OPNsense 24.1.2_1 very slow on simple config [ Solved - Updated]

[dev4openid]

Hi,
noob here.  I have had to do much reading and watch y/t as I am not an infra person.

I have managed to configure OPNsense 24.1.2_1 and it is up and running

I am running it in bare metal being:
Macmini i5 (2012)
8MB RAM
540 SSD
std eth port
and have additional eth adapter port dongle hanging off DP1.2

The config is such that:
the std eth port is my WAN
the DP1.2 eth is the LAN   (Enabled DHCP Range 192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.250)
no separate MGT port (although I have a USB eth adapter – this will be later)

I have defined a VLAN01 (Range 192.168.10.10 – 192.168.1.100) for untrusted and allowed DHCP on this i/f

I have defined all the MAC addresses of all the devices on the LAN (including eth port 192.168.1.1) So “Deny unknown clients”

I can get clients to plug in and access the Web no problem   BUT…..
I have 1Gb Virgin connection and when I test it I only get max 5Mb/3Mb. 

Obviously, I have a connection but slow!

Any advice to get this to speed?

[dev4openid]

Is there a dump mechanism I can share ?

[meyergru]

Sharing USB and DP over the same USB on older hardware often has the drawback that the usb connection only runs via the USB 2.0 specified lines, thus resulting in USB 2.0 speed. More often than not, the USB hub in the DP monitor split the USB 2.0 capacity between multiple devices. I learned this with a fairly current consumer-grade Lenovo IdeaPad, which has DP 1.4 over USB C, but only USB 2.0 over that connection. I was so lucky as the DP monitor hub was 3.0, so it could use all of the 2.0 speed on my USB/RJ45 adapter. Still, I could not use the 2500, but only 480 MBit/s.

While this is no problem for keyboards and mice, it is for fast ethernet connections and/or storage devices.

You can try which speed goes over the line by just attaching a USB 3.x HDD or a fast USB stick and try which transfer speeds you are getting.

Your MAC has separate USB 3.0 ports, use those with a USB/RJ45 adapter. BTW: You CPU is not the fastest, either.

[dev4openid]

Hi @meyergru,
Thanks for the input.

I have been monitoring the CPU and it never is maxed out – in fact it is sits at 5% idle and spikes at 50%.
My connection is the builtin network 1Gb for WAN and
a dongle off DP1.2 port
I think no USB used?  Also, this is 2012 h/ware, so I avoid USB-A for comms and there is no USB-C

Both the WAN and LAN are reporting 1000baseT in Dashboard so it may be OK. I think unless you have a cli test I could use? 

Also, I ssh into the cli   ifconfig also reports 1000baseT for both

BTW I conducted speed test from Ubuntu w/station and iPhone 15 and similar result, this leads me to there is some config issue.

Any other suggestions? Thanks

[Greg_E]

If you have a USB-ethernet adapter, give it a try for a LAN and see what happens. if things don't get better, I'd start checking cables between the WAN port and your modem to make sure that everything is correct. Does the modem require a crossover cable if connected directly to a computer? Or is a cross over cable already present and both ends don't want it?

If you boot up a linux live disk onto the mini, how is the speed test this way? That would let you know if it was a WAN side issue.

I'm guessing they used an Intel chip for that onboard LAN connection, so I don't think that could be the issue, and even Realtek seems to be fairly well supported on OPNsense (not pfsense) so probably not the issue. I've had no issues from the onboard NIC on my HP T620+ and T740 thin clients with OPNsense, but I'm still testing so maybe not the best source of comment.

[meyergru]

As I said, the display port standard 1.2 itself does not support more than USB 2.0 over a side channel. The full specification speed is only available for video signaling.

The sad truth is that these kinds of adapters may use a USB to Ethernet chip that is designed for USB 3.0, but since the connection limits it to 2.0, you will get abysmal speeds, despite that the converter chips tells you that the RJ45 connection is at 1 Gbps.

Try with a real USB 3.0 to RJ45 adapter  (like one with an RTL8156 chip which can even do 2.5 Gbps) on one of your other, proper USB 3.0 ports and you will get full speed.

[dev4openid]

@meyergru – is seems you are right and I am rather disappointed, I will have to find another soln.
Thanks

[dev4openid]

Hi all,

well, it turns out the Macmini 2012 run OPNSense beautifully.  In the interim, I repurposed a PC with 2 eth ports and got it working. Now I have to get the VLANs sorted.

Good news is; moved it back to the Macmini and it is fine. Both eth ports as described are working at 1 Gb.

However the internet is slow from either Macmini or PC.  It turn out when testing with speedtest: it depends which server is attached to by speedtest. i.e when connecting to server in the next town I get up to 850Mb, whereas is I connect to server in another town adjacent I crawl at 5Mb max.    There is obviously a problem somewhere in the network as provided by my ISP