CWWK/Topton/... Nxxx quad NIC router

[Dostring]

Mine keeps crashing every few days or so after a repaste with 32gb crucial ram and 2tb 850x. No idea what’s causing the crashes so will try a memtest and other nvme drive. My bios is also an older version so will check with cwwk to see if I can get the newer one and if there is a changelog.

Would you mind looking at the temps of your NVMe? I have N100 4 port version and with almost everything writing to RAM my NVMe sits at roughly 60C which seems high.

Wow and further to this. I did set some acpi settings but of course no access to set power and performance / PL1, PL2 but with this new bios I’ve instantly seen a drop to 7w - 9w power consumption measured at the smart wall plug (down from 15w - 19w)

additionally cpu temps have dropped from 68c down to 50c, nvme temp dropped from 74c to 58c (ambient 31c)

this is with opnsense and HA VMs running

I might contact cwwk as well. As mentioned, I have a different device (4 port) but I can't set ASPM for my NVMe (proxmox crashes). If I disable unused NIC I can't login into proxmox (strange one, I know) and PCI bridges don't support ASPM at all. I am at 11 W lowest with 3 NICs and it doesn't change even if I my VMs/CTs.

I understand that there are risks with new BIOS. My version:
Vendor: American Megatrends International, LLC.
Version: ALN4L101
Release Date: 09/27/2023
BIOS Revision: 5.26

 

[metlrise]

It seems its nvme pcie 3.0x4 because DD for Samsung 970 pro shows 2.7GB/s which is over 1,8GB/s (2 lanes cap)

I believe that bios version has a lot with ram compatibility - I remember with my PC on Z790 bios updates regarding memory compatibility

About 9 pcie lanes, Yes, thats interesting how they managed that.

Does anyone have datasheet/manual for this 2 port versuon? There are a lot of connectors/pins and would be great to know what extra I have got on board...

Soon I Will back with better Ssd and more details

Ask and you shall receive.......... the user manual for x86-P5 aka CW-X86-P5 aka CW-ADLNT-1C2L, useful especially for pin-outs and jumpers


CW-X86-P5-Chinese.pdf - original pdf file


CW-X86-P5-English.pdf - translated from Chinese to English with Google Translate


uploaded to gofile because the forum doesn't accept large files

Gofile - Cloud Storage Made Simple

Secure, fast and free cloud storage solution. Upload and share files instantly.

gofile.io

 

[SanFable]

Ask and you shall receive.......... the user manual for x86-P5 aka CW-X86-P5 aka CW-ADLNT-1C2L, useful especially for pin-outs and jumpers


CW-X86-P5-Chinese.pdf - original pdf file


CW-X86-P5-English.pdf - translated from Chinese to English with Google Translate


uploaded to gofile because the forum doesn't accept large files

Gofile - Cloud Storage Made Simple

Secure, fast and free cloud storage solution. Upload and share files instantly.

gofile.io

Wooo, thank you,

I realised that now I have version 2, CW-X86-P5-V2-N100. I have asked on cwwk, we will see if i receive something.

It looks like v1 has pci-e x2, mine got x4

 

[mcaptur]

My file only contains the bios region. Might help to flash with “fpt -bios” to force it to this region, updated my post with this.

At this point we can be sure the code at BK-1264NP-4L-45Gxxxxxx is a board unique serial nr so look at the first part to match it.

I backed up my bios as described.. But an FC with yours shows some diffeneces.. Here is backup of my bios https://file.io/8sMoJRvQmtXn
can you check if it is same please?

 

[thys]

what I do notice is missing now seems to be Advanced - Power and Performance, which I believe are the key settings for power tuning

Wow and further to this. I did set some acpi settings but of course no access to set power and performance / PL1, PL2 but with this new bios I’ve instantly seen a drop to 7w - 9w power consumption measured at the smart wall plug (down from 15w - 19w)

Here is a new version with also Power and Performance menu unlocked. I have not been able to flash this one myself yet but it should be good if the other mod worked for you

I backed up my bios as described.. But an FC with yours shows some diffeneces.. Here is backup of my bios https://file.io/8sMoJRvQmtXn
can you check if it is same please?

I think this is as to be expected somehow as the other users who tried this also had a diff. I do not know why it is there...

 

[davesc63]

Hey all,

I may the complete wrong idea here…

I have a WooYi store variant (BK-1264NP) with 32Gb Corsair and a 500Gb crucial P3 plus

proxmox 8.1.3 with:
- opnsense
- Ubuntu 23.10
- home assistant OS

when I xrdp into the Ubuntu vm it is horribly slow. Can’t stream YouTube’s unless you can put up with slow, choppy video.

