Netgate 4200: unofficial nvme SSD Upgrade for the latest pfSense Firewall

In this Video we are going to deep drive in the actual upgrade process of installing an nvme ssd into your Netgate 4200 Unit. I will cover the hardware install and most important , the software configuration via the console port.
Command list:
Narrow down the disk:
geom -t
Clear the partition metadata
gpart destroy -F da1
Wipe the disk
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da1 bs=1M status=progress

[@LarryFahnoe]

Very helpful video, thank you! I had trouble finding the correct M.2 mounting screw, but it turns out that M2.5 is correct, maybe 5mm or so long.

[@TricksAndThings]

Glad it was helpful! I just had a bag of leftover screws and tried a few until it was match :) That is excellent info .. now we know what size to search for (me included :)

[@t3keen0ob]

Thanks for sharing. I’m assuming this can be done on other models as well like 6100 or 8100?

[@TricksAndThings]

Indeed. 6100 and 8200 Max share the same platform. The process is the same but the hardware part is different and you will need a B+M key Nvme drive for those units. As an exception, the 8200 comes only in MAX variant (with an included 128GB SSD) so if you want to replace the existing SSD with something bigger, there is no erase process needed.

[@goneboating123]

over the top for me

[@TricksAndThings]

Nothing is imposible. Just split the process in multiple steps and tackle them one at a time. There is nothing that can't be fixed as long as the board is not physically damaged. Try , fail, repair, succeed (not necessarily in that order :) ) it's how we all learn

[@walterstarks7865]

Is it necessary to change the boot order in bios? I’ve noticed that my 4200 has an extremely long boot time because it’s got to wait for timeout on lots of other boot options before it gets to the eMMC storage.

[@TricksAndThings]

Hi, By changing the boot order you will cut some of that time down. If you have issues with the emmc and you do not change the boot order, you might experience situations where the Netgate will be stuck on boot and never initialise unless you do multiple restarts. Also I noticed on other models that there are some hidden partitions that remain active even if you erase the emmc and in order to avoid any possible issues, I recommend from experience to always change the boot order where possible (not all devices support this operation unfortunately). it's a 2 min process that saves a lot of "ifs" :)

[@adamkartchner1612]

When you connect the USB stick at the 3:03 mark, is it just the config file?

[@TricksAndThings]

the stick contains the official Netgate firmware. It can be obtained from Netgate support.

[@smmasongt]

Do you know which chips they used for the 2.5G Ethernet ports? Are they Intel i226’s?

[@TricksAndThings]

Yes spot-on :) . They are reported as Intel 226-V

[@smmasongt]

@@TricksAndThings Thanks!

[@user-fh8qn6tn7x]

Is the process in windows the same?

[@TricksAndThings]

The process is identical except the connection to console that is done super fast using putty in windows,
Here is the official guide for console connection on Windows:
docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/netgate-4200/connect-to-console.html

[@borduurline]

Why would you want to add this nvme drive?

[@TricksAndThings]

that is good questions and there are multiple reasons for it. The included eMMC is slower than the nvme so by replacing it you will have a faster response for the web interface and higher capacity storage as a bonus. The biggest reason of all is the fact that the eMMC has a limited number of red/write operations so using logging intensive applications (ex pfBlockerNG) will end up in getting the file system corrupted in time. This does not happen with the SSD and even if you somehow permanently damage the nvme by adding some power cuts to the game, you can simply replace it. The eMMC is soldered on and can't be replaced so you may end up with a bricked unit.