Anti-static protection must be used throughout this procedure.
Warning
Installing network interface cards which use the same driver as built-in
ports on the device will cause the existing interface assignments to shift,
which will affect connectivity. Reinstalling or performing a factory reset
will take expansion card(s) into account when the interfaces are
automatically assigned.
Take all appropriate precautions and exercise care when handling the exposed
system board and add-on cards. There are many delicate components which can
be damaged during this process. Damage caused via physical contact and
electrostatic discharge while performing this installation is not covered by
the warranty.
Warning
This device includes an intrusion detection sensor which operates even when
the device is without power.
Opening the case on this device triggers an intrusion alarm which is logged
by the BMC and is visible in the IPMI sensors. This alarm must be reset
manually as described in Re-arm the Chassis Intrusion Switch.
When the intrusion alarm is active the fans run at a fixed speed of around
8500 RPM. Resetting the intrusion sensor alarm returns the fans to their
profiled speed.
The installation procedure has many steps which are broken down into related
groups in the remainder of this document. Follow all steps in the procedure
carefully.
Installing an add-on expansion card requires removing the top of the case to
expose the internal components. For safety, before opening the case, the Netgate
8300 must be completely disconnected from everything. This includes power,
network cables, USB cables, serial console cables, and any other external cables
or devices connected to the Netgate 8300.
Danger
Reminder:
Anti-static protection must be used throughout this procedure.
Any hardware damage incurred during this procedure is not covered by
the hardware warranty.
Turn power off to the unit by changing the power switch on the rear of the
unit to the off position.
The add-on expansion card slots are located on a riser assembly. This riser
assembly must be removed from the device to safely add or remove expansion
cards.
Danger
Reminder:
Anti-static protection must be used throughout this procedure.
Any hardware damage incurred during this procedure is not covered by
the hardware warranty.
Loosen the two captive screws which attach the riser assembly to the
motherboard using the Phillips head screwdriver.
Note
These screws are captive and will not fully remove from the riser
assembly. It is sufficient to loosen the screws until they no longer
attach the riser assembly to the motherboard. This may be felt as a soft
“click” when the screw is freely rotating and the threads are not engaged.
Location of the captive riser assembly retaining screws indicated with red
circles¶
Remove the riser assembly retaining screw on the front of the unit using the
Phillips head screwdriver.
Location of the riser assembly retaining screw on the front of the unit
indicated with a red circle¶
Carefully lift the riser assembly from the motherboard slot and remove the
riser assembly.
Rotating the assembly as seen in figures below can help the removal process
with PCIe cards installed.
Lift the riser assembly from the rear to remove it from the riser slot on
the motherboard¶
Lift and rotate the riser assembly from the front as indicated by the red
arrow to remove it from the chassis¶
With the riser assembly removed, it is time to install the add-on expansion
card.
Danger
Reminder:
Anti-static protection must be used throughout this procedure.
Any hardware damage incurred during this procedure is not covered by
the hardware warranty.
Locate the appropriate slot for the expansion card
The expansion slot will vary depending on the card. For example, a card with
a low profile bracket would most likely go in the smaller slot on the left,
assuming its specifications match the slot capabilities. Some cards have
alternate brackets so in those cases it is best to match the card based on
its bus requirements, speed, and so on. See Input and Output Ports for the expansion
slot specifications.
Loosen or remove the retaining screw from the expansion slot
Tip
It is not typically necessary to fully remove the screw as the card can be
moved around it when it is loosened, but removing the screw can make
installing or removing the cards easier.
Location of the add-on expansion card slot retaining screws indicated with
red arrows¶
Location of the low profile add-on expansion card slot retaining screw
indicated with a red circle¶
Location of the full height add-on expansion card slot retaining screw
indicated with a red circle¶
Remove the expansion slot cover by sliding it away from the center of the
riser assembly and lifting it out, then set it aside.
Slide the expansion slot cover away from the center of the riser assembly¶
Remove the expansion slot cover once it is free from the expansion slot¶
Note
The cover will not be necessary so long as there is a card in the
expansion slot. Store the cover in a safe place in case it is needed in
the future.
Install the add-on card into the expansion card slot by sliding it toward the
center of the riser assembly until it is fully seated in its socket.
Installing an add-on network interface card into an expansion slot¶
Ensure the card is properly aligned and fully inserted into the expansion
card slot.
The rear of the socket has a retention clip to hold the card in place which
should be engaged once the card is fully seated
Expansion card slot retention clip holding a card in place¶
The front of the card should be flush with the front of the riser assembly
and aligned with the retention screw hole.
Expansion card aligned with the riser assembly and retention screw hole¶
Fasten the expansion card to the riser assembly using the retaining screw and
the Phillips head screwdriver.
Expansion card fastened in the riser assembly using the retention screw¶
If the expansion card added to the device is a network interface card, this
must be accounted for in pfSense software once the card is in place.
If the network card does not utilize the same driver as the interfaces in
the base system (ice(4)), then the interfaces can be assigned and enabled as
needed based on the information in the pfSense software documentation for
interfaces.
Network interface cards which use the same driver as built-in ports on the
device (ice(4)) will cause the existing interface assignments to
shift, which will negatively impact connectivity as the interfaces for
WAN, LAN, and so on will suddenly be mapped to different physical ports.
There are multiple ways to work around this, depending on the state of the
installation on the device.
If this is a new device or if it has no configuration that needs retained, then
the easiest way to properly reassign the interfaces is to either perform a
factory reset (Factory Reset Procedure) or reinstall pfSense Plus software
(Reinstalling pfSense Plus Software). Either of those actions will take these expansion
card(s) into account when pfSense Plus software automatically assigns the
interfaces on a default configuration.
If the device has an existing configuration which must be adjusted to match
the new interface layout, then the ports must be reassigned manually. Since
GUI access is likely broken by the interfaces being moved, this may need to be
performed at the console. For simple configurations this may be viable, but
for more complicated configurations involving LAGG, VLANs, and so on it may be
difficult.
Another option is to edit the configuration backup and adjust the interfaces
manually, then perform a factory reset (Factory Reset Procedure) or reinstall
pfSense Plus software (Reinstalling pfSense Plus Software) and restore the adjusted
configuration.
See also
Netgate TAC may be able to assist with adjusting configurations for customers in
many cases.
Opening the case to install the expansion card will trigger the intrusion alarm
sensor, even while the device is removed from power. The intrusion alarm causes
the fans to run at a higher fixed speed until the sensor is re-armed.