I have tried nomachine which is slightly better but still does not feel anywhere near a native desktop experience.

I built a win11 VM with igpu pass through, 4 cores (host) and it’s a painful experience to attempt rdp. The n100 also loads right up in cpu use and heat.

this is all on a home LAN (1Gbps) and I have 2.5gbe coming but I’m not expecting an improvement.

was I wrong in thinking I could use the n100 as a remote host?

my use case:
I use a Mac for work. I got rid of my personal NUC. Sometimes I may want / need a windows machine. I may also want to visit personal sites. The n100 hosts my home stuff like HA and opnsense and I was hoping that if I need a personal desktop experience I could easily remote into Ubuntu or win11.

The n100 sits in a cabinet running headless too, so I can’t plug into the hdmi ports for physical access. The whole idea was to keep this remote in the “IT equipment cabinet”

So back to this.
was I expecting too much that this device could run a win11 desktop and I would be able to rdp into it expecting a a great virtual desktop experience?

 

[Stovar]

Hi did anyone by chance figure a way of stopping that annoying bios start up beep when there is no option in the bios menu to switch it off?

Its for an Cwwk V5 N5105 model, not tried any bios updates but I believe many N100/N305 versions have the option in bios to switch it off.

 

[denovare]

Great post. Please do let us know if the M2 NVME slot is indeed pci-e 3.0 x4 (theoretical max throughput of 4.0GB/sec, or 1.0GB per lane) if you have a chance to test with a faster drive capable of >2.0GB/sec. Not sure how that allocation works if the cpu is capped at 9 lanes and the board has all the other I/o (2 usb3.0, 2 hdmi, 2 2.5gbit nics).

Mine keeps crashing every few days or so after a repaste with 32gb crucial ram and 2tb 850x. No idea what’s causing the crashes so will try a memtest and other nvme drive. My bios is also an older version so will check with cwwk to see if I can get the newer one and if there is a changelog.

Did you find out what the problem was? Have one on the way myself ordered some Corsair vengeance 32gb and a Lexar nvme. Curious to see if it works.

 

[ted5123]

Did you find out what the problem was? Have one on the way myself ordered some Corsair vengeance 32gb and a Lexar nvme. Curious to see if it works.

Not sure, but my suspicion is that it might just be an incompatibility with ESXI 8.0 so I might just try running proxmox or ubuntu server bare metal. Ran memtest86 and no issues.

Also noticed that the big 4 port versions let you plug in a asus TPM module directly, but this 2 port x86-p5 version looks to require soldering if you want to go that route (since the built-in TPM doesn't support ESXI or Windows 11 natively).

 

[Stephnugs]

So I've officially entered the rabbit hole of home lab/DIY home networking, and I keep second guessing myself in regards to what hardware I should get for my new router/firewall.

I was originally going to use PFSense paired with a Protectli Vault, but after a decent amount of searching around I discovered that OPNSense seems to be the logical decision amongst the community.

I did some contracting work years ago for an MSP, by the way I'm in the US, who utilized Protectli devices running PFSense. So I was thinking about getting a Protectli device, but realized they are overpriced and not worth the cost.

Then I did some searching around and found ServeTheHome's video for the Topton's N305 Variant. This model looks really solid. The most appealing part of this device is the fact that its fanless, and I don't have to worry about years of dust accumulating internally or more moving parts that can fail.

I plan on using this router for a very simple firewall/router. I currently have a DOCSIS provider, I get 300mbps down/20 up. However, I plan on upgrading to 1gbps down/50up soon. I don't have a need for VPN, but Wireguard would be a nice feature to have if I ever want to use it. I also want the ability to monitor traffic per IP/MAC Address if that's possible, for example I want to log exactly what device is pulling how many mbps at a given date/time, if that's possible more info would be greatly appreciated. Money isn't really a factor, I just want to be smart with my purchase. For example, I don't want to spend $500 if I don't have too. I'm also not interested in the officially supported DECXXX overpriced product line. I understand that these devices have official support, but I cant justify that kind of price tag for the included hardware, especially for a home network as simple as mine.

I know STH's video is a little bit dated as this point, wanted to see if anyone had any others recommendations for a fanless mini PC with an N305 CPU it, with at least four I226-V's 2.5gbit NIC's in it. Also please let me know any tips that I should do for example re-pasting or buying a new power adapter, any feedback from you guys would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and Happy New Year!

