EXPIRED Edge 610 (Dell VEP1400) - Dual Core Intel, 6x1GbE, 2x1GbSFP+ $100 (eBay)

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oneplane

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Seems to be 3 left: DELL E42W EMC VMWARE SD-WAN EDGE 610 NETWORK SWITCH | eBay All gone

They are just standard PCs with a bunch of Intel NICs in them. Pretty nice for $100.

As far as I can tell they are all based on the same platform for the 10G SFP version we'd need the Edge 640. While not listed explicitly, they usually have some C3000 variant for a CPU. Older (5x0) models had a C2000 CPU.

(this document says the 620 has 10G SFP but this document says it doesn't: Dell EMC SD-WAN Edge 600 Series Installation Guide | Dell Canada )

It appears the Dell VEP / VMWare Edge / Velo Cloud SD-WAN / VeraCloud SASE are all the same hardware, and more are coming on the used market since the software support from $random_big_co has stalled.

Edit: someone seems to have a 32GB + 8-Core variant for some reason: VMware SD-WAN Edge 640, 32GB RAM, 8 core CPU, 120GB SSD | eBay not sure what you'd do with that. Virtualise two firewalls? Maybe run OpenWRT, VyOS and OpnSense on one box and give them 'real' interfaces? But it's the same small box with the same small power requirements, so that's neat.
 
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Bjorn Smith

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What can these be used for?
thanks
Routers/firewalls.
The 610 is the smallest of the bunch and "only" have 1gbps network, but a nice little firewall - my guess is that its the Atom C3338 thats inside, since its only two cores.

I have a atom C3338 thats running my pfsense, and it handles 1gbps internet perfectly - although I am only using basic features - no inspections or anything.
 
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Cruzader

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im somewhat tempted just because they fit side by side in rack and have vmware logo.
as for actualy needing them for something however.
 
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oneplane

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Yeah, they are quite nice for software network appliances. The lower end models are not bad, just a bit of a bummer with the lack of 10Gb SFP+ and instead of a mSATA SSD it has an eMMC drive. They do have SO-DIMM expansion, but I imagine that on the lowest models they might not even solder on the socket.

They also have a ton of extra internal I/O (GPIO, LPC, SMBus headers), besides the CPU/SoC there is a CPLD and a PIC microcontroller, it's pretty wild what they stuff in this line of edge appliances. In the LTE versions they have miniPCIe, mSATA, SO-DIMM, 10Gb (2x) and each interface is an actual real interface so no internal VLAN tunnelling either (so no cut down MTU). It's all Intel hardware too if that's your thing (instead of Marvell/Realtek). One of the nice things for example is that the Dell DIAG-OS (based on Debian) has all the i2c commands to set things like fan/temp settings, but also brownout detection (i.e. if DC drops below 11.5V you can have it reset).

In this small form factor they go up all the way to 16-Core C3000 series SoCs. You could run 8 VMs with 2 cores, 2GB RAM and a dedicated network interface on them if you wanted to :p The usb-serial port also makes management easy, there is no video so all you need is something to knows how to do standard terminal emulation and a USB cable. Also works well with OpnSense, Proxmox, OpenWRT etc. And they come with Bluetooth and WiFi and (some options) with LTE.

As with the china boxes I'm often looking for the ODMs for most of those appliances since that gets you to the 'real' specs, as well as figuring out what other rebranded versions might be out there. The VMWare branded versions tend to go for much less than the Dell branded ones, but they are the same hardware, just a different plastic top shell and different default software.
 
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compuwizz

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Do you have the model numbers to look out for that are the LTE versions with the extra internal upgrade possibilities?

Other than dealing with no video, is it straightforward to install an OS on?
 
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Cruzader

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The VMWare branded versions tend to go for much less than the Dell branded ones, but they are the same hardware, just a different plastic top shell and different default software.
Yeah saw there was quite a bit of the vmware ones going as low as 40$ without adapter.
 
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oneplane

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As long as you don't try to install Windows, it's all pretty straightforward. Some models come with CSM enabled, but unless you are installing an old distribution you should probably disable that.

When you connect the serial port on the back (mini USB B or micro USB B, sometimes hidden behind a screw-on cover which also covers what seems to be a SIM-slot or micro-SD slot) (serial parameters 115200 1N8 IIRC) and power it on you get to see the reset loader and then the UEFI firmware pop up in text mode, you can press DEL or <F2> to enter settings (and there are a ton!). You can also use this to go to the last past and at the bottom you can select a boot override. If you have a USB memory stick prepared with the installer if your choice (i.e. Linux, BSD, be it a server OS, hypervisor or Firewall distribution) you can then use the UEFI boot option to just boot into the installer. Since the installer on UEFI is smart enough to see that you're on a serial console it will automatically default to text mode and you can use it as you'd use any text mode installation. When installing on an SSD you can just wipe the entire thing, when installing to eMMC there is one 'special' partition (something like a write-only TPM partition) that you cannot read, which contain unique cryptographic keys. There are four partitions total: the weird crypto one, two boot partitions and a normal partition you can format for your OS. In Linux they appear as MTD devices.

