Dell VEP/VMWare Edge/Velo Cloud SD-WAN/VeraCloud VEP1400/VEP1400-X firewall units

[ast3citos]

After I flashed the BIOS linked here, it started to occasionally produce some garbage on the console

For me it worked... Did you flash ALL three firmwares (BIOS, PIC, CPLD and secondary BIOS)? Flashing only parts (like only BIOS) can lead to instability.

 

[bearcat]

Is it possible to go to original BIOS on 620 model?

After I flashed the BIOS linked here, it started to occasionally produce some garbage on the console, leading to me not being able to proceed with the Dell's esxi installer once the grey screens come up. I want to try if it had worked with the original BIOS.

Like this is an example of what I'm talking about:

11, 32, 15, 00068001, 19, 00068000,





BIOS Boot Selector for VEP1400-X

Version 3.50.0.9-20





POST Configuration

  CPU Signature 506F1

  CPU FamilyID=6, Model=5F, SteppingId=1, Processor=0

  Microcode Revision 38

  Platform ID: 0x0

  PMG_CST_CFG_CTL: 0x37

  Misc EN: 0x840089

  Gen PM ConA: 0xA0800200

  Therm Status: 0x8000000

  POST Control=0xEA800301, Status=0xE604DF00



BIOS initializations...



CPGC Memtest Channel 0 ...................... PASS



POST:

  RTC Battery OK at last cold boot

  RTC date 7/15/2024 23:02:51



POST SPD test ............................... PASS



POST Lower DRAM Memory test ............. START

POST ECC Test ............................... PASS



....  Perf cnt (curr,fixed): 0x278104A10,0x6CA2CCC5C



POST Lower DRAM Memory test ................. PASS

POST Lower DRAM ECC check ................... PASS

37, 00068003, 4F, 3B, 00068002, 60, DXE_CORE_STARTED (03041000)

61, 9A, 02020000, 62, 78, 68, 69, 00068005, 6A, 70, 00068008, 71, 79, 03058001, 90,

DXE_BDS_STARTED (03041001), 92,

PciBusStart(02010000): 93, 94, 02011000, 93, 94, 02011000, 93, 94, 02011000, 94, 02011000, 94, 02011000, 94, 02011000, 95, 96, 91, 92,

PciBusStart(02010000): 97,

Or screenshot for clarity: View attachment 38016

Alternatively, if anyone was able to install esxi on MMC with the `vep1400x_ufw_2.5` BIOS, how did you do it?

Thanks!

No, ESXi doesn't support eMMC

 

[bearcat]

I see similar 'garbage' on boot. Exactly how does this interfere with the ESXi install? There's lots of old firmware on Dell's website if you can find the right search terms. Do you have an ESXi key? Even if you have a free key, it's feature-limited. USB passthrough works, but no SR-IOV.

Since ESXi 7, IO-SRV doesn't support Intel 1G(i350), but it works on X553(both 1G and 10G)
I believe that this is a driver limitation on VMWare

 

[Mo_Kai]

@ast3citos
Going into the Dell Diagnostics OS, which I guess is Debian, I managed to tweak the fan speed with fantool...

fantool --set --fan=<fan_number> --speed=<desired_speed>

I tried changing the fan speed to ~ 2000 rpm using the fantool or SMBus control but it reverts back to 6500 rpm on reboot. Is there a way to make the changes permanent ?

 

[cesmith9999]

I just put the command in startup on my server.

Chris

 

[ast3citos]

@ast3citos
Going into the Dell Diagnostics OS, which I guess is Debian, I managed to tweak the fan speed with fantool...

fantool --set --fan=<fan_number> --speed=<desired_speed>

I tried changing the fan speed to ~ 2000 rpm using the fantool or SMBus control but it reverts back to 6500 rpm on reboot. Is there a way to make the changes permanent ?

Have a look at this other post where I explored the possibility of managing fan speed via i2c commands.

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/dell-vep-vmware-edge-velo-cloud-sd-wan-veracloud-vep1400-vep1400-x-firewall-units.39392/post-434367

 

[Mo_Kai]

Have a look at this other post where I explored the possibility of managing fan speed via i2c commands.

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/dell-vep-vmware-edge-velo-cloud-sd-wan-veracloud-vep1400-vep1400-x-firewall-units.39392/post-434367

I did that, first enabled DUTYC bit and then used the command to set the fans to minimum speed, but it doesn't hold ( writes?) the values as the fans come back blowing on medium speed upon reboot.
I am not running any server of some kind, just to be clear, only opnsense firewall on bare metal.

 

[ast3citos]

How did you enable DUTYC and everything on opnsense?? i2c is not working for me on opnsense, and i cannot tweak fan speed on a velocloud 680.

I guess you can try and set it at boot as @cesmith9999 told ya.

 

[Mo_Kai]

I did it on DiagOs, hence the question. I have misunderstood the whole thing so to see, I thought it could permanently modify the controller values somewhere.
Oh well, I'll go with two fan speed controllers from aliexpress then.

 

[ast3citos]

I couldn't bear the noise as it is in my living room and the 680 is LOUD... I'm still working on getting the thing managed under opnsense and others, but in the meantime, I swapped for 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX.

These have 3pin (12v,GND,RPM) standard fan molex connectors which do not match the device connector (JST 3pin 1.25mm pitch). I couldn't find an adapter so I had to buy the cables on chinese online marketplaces (am I allowed to post affiliate o non-affiliate links??). I cut the Noctuas connector and soldered the JST. Not too difficult.

