Sharevdi N3700 Mini PC Firewall Micro Appliance Fanless Mini PC User Guide

June 14, 2024
Sharevdi

Sharevdi N3700 Mini PC Firewall Micro Appliance Fanless Mini PC

Sharevdi-N3700-Mini-PC-Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Fanless-Mini-PC-
product

Product Information

  • Specifications
    • Version: 2.6.0
    • Architecture: AMD64 (64-bit)
    • Console: VGA
    • Installer: USB Memstick Installer
    • Compressed IMG file size: ~418MB

Product Usage Instructions

  • Downloading the Image

    • Go to the pfSensewebsite.
    • Choose the correct options for Version, Architecture, Installer, and Console as mentioned above.
    • Download the compressed IMG file (~418MB) with a filename similar to “pfSense-CE-memstick-2.6.0-RELEASE-amd64.img.gz”.
  • Decompressing the Image

    • Use a program like 7zip or Winzip on Windows to decompress the downloaded file.
    • The resulting file should have the same content, but the file extension will change from .img.gz to .img.
    • Burning the Installation Image to a USB Drive
    • Note: Creating a bootable USB drive will erase all contents of the USB drive.
    • Use software called Rufus on Windows or balenaEtcher on Mac OSX to transfer the installation image to a USB drive.
  • Verifying the BIOS Mode
    Follow the steps below to set UEFI mode:

    • Make sure the device is powered down.
    • Ensure the monitor is connected.
    • Plug in the USB keyboard.
    • Power up the device and press the DEL key to access the BIOS interface.
    • In the BIOS interface, select Advanced > CSM Configuration > Boot option filter > Select UEFI only.
    • Press RETURN and then F4 to save and exit the BIOS.
    • Power off the unit.
  • FAQ

    • Q: What are the recommended options for downloading the image?
    • A: The recommended options are Version: 2.6.0, Architecture: AMD64 (64 bit), Console: VGA, and Installer: USB Memstick Installer.
    • Q: How do I decompress the downloaded image file?
    • A: Use a program like 7zip or Winzip on Windows to decompress the file. The resulting file should have the same content but with a .img extension instead of .img.gz.
    • Q: How can I transfer the installation image to a USB drive?
    • A: You can use software such as Rufus on Windows or balenaEtcher on Mac OSX to create a bootable USB drive with the installation image.
    • Q: How do I set UEFI mode in the BIOS?
    • A: Follow the steps mentioned above to access the BIOS interface and set UEFI mode by selecting Advanced > CSM Configuration > Boot option filter > Select UEFI only.

Obtain the Installation

Obtain the Installation Image and Uncompress it

  • The pfSense® CE installation image (IMG) can be downloaded from https://www.pfsense.org/download/.
  • It is important to choose the correct options when downloading the image including “Version”, “Architecture”, “Installer”, and “Console.”
  • The proper selections are as follows for installing the device using a monitor and a USB Keyboard:
    • Version: The latest available (2.6.0)
    • Architecture: AMD64 (64-bit)
    • Console: VGA (VGA or HDMI monitor = VGA installer)
    • Installer: USB Memstick InstallerSharevdi-N3700-Mini-PC-Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Fanless-Mini-PC-fig-1 \(1\)

Download Page

pfSense® CE Download Page
Your download should begin immediately and when it is completed you should have a compressed IMG file (an example file name is: pfSense-CE-memstick-2.6.0 -RELEASE-amd64.img.gz) downloaded that is ~418MB in size. Now that the compressed image file has been downloaded, you will need to use a program like “7zip” or “WinZip” on Windows to decompress the file. The resulting file should look the same, except that the file name will now end in “.img” instead of “.img.gz”.

Burn the installation image to a USB drive
Note: When creating a bootable USB drive, all contents of said USB drive will be erased. The easiest way to transfer the installation image to a USB drive is by using software called “Rufus” on Windows or “balenaEtcher” on MacOSX.

Verify the BIOS mode

Please follow the steps below to set UEFI mode:

  1. Verify the device is powered down
  2. Verify the monitor is connected
  3. Verify the USB keyboard is plugged in
  4. While powering up the device, press the “DEL” key and verify that it boots to the BIOS interface.
  5. Select “Advanced”==>”CSM Configuration”==>”Boot optionfilter”==>Select “UEFI only”Sharevdi-N3700-Mini-PC-Firewall-Micro-Appliance-Fanless-Mini-PC-fig-1 \(2\)
  6. Press RETURN then “F4” to save and exit the BIOS
  7. Power off the unit

Operating System

Install the pfSense® CE Operating System on the device

  1. Insert the USB installation drive into the USB port on the device While powering up the device, press the “F11” key and verify that it boots to the BIOS boot options screen.

  2. Select the USB drive UEFI partition to boot from if UEFI was configured, else just select the USB drive

  3. Verify the device boots and begins the installation process

  4. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to install pfSense®CE: When Selecting ZFS install, press the space bar to select the target drive you wish to install. Then enter to proceed

References

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)  >>

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>

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