 

[AnthonyUK]

....I know STH's video is a little bit dated as this point, wanted to see if anyone had any others recommendations for a fanless mini PC with an N305 CPU it, with at least four I226-V's 2.5gbit NIC's in it. Also please let me know any tips that I should do for example re-pasting or buying a new power adapter, any feedback from you guys would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and Happy New Year!

The N305 is a good choice if you want to run your router as a VM (and some other VM/CMs) or need the CPU power for intensive plugins.
For baremetal it will be way overpowered and use a bit more energy but give some room for expansion.

An N100 is running my 1gbit up/down connection in Proxmox with just 2 cores/4Gb assigned and CPU sits under 10% so if it was me I would buy two suitable devices for redundancy. I'm using my previous J4125 as a cold spare.

 

[Stephnugs]

The N305 is a good choice if you want to run your router as a VM (and some other VM/CMs) or need the CPU power for intensive plugins.
For baremetal it will be way overpowered and use a bit more energy but give some room for expansion.

An N100 is running my 1gbit up/down connection in Proxmox with just 2 cores/4Gb assigned and CPU sits under 10% so if it was me I would buy two suitable devices for redundancy. I'm using my previous J4125 as a cold spare.

Thanks for the tips! Yeah I’m definitely going to run it bare metal I personally don’t think it’s a good idea for a router to be virtualized I want dedicated hardware for my router. But to each their own.

Honestly just wanted the N305 to future proof the machine incase plugins and OPNSense becomes more CPU intensive as time progresses.

You think the N305 will be too much? Should I get a third party power adapter for the N100/N3505 units, if so which one (I’m in USA)?

Also while we’re here, if I don’t plan on needing a lot of firewall features. What you think is a better option OPNSense or OpenWRT?

Thanks for sharing!

 

[AnthonyUK]

I think the N305 is too much unless you want to use some intensive plugins for IDS for example but that being said is not so power hungry to be an unreasonable choice.

There's not so much known about the long term reliability of these devices or the PSUs yet but worth considering.
I use a small DC UPS for mine which covers the ISPs ONT and the N100 box for approx. 4 hrs.

 

[iball]

So I've officially entered the rabbit hole of home lab/DIY home networking, and I keep second guessing myself in regards to what hardware I should get for my new router/firewall.

I was originally going to use PFSense paired with a Protectli Vault, but after a decent amount of searching around I discovered that OPNSense seems to be the logical decision amongst the community.

I did some contracting work years ago for an MSP, by the way I'm in the US, who utilized Protectli devices running PFSense. So I was thinking about getting a Protectli device, but realized they are overpriced and not worth the cost.

Then I did some searching around and found ServeTheHome's video for the Topton's N305 Variant. This model looks really solid. The most appealing part of this device is the fact that its fanless, and I don't have to worry about years of dust accumulating internally or more moving parts that can fail.

I plan on using this router for a very simple firewall/router. I currently have a DOCSIS provider, I get 300mbps down/20 up. However, I plan on upgrading to 1gbps down/50up soon. I don't have a need for VPN, but Wireguard would be a nice feature to have if I ever want to use it. I also want the ability to monitor traffic per IP/MAC Address if that's possible, for example I want to log exactly what device is pulling how many mbps at a given date/time, if that's possible more info would be greatly appreciated. Money isn't really a factor, I just want to be smart with my purchase. For example, I don't want to spend $500 if I don't have too. I'm also not interested in the officially supported DECXXX overpriced product line. I understand that these devices have official support, but I cant justify that kind of price tag for the included hardware, especially for a home network as simple as mine.

I know STH's video is a little bit dated as this point, wanted to see if anyone had any others recommendations for a fanless mini PC with an N305 CPU it, with at least four I226-V's 2.5gbit NIC's in it. Also please let me know any tips that I should do for example re-pasting or buying a new power adapter, any feedback from you guys would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and Happy New Year!

I'm running the CWWK version of what Patrick reviewed. 1TB NVME drive and 32GB RAM.
It's running Proxmox VE baremetal with OPNsense as a VM and the WAN/LAN ports passed through directly to it.
Then I'm running Home Assistant OS (HAOS) VM on it as well as a LXC container that does nothing but run various Docker containers, about 25 of them.
Right now it's only using 8.5% CPU and 48% RAM and CPU idles at ~30C, 52C on the NVME drive.
Had it for almost two months now and it's been rock solid for me.
Got it off Amazon when it was $286 barebones during a sale and used RAM and an NVME drive I already had on-hand.

