@Riggi thanks for your work on this! (+ sent a coffee your way!)
At what stage in the installation process does the driver need to get installed? (This is my first time setting up pfsense on my own, so sorry if this is a stupid question.)
I’m working through the pfsense installation documentation and the first boot after I remove the USB stick it stops when it says no network interfaces detected. I assume that this is somehow related to the missing drivers…
OPNSense just updated with the 1.96.04 realtek drivers.
You would add the kernel module following a successful installation. If you’re using RTL8125-based NICs, it’s likely they won’t show without the 1.96.04 driver - in which case you’ll need to either use a different NIC temporarily to make the changes on the device, or boot to single user mode with the VGA console and mount external storage containing the module (this part I’m not certain on the behavior as I can’t say I’ve tried pfsense without a NIC).
Awesome, looks like it was thanks to @Lox’s thread on their forum. I’m glad OPNSense has the wherewithal to actually provide current NIC drivers in releases.
I’m sorry you don’t have the wherewithal to not use the word “wherewithal”
Riggi: Thanks for the advice – using single user mode to install the drivers worked!
Only callout — again, probably because my lack of experience with BSD — was needing to mount the the filesystem before anything could be done.
PfSense 2.5 has updated to the 1.96.04 realtek drivers.
https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/11079
Finally!
Hopefully ok to ask this question here… Been looking at building pfSense box. Heard so many stories of issues with Realtek nics. I have been looking at using Lenovo M90n IOT which used Realtek RTL8111K and RTL8111H. Can these be used and get stability and throughput? Looking to use with 1gb symmetrical connection.
Using these drivers will resolve any stability issues, and the i3-8145u in the M90n IOT will route symmetric gigabit.
Absolutely. I have 4 in mine, and I also make extensive use of some packages and RAM usage is less than 70%
Thanks @bob and and @Riggi for feedback. I would be using pfSense with snort or suricata.
Don’t want to limit myself. Biggest thing that had stopped me from getting this was feedback on the Realtek drivers all over the forums and the inability to handle 1gb line rate.
I had been contemplating a build with sff pc but the lower power and quiet of this unit are big benefits!
I am testing OPNsense right now with the Lenovo M90n IoT as well.
The issue with the Realtek 2.5GbE (which I also have) is the chipset is overheating at full load and either freezing or throttling down to 1Gbps which provides low speeds. Windows users who know where to look have been changing the power save/eco mode and getting stability. OEM’s received new beta drivers from Realtek 2 weeks ago that appears to be working.
Most people don’t know where to set the power mode (nor do I) in *nix on these chipsets, so a new driver set that manages them better and maintains the throughput is very welcome and appreciated.
You have > 1GbE internet service?
makeshift solution for your m90n:
keeps mine at a cool 35C 
also, i’m running OPNsense 20.7.5, how to validate driver used in FreeBSD… not sure the right command.
nvm! (dmesg | grep “re0”)
re0: port 0x4000-0x40ff mem 0xa1304000-0xa1304fff,0xa1300000-0xa1303fff at device 0.0 on pci2
re0: Using Memory Mapping!
re0: Using 1 MSI-X message
re0: ASPM disabled
re0: version:1.96.04
re0: Ethernet address: 98:fa:9b:23:e9:65
re0: Ethernet address: 98:fa:9b:23:e9:65
re0: link state changed to UP
re0: promiscuous mode enabled
076.108607 [1130] generic_netmap_attach Emulated adapter for re0 created (prev was NULL)
076.117463 [1035] generic_netmap_dtor Emulated netmap adapter for re0 destroyed
076.127751 [1130] generic_netmap_attach Emulated adapter for re0 created (prev was NULL)
076.209447 [ 320] generic_netmap_register Emulated adapter for re0 activated
509.294073 [ 295] generic_netmap_unregister Emulated adapter for re0 deactivated
509.302265 [1035] generic_netmap_dtor Emulated netmap adapter for re0 destroyed
The FreeBSD driver that resolved stability with their 8125 (and gigabit) NICs was released in last July, and the problems occurred regardless of temperature. The kernel driver was 1.94, from several years before the release of those 2.5Gb NICs. The Windows driver is a separate entity, and a workaround being eco-mode-related does not indicate a temperature problem.
This is atrocious. Why have you paid a premium for a small form factor device and then done this to it?
Riggi, thanks for your work on this. I’ve had these drivers installed for over a week and haven’t experienced any issues.
I’d love to know what cooling issues it’s having in stock config with pfsense, of all things.