Sound levels are now acceptable but temps haven risen a bit from around 50ºC to around 60ºC. I don't know if that would be too hot for that CPU.

 

[Mo_Kai]

I put two fan controllers from Ali with temperature sensors (thermistors) inside. I too had to get the JST SH connectors from a local electronics store, luckily they were sold as set of male and female. It has been now a week and must say that is running great. The excessive fan noise is gone and Opnsense shows 47 - 51C degrees.

 

[ast3citos]

I’m thinking of modding the case on the top side and putting a big Noctua with a grill… Can you share a picture or two of your mod?

 

[nmpu]

I couldn't bear the noise as it is in my living room and the 680 is LOUD... I'm still working on getting the thing managed under opnsense and others, but in the meantime, I swapped for 2x Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX.

These have 3pin (12v,GND,RPM) standard fan molex connectors which do not match the device connector (JST 3pin 1.25mm pitch). I couldn't find an adapter so I had to buy the cables on chinese online marketplaces (am I allowed to post affiliate o non-affiliate links??). I cut the Noctuas connector and soldered the JST. Not too difficult.

Sound levels are now acceptable but temps haven risen a bit from around 50ºC to around 60ºC. I don't know if that would be too hot for that CPU.

As long as you're non-commercial, it's OK to post links. Sometimes I just post a photo of the item and let Google Lens do the rest. Most direct links will eventually break.

 

[Mo_Kai]

I’m thinking of modding the case on the top side and putting a big Noctua with a grill… Can you share a picture or two of your mod?

Don't ! It would be a shame to ruin it. It is very easy once you get the two fan controllers ( ~ 6-8 eur. ) and a soldering iron. I'm not at home at the moment but I shall post some foto's later this evening for sure.

 

[Mo_Kai]

here is a one_drive share link. I couldn't upload the photos here because of the size restrictions.
Those two small pcb's are fixed with two layers of 1 mm thick double sided tape to avoid contact with motherboard. Thermistors are fixed with clips

vep140x

 

[stangri]

For me it worked... Did you flash ALL three firmwares (BIOS, PIC, CPLD and secondary BIOS)? Flashing only parts (like only BIOS) can lead to instability.

Sorry for late reply, never got a notification. Uhm, I can't recall what exactly I flashed now, I'm pretty certain it was just one file (vep1400x_ufw_2.5) tho. Did I miss a message about flashing more bits (BIOS, PIC, CPLD and secondary BIOS)? Is it in this thread somewhere?

I see similar 'garbage' on boot. Exactly how does this interfere with the ESXi install?

Oh, I was under impression that I have successfully installed esxi over serial before and that garbage output was screwing me over and making serial install flash UI when esxi installer booted up, but then I've realized I have previously only installed via iLo remote console, not serial.

I do have pre-7.0 keys, if anyone has sucessfully installed esxi or proxmox and can share modified ISO (or just answers.toml for white 620 model for proxmox), I'd be much obliged.

 

[nmpu]

I do have pre-7.0 keys, if anyone has sucessfully installed esxi or proxmox and can share modified ISO (or just answers.toml for white 620 model for proxmox), I'd be much obliged.

I have ESXi installed over serial on a 640. I used the Dell install. I also have another 680 with Proxmox installed, but it's on an NVMe drive installed where the Wi-Fi module was. I installed Proxmox with the NVMe in a desktop PC. It seems like you should be able to do something similar (USB flash drive?) and then copy the disk image to the SATA drive. The SATA drive could also be temporarily removed, but that's a major project requiring complete disassembly and repaste for the CPU.

 

[Ettore39]

Sorry about my English
Anyone have installed routerOS ver 7 or 6 on Dell Edge 620?
And i have a problem (image)
Please give me a recomment for BIOS setting or anything. Thanks !!!

 

[stangri]

For me it worked... Did you flash ALL three firmwares (BIOS, PIC, CPLD and secondary BIOS)? Flashing only parts (like only BIOS) can lead to instability.

Yeah, I went back into DiagOS and tried both the firmware mentioned on the first page of this discussion (ufw 2.2 with BIOS 3.48.0.9-19) and a newer firmware (ufw 2.5 with BIOS 3.48.0.9-20).

Went thru the proper procedure of running the update once, waiting for it to reboot in bootmode and running it again to update all the components, I'm still getting garbage in terminal, which I wasn't getting with the original firmware, so I'm at loss.

 

[nmpu]

Went thru the proper procedure of running the update once, waiting for it to reboot in bootmode and running it again to update all the components, I'm still getting garbage in terminal, which I wasn't getting with the original firmware, so I'm at loss.

As I replied earlier, I see the same 'garbage' during boot. It's weird, but benign. The ESXi install I used is

VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0.0.update03-21930508.x86_64-Dell_Customized-A15.iso

If you don't have this file, then send me a PM. I can no longer find it on the Dell website.

I think Proxmox is a better long-term solution. Can you install Proxmox to a USB drive using another PC? You could then insert the USB drive into your 620 and see if you can boot Proxmox. Final step would be figuring out how to copy the USB image to the SATA drive. If I ever get my plate clear, I'll try it myself and document the process.

If your 620 has Wi-Fi which you're not using, then I highly recommend swapping for an NVMe drive. You'll need this adapter. Make sure that you insulate the underside of the center strip. A simple piece of tape will do. I used heatshrink. Use the most basic NVMe drive you can find. I've been running a Samsung 980 for a little over a year. The Wi-Fi card is easy to get to. Just remove the 4 corner screws and slide off the plastic lid. You can use a PC to install whatever you want on the NVMe drive and then transplant to the 620.