When booting, both SATA and MTD (and also USB) devices are shown as long as they have an EFI system partition on them and you can boot them as normal.

If you do nothing regarding the CPLD or the PIC controller, the LED on the front stays white/mixed and the NIC LED blink patterns are slow + negotiation (dual LEDs so you can see duplex/speed + activity). You also don't get custom brownout resets but you do get WDT resets out of the box (from the PCH/ICH side). Fan curve also goes to default, which is still pretty quiet.

There is a recessed reset button on the back, but it doesn't behave like a PC reset button, instead it is more like a consumer router reset button. Pressing it once doesn't do anything, pressing it a long time sets a boot-time flag and reboots the device. I think the PIC handles some of it, and it works a bit like an embedded controller so it's always on and listening for the headers/buttons/GPIOs. As for power: as soon as you plug it in, it is on. There is no power-on thing. You can however do a power off from the OS, and that does power down the CPU/PCH/NICS etc. I never really made use of that, except to turn it off before unplugging. I didn't try any power on thing, except unplugging/plugging back in.

It also comes with a UEFI shell built in, so if you have trouble booting you can explore your EFI System partitions on all recognised devices in the shell (it shows you all BLK devices).

As for which versions have what: the linked manuals have some of the specs, but there are some annoying things; the regulatory model ID is identical on all versions, so all boards/BIOS/stickers refer to any of the following: 5x0 for C2000, 6x0 for C3000, VEP1400-X for any Dell-branded C3000, SD-WAN Edge 610 is the lowest model, Edge 680 is the highest. VEP1485 is the highest Dell version, Edge 680 is the highest version for the other models (branded in various ways). The N-suffixed versions have no radios (so no BT or WiFi), but for LTE you need to have a specific different regulatory model, presumably because the radio is different per country. https://dl.dell.com/topicspdf/dell-emc-networking-vep1445-vep1485_release-notes13_en-us.pdf

This guide shows some of the console output: https://dl.dell.com/topics/pdf/virtual-edge-platform-4600-8c_reference-guide_en-us.pdf but some of them refer to the much bigger rack-mount units (Which are also fun but sell for a small fortune and you might as well get a normal server).
 

tasort

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Dec 6, 2022
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Does anyone know what size barrel connector this takes? Center positive? Also is there a keyword to search to find power adapter with plugs that screw together?
 
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oneplane

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They all use the same power supply: 492-BCOJ.
As for the dimensions of the plug: those are one of the few dell standards, so nothing too hard to figure out. (well, except that they don't have public mechanical drawings) The documentation is pretty clear on the power requirements too so if you want to use your own power feed you can find the voltage and amperage in the docs. Dell sells them separately for about $30. Also, the thread is on the outside of the barrel so you can also use a non-threaded one if you like.

If you are looking for a jack to integrate into something completely different: you can find threaded barrel parts on mouser, Farrell, arrow etc. but manufacturers have different names for the parts (locking/threaded/secured) (because, well, who knows :D)
 
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oneplane

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Do you have the model numbers to look out for that are the LTE versions with the extra internal upgrade possibilities?

Other than dealing with no video, is it straightforward to install an OS on?
Turns out some are explicitly listed with an LTE suffix: Dell VMware SD-WAN Edge 610-LTE Switch 6 x 1Gb RJ45, 2 x 1Gb SFP - NOB | eBay they are apparently also doing the 3-antenna thing (GPS, Main and Aux/Diversity mode) with separate connectors which is pretty nice.
 
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j_h_o

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I got an Edge 610 to play with.

My "2C, TPM, N/LTE" does not include the LTE module, but I see a miniPCIe slot is available on the board.

Looks like the default firmware can be restored using the DiagOS download but I haven't tried it.

I connected to the micro USB B console port. Depending on your system you might need drivers from CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers - Silicon Labs , in case that helps anyone.

Sadly, the 492-BCOJ is $30, but shipping is much more. Not sure if anyone found it available somewhere at a reasonable price.
I used a USB C PD 12V trigger like this, and noticed that most of my USB C laptop PSU I have don't handle 12V/5A (only 3A) -- and that a HP USB C power supply does do 12V/5A.

Can I stuff an SSD into an Edge 610 somehow? I'm worried the eMMC will wear out with OPNSense. What kind of SSD do I need to use the WLAN PCIe slot?
 
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oneplane

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I got an Edge 610 to play with.

My "2C, TPM, N/LTE" does not include the LTE module, but I see a miniPCIe slot is available on the board.

