BMC firmware update for Netgate® 8300 security gateways.

Netgate, a leader in secure networking solutions, today announced the release of a firmware update for all Netgate 8300 systems. This is a non-security update of the Netgate 8300’s BMC firmware that provides minor bug fixes and non-critical improvements to system functionality. Customers running the previous firmware, version number 03.54.23.000910, are encouraged to update to this new release. Please note, customers whose systems were shipped by Netgate before 9/18/2024 should review. Systems shipped on or after 9/18/2024 have been updated to the current firmware release.

Firmware Release Notes

Current firmware version 03.54.23.001101
Outdated firmware version 03.54.23.000910

Fixed BMC FW Health sensor:
In the previous firmware release, the “BMC health sensor” was not properly connected to the “CPU Thrm Trip” (thermal trip) sensor, causing the health sensor to trigger a false alarm. Users would see a yellow warning for the health sensor on the BMC GUI dashboard.

Although the BMC health sensor incorrectly showed a warning message about CPU thermal limits, the CPU Thrm Trip sensor always worked correctly. If a CPU thermal event had occurred, the event would have been logged, the CPU would have powered off, and the user would have been notified of the fault condition.

The connection issue with the BMC health sensor has been fixed, and the false warning message eliminated.

Fixed chassis intrusion detection event capture:
Multiple intrusion events were not captured in previous BMC firmware if the system was not power cycled after rearming the intrusion switch. Only the first intrusion event was captured, but subsequent events were missed.

Now, all intrusion events are captured after the first event.

Removed “FRU” web page:
FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) reporting is a BMC feature not currently available on the Netgate 8300. Because the 8300 BMC firmware was developed in parallel with other systems, the FRU web page was accidentally left in the previous BMC firmware (03.54.23.000910). Users may have encountered a non-functional FRU menu and web GUI page.

The FRU page and menu have been removed from the current Netgate 8300 BMC web GUI to prevent further confusion.

Removed non-existent PCIe riser card sensors:
Removed PCIe riser reporting for two “sensors” that are not present on the Netgate 8300 PCIe riser card but previous firmware was still expecting to see. Users will no longer see these non-functional line items on the GUI dashboard.

Downloading & Installing the Update

Netgate has a detailed BMC firmware update guide available on our Netgate platform documentation website to help explain the installation process.

Customers who have purchased an 8300 directly from Netgate may access firmware updates by logging into their Netgate store account. Customers that purchased an 8300 indirectly should contact their Netgate Partner or reseller. End users that do not have a Netgate store login or relationship with a Netgate partner may open a support ticket with our 24x7 Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Where to report issues

We encourage you to test configurations and functions that are important or unique to your deployments. Please report any errors or concerns regarding this firmware release by opening a support ticket with our 24x7 Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Please include as much information as possible in your reports, such as console error messages, full PHP errors, the system configuration file (sanitized, if necessary), information from the text dump, etc. A full-text dump might contain sensitive information, so be sure to inspect it before posting.

About Netgate

Netgate is dedicated to developing and providing secure networking solutions to businesses, government, and educational institutions around the world. Netgate is the only provider of pfSense® products, which include pfSense Plus and pfSense Community Edition software - the world’s leading open-source firewall, router, and VPN solution. TNSR extends the company’s open-source leadership and expertise into high-performance secure networking – capable of delivering compelling value at a fraction of the cost of proprietary solutions.