[SOLVED] I need to install a pcie nic into my Dell Optiplex 780

[ASaltyBunion]

I just bought an intel pro 1000 nic to turn my optiplex 780 into a pfsense server, but whenever I plug the card into the pcie 16x slot, it thinks that it disables the onboard graphics. I have searched online, and I have learned that it automatically disables the onboard graphics when it detects something in the pcie slot. Is there any possible way to get around this and still have onboard video?

the card is an Intel PRO/1000 PT Quad Port PCIe Network Card EXPI9404PTG1P20

 

[rgd1101]

how many pcie slot does the dell have? if there is more than 1. try the other one

 

[ASaltyBunion]

how many pcie slot does the dell have? if there is more than 1. try the other one

There is only one

 

[Juan_Bijero]

There is only one

Any PCI slots?

 

[ASaltyBunion]

Any PCI slots?

This is what the board looks like. But the network card is a pcie

 

[Juan_Bijero]

I would look for a PCI based network card. Either that your find a different motherboard.

 

[SamirD]

I would get a 2-port pci card and another 1 port pci if you want to use the onboard nic. It is strange that it disables it though.

 

[william p]

What's wrong with the onboard NIC? If you loaded Win 10 try manually loading the NIC Drivers by them selves. Sometimes the Win 10 driver don't work

 

[ASaltyBunion]

What's wrong with the onboard NIC? If you loaded Win 10 try manually loading the NIC Drivers by them selves. Sometimes the Win 10 driver don't work

There is only one ethernet port and I need more if I am going to use it with pfsense

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

To clarify some - pfSense requires a minimum of two network ports as it physically separates an internal and external network. Like your router would have a WAN port and 4 internal ports.

ASalty -
I don't have a 780 in hand at the moment, but I can try to track one down and test it. I remember those being a pain when folks installed a second graphics card, the internal card turned off. I believe there were some BIOS revisions that supported the configuration you need, so flash the bios to the latest, then down grade (if you risk) and try some others.

Also, why not give yourself remote access to the pfSense so you can run it headless? My guess is pfSense won't install without a compatible configuration? If it does, add the network card later and ssh into the pfSense box.

 

[ASaltyBunion]

To clarify some - pfSense requires a minimum of two network ports as it physically separates an internal and external network. Like your router would have a WAN port and 4 internal ports.

ASalty -
I don't have a 780 in hand at the moment, but I can try to track one down and test it. I remember those being a pain when folks installed a second graphics card, the internal card turned off. I believe there were some BIOS revisions that supported the configuration you need, so flash the bios to the latest, then down grade (if you risk) and try some others.

Also, why not give yourself remote access to the pfSense so you can run it headless? My guess is pfSense won't install without a compatible configuration? If it does, add the network card later and ssh into the pfSense box.

How would I go about giving myself remote access?

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

ASalty,
I would build the pfSense without the network card. Follow the prompts to enable either web access or SSH and configure all the access details. At that point, power down the pfSense box and install the NIC card. Boot back up and though you may not have video, you can access pfSense through the web interface or by SSHing from a utility like PUTTY or natively on linux.