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[Hydraulix]

#2

[jjgoessens]

Hi,

many thanks for the pictures, it's perfect!

it seems interessing, i note :

- DDR ram
- ATX style PSU connectors
- 4 lan basically, 4 lans as extension
- CPU close to the rear, so heat goes directly outside and not inside ? if yes, this is a lot better.
- i do not see any PCI connector ?

it seems that it is possible to install a HD close to CF card, can you confirm, a picture is welcome also

it seems there is also a connector close to CF, is it a PCI ?

i see 3 wires for fans, can you also show us the rear side, wiewed from internal ? I would like to see the fans.

It could interessing to build a file/web server if a 3.5" hard disk can be attached.

can you read the references on the two chips clode to the PSU connector ?

Jean Jacques

[dmreiland]

Ah ha!

It looks like my card reader was not writing the image correctly. I tried a new reader and I'm able to boot into pfsense. I want to thank everyone again for helping me out.

I am trying to get pfSense running on my x550e and am having no luck. I have verified that the image is present on the CF card, however, it does not seem to boot on the firebox. What image did you use? What kind of reader/writer?

[Hydraulix]

Ah ha!

It looks like my card reader was not writing the image correctly. I tried a new reader and I'm able to boot into pfsense. I want to thank everyone again for helping me out.

I am trying to get pfSense running on my x550e and am having no luck. I have verified that the image is present on the CF card, however, it does not seem to boot on the firebox. What image did you use? What kind of reader/writer?

Originally I used some cheap wal-mart CFcard reader. I found that the internal readers connected to the mobo work the best. Also, I was able to install 1.2.2 on a 256MB CFcard. But, with the latest pfSense version of 1.2.3 with nanobsd. I'm only able to use a 512MB card. I tried a 4GB card and it was a no go. I'm going to order a 1GB card and see how well that works. I didn't do anything special with the box. Also, keep in mind on how you copy the image over to the CFcard. For version 1.2.2 they want you to use...

Code:

zcat pfsense-embedded.img.gz | dd of=/dev/sd[a] bs=16k

But! with version 1.2.3 with nanobsd. This is the new way to copy the image over....

Code:

gunzip -c pfSense-1.2.3-nanobsd.img.gz | dd of=/dev/sd[a] bs=16k

Of course, this is the Linux way of copying the image over. I'm not sure what platform you are using. But, I've had success with those two commands.

[rikrobson]

I have a x750e (x550e with 8 ports i believe) and a x700.

Installed 1.2.3-RC-1 onto the internal 128Mb CF card and the unit booted perfectly and is currently running. But its very tight on card memory.

I bought a kingston 8GB CF and installed nano (1.2.3 release). The unit wouldn't boot. Installed the full system on the card and the same no boot

put the same card in the x700 (slighly older with a slower 1.2 mobile celeron, 6 ports and different gubbins)

the card was read, but the full install fais with a dma check on the CF card.

put 1.2.3 embedded (nano) and the system booted ok.

Therefore i must conclude that the reader/interface in the 750 does not like the bigger, faster newer cards.

The 750 appears to be the better specked system with 8 Gigether ports a 1.3 intel and ddr2 memory (2 slots), But on the downside has wierd hdd interfaces I've not seen before. (micro connectors and no standard 40 pin hdd headers.)

the 700 is smaller and quieter 1 pc133 slot for memory, 6 realtek ether ports and the slower proc and mentioned earlier.

this also has a miniPCI with an encryption card in, which i believe is not supported on freeBSD, but if i can lay my hands on a wifi card the slot may get used.

I'm going to swap to the 700 with the nano on 8GB CF card for my main router and fiddle with the 750 when i've got some more time.
looking to fit a hdd somehow as there is room for a laptop drive and do a full install or try to find a smaller compatible CF card.

only issues were some errors on phpsysinfo, which worked fine on the 700, but obviously not with nano.
The display works fine on both and the 700 has a prettier white display so may stick with that.

[wallabybob]

But on the downside has wierd hdd interfaces I've not seen before. (micro connectors and no standard 40 pin hdd headers.)

SATA connectors?

[rikrobson]

Had a look inside a x550e today. No not SATAs. Looks like there is an interface (IDE) thats just the solder holes - no header and there is  another but looks smaller and accepts the end of the expansion slot.

looks at fig 3.6 in http://www.watchguard.com/docs/corporate/wg_peak-eDe-MFR_instructions.pdf

the version I have is missing the standard blue header. the horizontal one looks to accepts a caddy and has 44 connections. Pssibly may tace a 3.5 inch drive directly, but ther'es no cady and i dont hace a spare drive.

Incidently the slot above is a pciex4 (takes a vpn card apparently) and the 4 port expansion is a pciex8. There are also socket less solder pads for mini pci and a com2

[GruensFroeschli]

the version I have is missing the standard blue header. the horizontal one looks to accepts a caddy and has 44 connections

This is EIDE, or ATA-3. Basically the same as normal IDE. (some minor differences).
You use it to connect a 2.5" laptop harddisk.

[MMan]

Here is some X750 info.

VGA pinout

09 01 <
10 02
11 03
12 04
13 05
14 06
15 07
16 08

01   R
02   G
03   B
04   ?
05   G
06   G
07   G
08   G
09   ?
10   ?
11   ?
12   5V
13   HSync
14   VSync
15   5v
16   ?

There is some odd bug in bios. I got it to boot from 4gb CF after i set heads in bios to 2. Boot stopped to weird error about READ_DMA when AD0 was detected.

X750 also uses DDR2 memory. Pair of cheap kingston 1gb sticks were detected correctly.

Edit: Confirmed sync pin numbers and also realized that pin numbers in firebox connector match pin numbers in vga connector.

[MMan]

Oh. And it has PCI Express connectors and cpu is easily upgradable.

[MMan]

Success! Switched to older 2Gb Kingston CF and enabled DMA mode in BIOS. Still had to set heads to 2 to get it boot, but it doesn't seem to have any ill effects otherwise. Didn't bother to try with 4Gb card again now that it works.

[CaseyBlackburn]

I can't make one of the vga cables for this. Is there anyway one of you guys would sell me your cable?

[mericksonj]

Anyone know what chipset is used for these ethernet interfaces?  Looking for watchguard gear that uses intel gigE or FastE.

Thanks!
--J

[CaseyBlackburn]

Anyone know what chipset is used for these ethernet interfaces?  Looking for watchguard gear that uses intel gigE or FastE.

Thanks!
--J

These use Marvell gigE cards.

[Quasar7]

My Firebox x550e can not boot from 2.5 HDD. Display is showing "OS booting", but i get no serial output. With a CompactFlash Card everything runs fine.

Same HHD runs without any problems with my other Firebox X700.

Any suggestions?