FreeNAS and USB Wifi Dongle Zyxel

[DSN00B]

I am trying to set up FreeNAS and don't have the flexibility to have a wired connection to my router. I don't have a PCI wifi card, instead I have a USB dongle made by Zyxel. It is based on NWD210 chip and from the FreeBSD documentation found that the 'run' driver works with it.
When I start FreeNAS and go into the shell I don't see that wireless interface with ifconfig. But if I remove the dongle I get a message saying Ralink adapter was disconnected (or something similar). Obviously the system recognizes the USB dongle as a wifi adapter, but cant seem to use it as a network interface.
I also changed the loader.conf file to load the run driver and the run firmware, but that didn't change anything.
From what I have seen thus far, wireless dongles and FreeNAS don't work. But as this is the only realistic option I have, any suggestions?
Thanks in advance

 

[pirateghost]

Honestly, wireless is a horrid option for a NAS device. Don't waste your time with it. Get a hardwired connection.

 

[DSN00B]

Honestly, wireless is a horrid option for a NAS device. Don't waste your time with it. Get a hardwired connection.

I completely understand, but hard wiring is not an option. Thanks for your response though, appreciate it.

 

[gpsguy]

If you can work outside the box, you might be able to get it to work. Read this thread - including the comments about performance. Also note - ProtoSD is no longer active on this forum.

If you have a supported NIC (wired), you should be able to a wireless game adapter. See the messages from jgreco and I, at the end of this thread.

As pirateghost and other's (in the referenced threads) have said, you may not like the performance with wireless, but there are options, if you really want to pursue it.

 

[Thomas8675309]

I am trying to set up FreeNAS and don't have the flexibility to have a wired connection to my router. I don't have a PCI wifi card, instead I have a USB dongle made by Zyxel.
[SNIP]
From what I have seen thus far, wireless dongles and FreeNAS don't work. But as this is the only realistic option I have, any suggestions?

If you are absolutely determined to have your FreeNAS box connect wirelessly to your router, despite all the warnings and advice not to do it, here is what you should do. Forget the USB dongle. Instead, get a second, cheap, router that allows you to install dd-wrt on it. Then, follow the directions to make that second router into a repeater bridge. Now, connect that second router (let's call it a "wireless switch") (a) to your FreeNAS box using an ethernet cable and (b) to your first router wirelessly by having the wireless switch join your existing wireless network. Since your FreeNAS box is attached to the switch by ethernet cable, not by wireless, you don't need to worry about wireless device compatibility issues. As a bonus, even a cheap router converted into a wireless switch in this way is likely to have considerably better range and stability than a wireless dongle.

If you have questions about the dd-wrt installation or about the directions for making the router into a repeater bridge, you'll need to ask them on the dd-wrt forum, not here.

You may also be able to accomplish the same thing using one of the other open-source router firmware projects (like tomato), but I've never tried. I have used dd-wrt in this way (but with a Linux-based backup server, not with FreeNAS).

Even if you are successful, the speed of your FreeNAS box will be nothing close to wired speeds, and who knows what kind of stability issues you may encounter if the wireless connection isn't rock-solid. You have been warned.

Best regards.

Tom

 

[DSN00B]

Thanks to all the people that replied, gpsguy I had read those two threads earlier, but thanks anyways, seems way beyond my current skills (but an opportunity to learn).
Thomas8675309, using a wireless access point seems a decent idea and probably something I might be able to pull off in the short run. Thanks again for sharing.
The learning continues, and thanks for the help :)
-D