New to Freenas - Network stopped working

[TonyITNewb]

Hello All. I will first state that I am 100% new to Freenas, but I am very fluent in Windows (aka, I understand computers but don't always know the language or what I'm looking for).

My server is nothing special. It was a freebee computer. Has an AMD Quadcore processor, 8GB Ram, built in 2008. My network is run by the Router and Motorola Modem. The Router is a Linksys E2500, which handles the DHCP. No external firewall or anything else special for that matter. I do have a HomeTheater, smart TV and 3 other computers on the network, with the TV and Theater on static IPs through the router.

I built the FreeNAS server back in November of 2015. Everything worked well. The installation of the latest OS (in Nov) networked on it's own via ethernet connection straight to my router. I assigned the server a static IP through the router using the MAC, and all worked beautifully.

In January, I updated to 9.3 and now the server won't connect to the network. I have tried disabling the static IP it was using through the router and setting the static ip through the console. I have also tried setting the dns to both my router and google (8.8.8.8). No matter what I do, the Ping does not resolve anything. I can't even ping a LAN PC. If I plug the ethernet cable into my laptop, the Laptop does connect, through DHCP, so I know its not my router.

I saw one post last night about my installation drive could be causing this if it got corrupt somehow. I have tried redownloading and wiping the OS drive completely, and I still have the same issue. I have not tried replacing the drive, as its an internal 60GB laptop drive and my MoBo does not boot to USB.

Do I really need to find another HDD to install on or is my NIC in the server bad? I've been researching and trying things for almost a month now (Work, Wife, and 1 yr old doesn't leave much time in the day), and could really use some help.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SweetAndLow]

What motherboard and what nic?

 

[gpsguy]

Please list the detailed hardware info, including make/model of your NIC. Assuming it's a Realtek NIC (or bad), just replace it with an Int Pro/1000 CT. Cost about $30 USD


Sent from my phone

 

[TonyITNewb]

Unfortunately I do not know off the top of my head. I got no paperwork on machine and the OS was dead, so I had no way of telling what the hardware was other than what was physically labeled on the hardware. I will check when I get off tonight, but I'm not sure if there will be any evidence of a brandname on anything.

 

[gpsguy]

You could check to see if the mobo has the brand/model number on it.

Or, try running the Ultimate Boot CD. One of the utilities on it should be able to pull the needed info.


Sent from my phone

 

[Mirfster]

as its an internal 60GB laptop drive and my MoBo does not boot to USB.

Does this mean that you are running FreeNas on a Laptop or just using a Laptop hard drive?

 

[TonyITNewb]

It's a laptop HD insde a desktop box

 

[Mirfster]

It's a laptop HD insde a desktop box

Whew, okay... :D

 

[TonyITNewb]

So I looked inside my server tonight and the MoBo is a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P. The LAN ports are one of the 2 built into the MoBo. I also discovered that the MoBo only supports Intel processors, so I am not sure what I have. **Please understand that this was a non-working PC when I got it, and Freenas was the first thing I installed on it** As I write this, the server is finishing installing on a new (used) laptop HD that I had laying around, and the networking issue is not resolved, so the install disk is not the problem.

If this is a bad nic in my MoBo, why did it work just a few months ago and not now?

 

[TonyITNewb]

Update. Just did some reading on the MoBo. I have dual Realtek 8111C chips (10/100/1000 Mbit). So my question remains: Why did this LAN work last month and not now???

 

[TonyITNewb]

Last update: The server is up again! It was the nic. Not sure what it is, but I had it laying around. Upon install of the new nic, I had to set the DNS to my internal router IP, leaving out google (it didnt work with google as secondary for some reason). Rebooted the server after those changes and got the "Getty repeating too quickly" error. I had this back in Nov when first setting up the rig, and remembered that a reset back to initial install fixed the problem and, low and behold, it did! The server is back up! I do have to rebuild my plex, and shares, and did lose everything on the server, but it's all backed up on an external, so that's not a big deal. Thanks guys!

 

[Mirfster]

I have dual Realtek 8111C chips (10/100/1000 Mbit)

Not the most favorable NICs...

 

[gpsguy]

It's hard to say. What version were you running, before you upgraded to 9.3.

If an 8.0/9.x version, perhaps iXsystems dropped support for it, since Realtek's don't usually work very well with FreeNAS.

Or, it just decided to fizzle out. Sh*t happens.

Why did this LAN work last month and not now???