 

[mrmr256]

Hi everyone,

I also own a topton N100/N5105 with the intel i226 ethernet ports. I originally bought it in September last year but am now getting around to actually configure and use. At the time I first bought it, it powered on and it worked fine and booted off the m.2 nvme drive. I plan on formatting and install an updated version of pfsense. When I turned it on this morning the unit will stay on for about five seconds and then shut off. I am able to get into UEFI/BIOS but the hardware just turns off - no light at the power switch. I do not believe it is RAM or NVME - unfortunately this model is DDR5, and I do not have a spare DDR5 sodimm to test. I did remove the motherboard out of the case to see if its shorting but it still cuts power. I believe it is the power supply.

Has anyone had similar issues? I recall in STH videos on these firewall appliances that he recommends switching out the included power adapter.

What is an equivalent power supply i can use? Can I use a laptop power adapter with the correct power connection/polarity since it is a generic barrel connection?

Thank you for any help/advice.

 

[AnthonyUK]

What is an equivalent power supply i can use? Can I use a laptop power adapter with the correct power connection/polarity since it is a generic barrel connection?

I'm not sure how sensitive these are to voltage but the supplied one is 12v. You can try powering it using the green screw terminals (top left on your image) to test with a high current 12V supply if you have one.

 

[denovare]

Not sure, but my suspicion is that it might just be an incompatibility with ESXI 8.0 so I might just try running proxmox or ubuntu server bare metal. Ran memtest86 and no issues.

Also noticed that the big 4 port versions let you plug in a asus TPM module directly, but this 2 port x86-p5 version looks to require soldering if you want to go that route (since the built-in TPM doesn't support ESXI or Windows 11 natively).

Thanks! Happy to find out if my configuration works, but it will be just bare metal Opnsense + zenarmor.

 

[m8kbv]

Just wanted to elaborate on this post as I'm getting quite a few DM's with questions.

First of all, make 10000% sure you have the same board!!! All these board are a lot alike but you need the same original BIOS for this to work.

Indicators to check:

In BIOS
Project Version BK-1264NP Ver 1.5
Build Date 09/28/2023 17:23:35
Version 2.22.1287

View attachment 33404View attachment 33405

The board has two simcard slots and on the backside is a sticker BK-1264NP-4L-45G********

View attachment 33402View attachment 33403

To flash it you can use the ISO from another BIOS and replace the BIN file with this one.
The CWWK ISO for N100 for example

Download the ISO
Extract it to a USB drive with Rufus or BalenaEtcher
Replace the file CW-N100-V2-5M2-230927.bin with the bios.rom from my link
Make sure the replaced file is also named CW-N100-V2-5M2-230927.bin
Edit the file 1.nsh and add -bios to the fpt line
Boot from the USB

Here is a link to the original extracted BIOS from this board (without any modifications)

Be careful and make 10000% sure you have the same board. I hate to see anyone brick their device!!!

At my place after flashing is not colorful....
The computer after turning on has a black image for a minute, then I have 3x boot sound (beep) and it boots.
But....ur booting the system from usb is only from usb 2.0 ports.
The worst:
In windows I ubuntu I can't see my network cards (i226)

Is there an option in bios to enable/disable network cards? I searched all the options and I don't see the possibility to disable lan. On the other hand, I want to enable them.
edit: once in a while the nvme drive is invisible. i am sad

 

[alaricljs]

Win 10 22H2 doesn't include i226-v drivers... Maybe your Ubuntu version doesn't?

 

[Stephnugs]

I think the N305 is too much unless you want to use some intensive plugins for IDS for example but that being said is not so power hungry to be an unreasonable choice.

There's not so much known about the long term reliability of these devices or the PSUs yet but worth considering.
I use a small DC UPS for mine which covers the ISPs ONT and the N100 box for approx. 4 hrs.

Nice setup man, glad its been working out so far. You have a recommendation for a power adapter I can get over in the states?

I'm running the CWWK version of what Patrick reviewed. 1TB NVME drive and 32GB RAM.
It's running Proxmox VE baremetal with OPNsense as a VM and the WAN/LAN ports passed through directly to it.
Then I'm running Home Assistant OS (HAOS) VM on it as well as a LXC container that does nothing but run various Docker containers, about 25 of them.
Right now it's only using 8.5% CPU and 48% RAM and CPU idles at ~30C, 52C on the NVME drive.
Had it for almost two months now and it's been rock solid for me.
Got it off Amazon when it was $286 barebones during a sale and used RAM and an NVME drive I already had on-hand.

Very nice, I'm going to definitely need to buy one.