LAN interfaces not recognized

[SoNic]

I have bought this mini PC:
https://www.bosgamepc.com/products/bosgame-intel-n100-mini-pc-dual-2.5g-lan-e1?type=feature

The dual LAN is 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port, Realtek RTL8125b

When I start up the fresh install of OPNsense, I can see only the wlan, but none of the LAN.
Are those Realtek chips supported natively?
What I can do to see those Ethernet interfaces?

[meyergru]

You should have looked before you buy. See this, point 6.

Use the forum search for your specific NIC model, but it is not guaranteed to work nicely (or at all).

Another option would be to install Proxmox and use OpnSense virtualized. In that case, see this.

[SoNic]

In Linux (Ubuntu) they worked fine.
It's a sad affair then that OPNsense is not available under Linux

[OPNenthu]

Even in Windows and Linux where Realtek drivers are available, those NICs simply don't have feature parity with Intel.  For example I have a Realtek 2.5GbE as a second NIC on my Windows PC that I thought to try and put into a LAGG group one day.  I learned after some internet searching that the driver doesn't support it.

[meyergru]

In Linux (Ubuntu) they worked fine.
It's a sad affair then that OPNsense is not available under Linux

This. I always regret that Volkswagen does not use Ferrari engines, too...   

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You cannot "port" OPNsense to Linux because the core technologies OPNsense uses are not available on Linux.

There are Linux based firewalls like https://www.ipfire.org/

[SoNic]

Thank you, very useful!

[verfluchten]

The dual LAN is 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port, Realtek RTL8125b

Realtek is always one of the worst choices for a router/firewall, Qualcom being the 2nd worst.
Intel i226 dual cards are now dirt-cheap. Get any i-series Intel from i210 and up, and you will see low CPU utilization and high responsiveness from your appliance.
On aliexpress, i210 are now ballpark of $20 and i226 are ballpark of $30. Realtek cannot compete with that in terms of price/value ratio.

[OPNenthu]

I saw this post from @franco.  Looks like the Realtek drivers can be loaded in OPNsense from the plugins repo now.

https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=43910.msg218950#msg218950

However the problem is you won't have connectivity to reach the repo if you only have Realtek NICs and no other.  I'm not sure how to do this in FreeBSD myself but there are a few options discussed here.  My favorite would be to use the tethered connection from your wireless phone temporarily, or another USB WiFi adapter.

Seems like a bit of a pain, but maybe this helps.