attach it here.
Thanks!
p.s. I did try to compile it in a virtual freebsd 11.0 and the resulting module is not loaded by pfsense.

cristi_gh

@cinnamon:

hi
sorry haven't checked the forums in a while
for the guy who asked for it

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=67950169242632494971

that's the compiled version i use on my pfSense 2.3.2

compiled on FreeBSD 10.3

This seems to have worked. I'll attach it here in case the link goes down.
Also I'd love v1.93. As I understand the one I attached is v1.92

if_re.ko.txt

pf3000

This is v1.93 that I tried briefly on 2.4 beta (freebsd 11) before finding out that I couldn't receive IPv6 from the WAN.

if_re.zip

morgejgmail

@cinnamon:

Hey sorry, just got my main desktop up and running. I had some trouble after draining my watercooling loop, had to go out and buy a new block. then my pumps reservour cracked. etc.. lol

1. Install Kernel FreeBSD 10.3 with kernel sources.
1. Get kernel driver 1.91 from realtek site. You don't need the patch for driver, only if you're using FreeBSD 11+
2. Modify /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC and delete line "device re" - so if_re no longer be included in kernel itself - module will be build anyway.
3. Edit /boot/loader.conf adding line if_re_load="YES", so external module will be loaded.
4. Go to /usr/src and run "make buildkernel KERNCONF=GENERIC && make installkernel KERNCONF=GENERIC"
5. Reboot with new kernel. System should boot with open-source driver as module. kldstat will show if_re in list of modules.
6. Put Realtek's if_re.c and if_rereg.h into /usr/src/sys/dev/re
7. Build driver (cd /usr/src/sys/modules/re && make clean && make)
8. Backup /boot/kernel/if_re.ko, then cp /usr/src/sys/modules/re/if_re.ko /boot/kernel/if_re.ko && chmod 0555 /boot/kernel/if_re.ko && chown root:wheel /boot/kernel/if_re.ko
9. Reboot

Now i wasn't sure how to upload files to internet using lynx or fetch so i installed xorg server and kde on vm FreeBSD. This took a while and i had some issues with timeouts etc.
Basicly i uploaded new compiled if_re.ko to some small file hosting sites, used a tinyurl to shorten it with direct link

SSH into pfSense and used fetch to download it into /boot/kernel/
chmod 0555 /boot/kernel/if_re.ko && chown root:wheel /boot/kernel/if_re.ko

edit /boot/loader.conf in pfSense. Can do through web browser or through ssh client with vi
add line if_re_load="YES"

That should be it. Reboot and your 1.92 should be loaded. If you want to unload it just put # infront of if_re_load="YES" in /boot/loader.conf
If you're having issues compiling or uploading to web/usb stick i will be happy to upload it for you or send you somehow a already compiled one

I downloaded the compiled module from a few posts down the thread and installed with these instructions.

In my limited testing, this HAS fixed my issues with the CI323 nic's when downloading large files across my FIOS 300/300 service.

THANK YOU!

ermax

1.93 works fine on 2.4-RC. I have IPv6 working on mine too. Throughput still isn't consistent. It maxes out my 100/100 fiber but it seems to randomly hang on speed tests here and there.

I posted directions on compiling and installing along with all the loader options that are needed in this post here:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=103841.msg739039#msg739039

TheNarc

I run a CI323 nano and just updated to 2.4.0-RELEASE. As part of that, I grabbed Realtek's latest driver (v1.94 released September 15, 2017) from here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=5&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

I then grabbed a ready-to-run FreeBSD 11.1 VM image here: https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/releases/VM-IMAGES/11.1-RELEASE/amd64/Latest/FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64.vmdk.xz and fired it up in Virtualbox. The compilation went right through with no patching or modifications required. All I had to do then was put the compiled if_re.ko module in /boot/kernel/ and add the line if_re_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf.local and everything seems to be happy, at least as evidenced by if_re.ko being listed in the output from kldstat and no stability issues so far.

I've added the compiled module in case anyone else wants it. The SHA512 of the if_re.ko file (not the ZIP file) is:
00f0278b396844e2735d10b57780ccf31a085d9a52e9e192fb758a904172fa4a9c27da297f6722f69906d9d62f4168ea3babfc8a27849f37a667bc0323c1841b

if_re.ko.zip

Areomayo

@TheNarc:

I run a CI323 nano and just updated to 2.4.0-RELEASE. As part of that, I grabbed Realtek's latest driver (v1.94 released September 15, 2017) from here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=5&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

I then grabbed a ready-to-run FreeBSD 11.1 VM image here: https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/releases/VM-IMAGES/11.1-RELEASE/amd64/Latest/FreeBSD-11.1-RELEASE-amd64.vmdk.xz and fired it up in Virtualbox. The compilation went right through with no patching or modifications required. All I had to do then was put the compiled if_re.ko module in /boot/kernel/ and add the line if_re_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf.local and everything seems to be happy, at least as evidenced by if_re.ko being listed in the output from kldstat and no stability issues so far.

I've added the compiled module in case anyone else wants it. The SHA512 of the if_re.ko file (not the ZIP file) is:
00f0278b396844e2735d10b57780ccf31a085d9a52e9e192fb758a904172fa4a9c27da297f6722f69906d9d62f4168ea3babfc8a27849f37a667bc0323c1841b

I can confirm this works, thank you, guess i better start learning how to compile these realtek drivers since my old if_re.ko for the previous version of pfsense 2.3 didnt work anymore for pfsense 2.4 :-\

krackpot

Has everyone done the upgrade from 2.3.x to 2.4? Or is it better to start from scratch and enable ZFS?

TheNarc

I ran the upgrade, which completed fine. However, I also run the pfBlockerNG package and there have been reports that it will cause lockups unless you update to ZFS. I haven't had this happen (yet) on my system so I haven't read up on it too much, but here's the thread in case you're interested: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=137103.0

messerchmidt

is 2.4 working on this box properly?

TheNarc

It seems to be working fine for me, at least using Realtek's v1.94 driver. Of course, since 2.4.0 has been out for less than a week it's impossible to say whether it's completely stable yet.

messerchmidt

someone needs to make a youtube video of how-to do this…lol

ok i think i got it. seems to be ok

anyone else having success?

blueduckdock

Thanks to TheNarc- got the module and loaded it up.
So far, so good but it's only been a day so..

Edit- so…given that the normal FreeBSD drivers for Realtek NICs are not up to par, is there any reason we can't load up a kernel module in pfSense by default (question to the devs)? Is there some kind of issue loading up realtek drivers in the module due to copyright, openness, etc.? Figured you could just grab one of the latest, have beta testers test it, then keep it for the length of the FreeBSD base (ie. same driver/kernel module all the way through FreeBSD11, then upgrade the driver when it goes to 12, etc.)

silviu

Is this still ok to use on 2.4.1 ? Should be since we are still FreeBSD 11. Or do I need to recompile?

blueduckdock

@silviu:

Is this still ok to use on 2.4.1 ? Should be since we are still FreeBSD 11. Or do I need to recompile?

No issues here with that 1.94 module linked above.

Guest

1.94 seems to help Zotac CI327 too in terms of gaining stability and network performance when running pfsense 2.4.1.

So thanks to all those who figured out and provided the solution and especially for the binary.

I wonder if it would also benefit 2.3.x (FreeBSD 10.3).
Anyone has used it with 2.3.x ?

DvdW

Thanks to (among others) Ermax, Cinnamon, TheNarc and a little Google this noob was able to almost max out my 400/40 line on the C1327 nano with 2.4.1-RELEASE. Next stop: learn to speak FreeBSD… :o