[REPORT] OpenWrt on Check Point PB-10

Check Point PB-10 is a six-port x64 Gigabit device:

PB-10 is actually a marketing designation; Check Point sold two slightly different models (3100 and 3200) under that designation. The 3100 had an Atom D525 processor; the 3200, an Atom C2558. I recently spent some time with the 3200 model.

First, since we have an Atom C2xxx processor on hand, let's address the AVR54 status. To remind, AVR54 was a defect in Atom C2xxx processors stepping B0; it causes the system clock to degrade over time. Once degradation reaches a certain threshold, the device no longer boots. The problem didn't become apparent right away, so Intel addressed it only in 2016, after about three years of manufacturing affected processors, by putting out a revised stepping C0. So devices manufactured prior to 2017 are likely to be affected, while devices manufactured in 2018 or later are likely to have an unaffected processor (2017 was the transition year, so it could go either way). Check Point doesn't put manufacturing date on the label, but they do have serial numbers that seem to begin with a two-digit manufacturing year. My device has a serial number beginning with 18, and lo and behold, it has a C0 processor.

Internally, the device is a rather mundane x64 unit:

The processor, as I already mentioned, is an Intel Atom C2558 (quad-code, 2.40 GHz). Stock RAM is a single 8 GB DDR3 module (the photo above has two 4 GB modules instead). Stock storage is a 320 GB HGST hard drive, which is trivially easy to replace with a 2.5" SATA SSD. Note that the hard drive is grounded (there's a green grounding wire), so be careful when taking out the drive mount or simply disconnect the grounding wire from the system board before removing the drive mount.

Since I already had a 2.5" SATA SSD with OpenWrt written onto it, I simply swapped it in, and that was it. The device booted into OpenWrt with no questions asked. In case you want to do something more involved, here's some additional information. The default console speed is 9600 bps, but you can change it in BIOS (I changed it to OpenWrt's default, 115200). BIOS has a factory password, but it has leaked out some time ago (Ramon107). By default, the device boots in legacy mode, but UEFI setting is available in BIOS.

I've come across some information suggesting that BIOS password could be deactivated altogether by shorting two pins on the JP2 jumper while the device is turned off, but I did not test this (to repeat, don't short anything if the device is turned on, turn it off and, just in case, disconnect the power supply first). This said, here's the location of the JP2 jumper in case someone wants to try this:

Networking consists of four Intel i354 controllers (ports numbered 1 through 4 on the case) and two Intel i211 controllers (ports labeled 5 and MGMT on the case). The order of port detection by OpenWrt is straightforward left-to-right: port 1 is eth0, port 2 is eth1, etc. (port labeled MGMT is eth5).

The device is actively cooled; there's a single 40-mm fan in the back. The fan sound is quiet and bassy (as opposed to whiny).

Overall, this appears to be a workhorse legacy device well suited to working under OpenWrt.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I tried it. Didn't work for me, though it did reset BIOS to defaults (including setting the system clock to 2001 and console speed to 9600).

In the loosely related good news department, the password can be removed from inside BIOS (Security >> Administrator password). You will be asked to enter the current password (which you know from the previous post), then, to enter a new password. Instead of entering a new password, simply hit Enter. BIOS will ask you whether you want to remove the current password; confirm by hitting Enter again.

Oh, and BIOS access keys are Tab and Del (tried both, both worked).