Host is down

[Santi]

I've got FreeNAS installed on USB in a mini-ITX. Got it to give me an IP address I can browse to but I can't navigate to the WebGUI:

(1) Safari & Chrome both time out​

(2) ping doesn't help. I get:​

PING 192.168.1.108 (192.168.1.108): 56 data bytes ​

Request timeout for icmp_seq 7 ​

ping: sendto: No route to host ​

Request timeout for icmp_seq 8​

ping: sendto: Host is down​

(3) Logged into my router and I don't see the NAS under "Wired Devices"​

(4) Ethernet port has solid lights for both 'activity' and 'speed', no blinking​

I did read this http://www.freebsd.org/releases/9.2R/hardware.html which states the "re(4) driver" supports my ethernet adapter. The link took me to http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=re&sektion=4. The instructions about what to write to the Kernel Configuration File – is that something that applies to me? Can I do that if the mini-ITX tower has no internet access?

I've been searching and reading, still haven't figured it out. Require help. Thanks.

FreeNAS (x64) 9.2.0 Current Stable Release
Purpose: home personal use
mobo: ASRock E350M1 AMD E-350 APU
LAN: Realtek RTL8111E
RAM: 8 GB
USB flash: 8 GB Sandisk
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 3 GB
Mini-ITX connected via ethernet cable to router

 

[jgreco]

Right. Your one hamster has probably died or maybe got caught up in the CPU fan.

http://forums.freenas.org/threads/s...1-autoselects-100basetx-bug.16157/#post-82225

Read the latter parts for suggested mitigation.

 

[Santi]

The end of that thread was pretty harsh. That dialogue would sound great in a movie. I do like that it never got ugly.

So it's unfortunate that I didn't check for compatible hardwares before deciding I was going to try FreeNAS. I did try different ethernet cables just to be sure. Not being a networking person it seems my options are:
(1) buy an Intel NIC and install on the board but:

(a) would that even work? What about drivers?​

(2) Sell the brand new MoBo I just bought and find another with an Intel NIC that still supports my RAM.

 

[cyberjock]

Virtually any Intel NIC will work. But you're going to be disappointed with that CPU's performance if you were wanting 50MB/sec+. That hardware just isn't a good choice for a high performing server.

 

[jgreco]

Actually I meant the one specific post, but yeah. We kind of get tired of repeating it. It really isn't our fault that the PC market is filled with disappointing hardware but we kind of get dumped on for it anyways.

 

[Santi]

Virtually any Intel NIC will work. But you're going to be disappointed with that CPU's performance if you were wanting 50MB/sec+. That hardware just isn't a good choice for a high performing server.

Just ensuring I understood correctly:
I'm going to be disappointed with my hardware. Correct?

It is upsetting that I would make such a costly error because I didn't double-check all avenues.

 

[jgreco]

There's a reason I wrote a guide.

http://forums.freenas.org/threads/so-you-want-some-hardware-suggestions.12276/

 

[cyberjock]

You'll be disappointed if you wanted 50MB/sec+ with that CPU. While you don't need a top of the line ultra expensive CPU, you do need one that has some get-up-and-go. Green CPUs like the Intel Atoms, and AMD E-350s just don't do a good job if you want performance. As a backup server(where performance isn't particularly important) they may be good, but for your main machine, you can't expect miracles.

 

[Santi]

... and another zinger from jgreco.

I've gone from feeling like I erred to feeling like a total mule for not doing enough research. I went into this thinking I could NAS an old box or some spare parts and your articles very much underscore that an NAS should be thought of as a true investment. I definitely appreciate the blunt honesty guys. Budget concerns: I probably won't be able to partake in FreeNAS bliss until summer. In the meantime I'll:
(1) try to minimize $ losses on the mobo & power supply.
(2) work around having files on multiple computers, USB sticks, & cloud services
and try not to buy any expensive Legos.

Thanks for the links cyberjock and many thanks to both of you.

 

[jgreco]

Not intended as a zinger. More like "I hate typing messages on a phone."

Quite frankly, as a business owner, I am very careful in how I spend money. Just because it is for business doesn't mean that the money tree grows without limit. The difference between buying gear for a business you own or for personal use is mostly one of how much you can justify and just how bad it hurts if you are wrong.

I ache a little bit every time someone discovers that what they thought was good was actually not. I know that pain firsthand. That's what drove me to write the hardware sticky, and what's going to push me to do some more updates in the near future here. I hope that everyone can benefit from stuff like that, because not everyone can afford to try different options, and not everyone has that vaguely OCD'ish drive to go a few extra steps in determining not just what is satisfactory, but actually narrowing the field down and shooting for "best."