FreeNAS keeps losing network connection

[watha]

I've got a homebuilt storage server running FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201412090314. I'm trying to copy a terabyte of files from it to an external drive plugged into a different computer. But when I attempt it, the network connection between the server and the other computer keeps going down after awhile, interrupting the transfer. When I reboot the server, everything's all right again--till the connection fails again. I can't figure out why.

Two questions: How can I stop the server from losing its network connection? Alternatively, what's the best way to plug the external drive directly into the FreeNAS box so I can cut out the middleman?

 

[gpsguy]

Please provide your detailed server hardware information, per the forum rules in red at the top of the page.

In addition to that, provide information on your client computer. What protocol are you using for file transfer?

Are you transferring the file across a gigabit network or are you trying to use a wireless connection?

 

[BigDave]

What you are indicating is most likely being caused by a non-intel NIC interface. Either your Freenas machine or your client machine
having a unsupported NIC and this is (what you are experiencing) a common complaint. Search this forum and you will find many
posts regarding this issue. As gpsguy suggests, post your hardware specs and you will waste less time solving this issue.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

what's the best way to plug the external drive directly into the FreeNAS box

eSATA

 

[watha]

Please provide your detailed server hardware information, per the forum rules in red at the top of the page.

In addition to that, provide information on your client computer. What protocol are you using for file transfer?

Are you transferring the file across a gigabit network or are you trying to use a wireless connection?

Hmmm...dunno how detailed I can get. It's all homebuilt stuff, cobbled together out of an old AMD Athlon machine

Lemme see...

Platform AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+
Memory 2021MB
Motherboard Asus K8VSE Deluxe with Amibios V. 8.00.09 and SATA378 TX2 Plus
Drives 2 Western Digital WD15EARS Caviar drives, 1.5 terabyte
Graphics card PNY Gforce 6600 AGP

Does this help?

I've got a homebuilt storage server running FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201412090314. I'm trying to copy a terabyte of files from it to an external drive plugged into a different computer. But when I attempt it, the network connection between the server and the other computer keeps going down after awhile, interrupting the transfer. When I reboot the server, everything's all right again--till the connection fails again. I can't figure out why.

Two questions: How can I stop the server from losing its network connection? Alternatively, what's the best way to plug the external drive directly into the FreeNAS box so I can cut out the middleman?

I've got a homebuilt storage server running FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201412090314. I'm trying to copy a terabyte of files from it to an external drive plugged into a different computer. But when I attempt it, the network connection between the server and the other computer keeps going down after awhile, interrupting the transfer. When I reboot the server, everything's all right again--till the connection fails again. I can't figure out why.

Two questions: How can I stop the server from losing its network connection? Alternatively, what's the best way to plug the external drive directly into the FreeNAS box so I can cut out the middleman?

 

[SweetAndLow]

You don't have enough memory and I bet your motherboard has a realtek nic which isn't really supported.

 

[Ericloewe]

I bet your motherboard has a realtek nic

Good guess, but it's some obscure Marvell chip. The point is entirely valid, though.

2GB of RAM is one quarter of the minimum amount, so that's not helping, either.

To use FreeNAS, you'll definitely need new hardware, unfortunately.

 

[watha]

But it sort of works...I've got a terabyte of data stored on it. I'd just like to copy it to a drive. Maybe if I do it a little at a time?

 

[Ericloewe]

But it sort of works...I've got a terabyte of data stored on it. I'd just like to copy it to a drive. Maybe if I do it a little at a time?

They're called "minimum requirements" for a reason. Think sudden and irreversible data loss.

 

[depasseg]

Look up the specifics of your Marvel NIC with FreeBSD. I found that in my case (a repurposed Readynas that would freeze after a couple minutes of multi-100 megabit transfers), adding the following system tunable solved the problem. If possible, hook up a console to your machine and look for any error messages (I was getting a watchdog timeout error). I found that disabling and re-enabling the NIC also fixed the problem (faster than a reboot).

 

[watha]

Hor weird is this? I''ve plugged in a different external drive to conduct the same copying process, and it's working without a hitch. It's taking a long time to copy 1.09 terabytes over a USB connection, but I'm in no hurry. I just need the files copied. And this time I've had not a peep of trouble. So maybe it's a problem with the other external drive. Ah well...just thought you guys might want to know. Thanks.

 

[permanentname]

depasseg's tunable solution appears to have worked for me as well; thank you for that. Another user on a different forum suggested heat problems might cause network drops of this type, so prior to trying the tunable I installed another fan in my NAS, which felt a little warm. It ran noticeably cooler, but I don't think that actually fixed the issue. Still, for some it might do so.

Notably, my first move, installing an Intel Pro NIC and moving off of the Realtek motherboard network connection, as is frequently suggested as a fix for FreeNAS network issues, did not solve this problem for me.

 

[wisepass]

Look up the specifics of your Marvel NIC with FreeBSD. I found that in my case (a repurposed Readynas that would freeze after a couple minutes of multi-100 megabit transfers), adding the following system tunable solved the problem. If possible, hook up a console to your machine and look for any error messages (I was getting a watchdog timeout error). I found that disabling and re-enabling the NIC also fixed the problem (faster than a reboot).

View attachment 8037

Humm I wonder if I'm having the same issues I'll try your soluton and report thanks.

See my original post here - https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/network-drops-under-load.68248/#post-469987

 

[wisepass]

On inital testing the above seems to have fixed my network drops as well thanks so much for posting this!

**NB and on more extensive testing over some hours despite 7 emby streams and concurrent file transfers my server hasn't missed a beat!
Anyone else with a Marvell Network Card NIC I would suggest looking into the above links and thanking the OP.

 

[wisepass]

On inital testing the above seems to have fixed my network drops as well thanks so much for posting this!

**NB and on more extensive testing over some hours despite 7 emby streams and concurrent file transfers my server hasn't missed a beat!
Anyone else with a Marvell Network Card NIC I would suggest looking into the above links and thanking the OP.

After running the system for a few weeks I found actually through the problem had improved signifigantly it still was occuring about once a day randomly so gave up and am trying to install a new network card...though even if I disable the msk0 interface with "ifconfig msk0 DOWN" on boot I am getting similar symtoms on the new intel NIC interface. I suspect the msk0 interface isn't properly disabled but am looking for more support.

 

[gpsguy]

See if you can disable the Marvell NIC in the BIOS.

I suspect the msk0 interface isn't properly disabled but am looking for more support

 

[wisepass]

See if you can disable the Marvell NIC in the BIOS.

Thanks but there doesn't seem to be an option for this I've checked the bios directly and also the online manual as well.

I'm currently trying to see if - if_msk_load="NO" - added to the loader.conf solves the issue - I think this might stop the loading of the driver, but still the interface appears in the reporting section in FreeNAS - not crashed as of yet though I'll give it a try over the coming few weeks and report back.

Any other ideas to disable the driver / interface?

NB - As an update the above didn't work and I can't locate a jumper for the board so I'm giving up!