Basic TrueNAS network routing/switch

[Scott Anderson]

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone can point me to some documentation that can help me setup my TrueNAS Core as a basic network switch/router for a single machine?

The situation:

Internet connection via a Router > to a 1Gb HP Procure switch off which I have my TrueNAS server. I also have a Hackintosh connected to the same HP switch and everything is runs fine (all on 192.168.0.0/24).

I want to increase the network speed between the TrueNAS and Hackintosh. I have installed a 10Gb card into the TrueNAS server. The Macintosh has a builtin 2.5Gb port. I can't afford a 10Gb switch so want the following:

Internet Router > HP Switch > TrueNAS (via 1Gb) then TrueNAS (10Gb) direct cable to Hackintosh (2.5Gb).

As the Hackintosh only has the one port, all traffic from Hackintosh to be router via the TrueNAS server and onto the 1Gb network if traffic is not for the server.

I know this isn't what the TrueNAS server was designed to do but everything is behind a relatively secure firewall and it's only one machine being routed, not an entire LAN.

I have tried (and failed) to setup a separate network between the two systems (10.0.0.0/8) and had the Hackintosh working with a WiFi card (192.168.0.0/24) installed (i.e. 10Gb on the 10.x and WiFi and the 192.x) but Apple in their infinite wisdom have a very basic 'priority order' of interfaces and cards. So if I set the WiFi as the highest in the order...it can browse the internet but tries to backup over the wifi as it can see the server on the 1Gb network. It has no apparent concept of dedicating an app (Time Machine) to a specific interface. If I switch the priority to the 10.x being the highest...I can't see the internet but can see the TrueNAS server. What I need is the TrueNAS server to say 'that packets not for me...but I know where to put it and drop it onto the 1Gb interface)

Starting to pull my hair out. I don't mind doing the reading...just need pointers if someone can lead the way.

Cheers,

Scott

 

[c77dk]

Just some quick thoughts.

What you're likely to look for is "bridging" - haven't used it in TrueNAS (I'm using a cheap 10Gbps switch - Mikrotik CRS305-1G-4S+IN)

The issue with priority of the nets - do you have a default gw setup on both interfaces? Then just remove the gw from the 10.x network and you should be able to use 192.x for internet - Or is apple doing something nasty ?

 

[Scott Anderson]

Thanks...I'll take a look at 'bridge'

God only knows what Apple do...there is a gateway for each interface but it feels like if it can't find it on the first interface...it just stops looking.

 

[Scott Anderson]

Well I'm still struggling.

So I have em0 and aq0 assigned to beidge1. I've given the bridge an IP address in the same subset as the router to the internet. The em0 interface is connected to the switch and the aq0 directly to another machine. The other machine has been given a ip in the same subnet and has no other connections. This machine can't 'ping' the bridge and can't see anything on the network.

Interestingly, the aq0 and the interface on the machine show now leds flashing yet the TrueNAS console shows the link as up and at 2500 (the speed on the machines interface).

I'm at a loss.

 

[Scott Anderson]

[Solved]

I think there is an issue with the network driver as I've solved it by installing Ubuntu with Cockpit. Within 30mins I had installed the OS, updated it, installed Cockpit with ZFS manager, imported the ZFS volume and setup the bridge. Everything now works.