Looks like the default firmware can be restored using the DiagOS download but I haven't tried it.

I connected to the micro USB B console port. Depending on your system you might need drivers from CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers - Silicon Labs , in case that helps anyone.

Sadly, the 492-BCOJ is $30, but shipping is much more. Not sure if anyone found it available somewhere at a reasonable price.
I used a USB C PD 12V trigger like this, and noticed that most of my USB C laptop PSU I have don't handle 12V/5A (only 3A) -- and that a HP USB C power supply does do 12V/5A.

Can I stuff an SSD into an Edge 610 somehow? I'm worried the eMMC will wear out with OPNSense. What kind of SSD do I need to use the WLAN PCIe slot?
If you can check, there are 2 slots, one on the top and one on the bottom of the board. A third slot for LTE would be provisioned as well, for a total of 3 slots (well, not in your case of course). There might be a DOM connector too instead of the 1st slot, but that is normally the eMMC connector.

As for what you'd need for the miniPCIe connector: there are special mini PCIe form factor SSDs available, but you can also get a converter: Delock Products 63909 Delock Adapter Mini PCIe > M.2 Key E slot That just lets you use standard M.2 SSDs.

Edit: just to be sure: the two miniPCIe slots are on the 'top' side of the board, the eMMC and mSATA are on the bottom side (so the 'metal' side).

Edit2: you can also get miniPCIE-to-M.2 adapters that use a small board in the miniPCIe slot and a flatflex cable to a second board with the M.2 slot so you have a bit more mounting freedom; can be useful if you want to mount if closer to airflow or away from hot components (or just need the physical space).
 
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j_h_o

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Cool. Thanks for the reply.
  1. I don't see any slots on the bottom/metal side. I'll go look again, but I only saw 2 slots on the top -- a) WLAN, b) LTE, and c) nothing on the bottom. I didn't have a lot of time, so I'll look more carefully for DOM connectors later tonight.
  2. Mini PCIe to m.2: Yeah, like M.2 Key M (NGFF) NVME SSD To Mini PCIe Adapter Card WIN10 With Cable TOS | eBay ? Do you have a link where I can purchase the Delock adapter in the US?
 
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j_h_o

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Yup - confirmed that there's nothing/no slots available on the metal/bottom of the board, and I only have 2 slots on the CPU side: a) WLAN, and b) LTE.

I don't see any DOM connectors.
 
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oneplane

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The eBay adapter you linked will do just fine, so if that's easy to get, go for it!

As for the connectors, did they even omit the SO-DIMM slot on that model? Bunch of bastards! Anyway, if they did add the LTE slot (it's not populated on my models) that would be an easy way to get the storage you want. If for whatever reason they also lock out NVMe booting in the firmware on those models you still have a bunch of options:

- A bootdisk or boot partition on the eMMC can be used to just store GRUB/BTX which will then chainload into the NVMe drive.
- A USB bootdisk if you want to leave the eMMC 'clean'
- A PCIe to SATA card and then use a SATA drive (that would be a bit convoluted, but options are options)

The models I have out in the field are pretty much all HA-pairs (pretty nice with every connection effectively being duplicated) with SATA SSDs and also eMMC (Dell doesn't seem to omit the eMMC on any model, no matter the branding), but a few have a 'fallback' install with a DHCP-everything + VPN phone-home connection setup so in the event of a double-breakdown of storage they can boot into the eMMC and at least get remote control online. I have only had to use that once in the last couple of years but if I can find a way to read health data from the eMMC device it might give you a bit of an idea if running a full OS does anything bad to it.

In reality the firewall distros all have had their features built with RO-storage and overlay filesystems in mind, and even if current versions of OpnSense and pfSense don't really have memcard releases anymore (they used to have specific versions for compact flash!), OpenWRT still does. At the end of the day, an UFS formatted partition and no IPS/IDS with no on-disk log storage will not really wear out storage all that fast.
 

tasort

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Dec 6, 2022
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I just got my Edge 610 today, here's pics of both sides of the board. Mine also only has 2 slots, WLAN ( with supplied card), and LTE (available slot).
Edge610 Top (1).jpgEdge610 Bottom (2).jpg
I'm able to connect over serial using the drivers linked above, change bios settings, and boot from USB.
After being powered on for 5 minutes it always power cycles and reboots itself. Did anyone else see this? Is there something in the bios I need to change?
In OpnSense (live running off USB) I can only see 4 interfaces ix0 thru ix3, all labeled "Intel X553 L (KR Backplane)" and I'm not able to get a link on any of the ports. Anyone have any ideas?
 
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BlueFox

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With that kind of consistency, it likely has a watchdog timer. Might be something you can disable in the BIOS. If not, you're going to have to reset it periodically to prevent the power cycle.
 
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