Fresh install - can't connect via webGUI with static OR DHCP IP

[doubledroz]

Hey guys,

First time FreeNAS (attempted) user here. I've booted into FreeNAS, but when it comes time to connect via the webGUI at the IP that is specified on the console page, my browser ends up timing out and FreeNAS freezes.

I've tried both the 64-bit and 32-bit versions.

I've tried setting network interfaces, resetting network interfaces, assigning gateways, not assigning gateways...

I've tried DHCP assigned IP and also assigning an IP statically (based on MAC address)via my router (Gargoyle firmware). Installing Ubuntu Server on the same computer allows me to connect with DHCP *or* statically assigned IP.

I'm trying this on a Toshiba Satellite C655D with an AMD E-350 processor.

I believe it may be a problem with the network adaptor - it's an Atheros AR8152 built in ethernet.

Googling the AR8152 gets me some threads from 2012, but it seems FreeBSD doesn't have a problem with AR8152 - at least, not recently.

Can anyone help me shed some light on the situation? FreeNAS seems perfect - theoretically - for my needs, and I don't really want to run Ubuntu Server for this undertaking.

Cheers,
Droz

 

[cyberjock]

Are you using a USB stick that is more than 2GB? Does the laptop actually obtain an IP address when set to DHCP?

 

[doubledroz]

I know the laptop isn't a powerhouse, but it'll serve my needs for now - all I'm trying to do is have FreeNAS serving some drives that'll be plugged into the laptop, and have SABnzbd, Sickbeard and perhaps Couchpotato doing their respective things. I've got 4GB of RAM for the laptop.

I've used a few different capacity sticks - a couple of 4GB ones and an 8GB USB3 stick just for laughs.

The laptop seems to get an address - it's reported by my gargoyle router as a host with an active connection - but then if I try to access it via the web GUI it takes an age to respond, and mostly just times out.Very rarely I get the basic skeleton of the webGUI page, but nothing that actually works - i.e., it's like a webpage that never gets enough information to render itself on the screen.

I've also tried assigning a static IP through the router, but that doesn't seem to work either - the console page reports that I can access freeNAS through the webGUI at adderess (for example) 192.168.1.60. entering this address in Safari, Chrome and Firefox results in the time out. It also freezes freeNAS, so that the only thing I can do is do a hard reboot.

Not great.

As an aside, I've also installed nas4Free to have another shot, but I get a similar issue. This is why I believe it may be a FreeBSD driver issue, even though others seem to report smooth sailing.

 

[cyberjock]

I don't know how you plan to hook up hard drives to your laptop, but using USB or firewire is strongly recommended against. Search the forums for explanation(I explained to someone yesterday that USB is a bad idea, as he had already seemed to have found out on his own).

Additionally, 4GB of RAM is only 2/3 of the recommended for ZFS. You didn't say if you plan to use ZFS or UFS, but in either case, the above paragraph applies anyway.

I really think you should give up trying to use a laptop and look at using a desktop.

 

[doubledroz]

All I want is a headless file server that can do a bit of sickbeard, sabnzbd and couchpotato that serves up the files to XBMC / Plex. Probably a bit of transcoding too, judging by the built-in video card that's part of the AMD Bezos chipset.

The reason I want to use FreeNAS is because from what I've seen, it's pretty much a simple, low power solution - USB has the operating system, files get shared, nzbs get downloaded, everyone wins.

Are you saying that it won't be suitable for what I need? Ubuntu Server seems overpowered for what's going on here - is there an alternative?

 

[cyberjock]

You didn't really tell me how you plan to use hard drives on the laptop. If you plan to use the 1 internal drive and that's all, then you may be okay. I wouldn't use ZFS though.

If you plan to use USB or Firewire, then you shouldn't be going down this path if you value your data. USB and Firewire just aren't good long term options, regardless of what OS you use. USB and Firewire just don't work well with hard drives when they start having even minor issues.

 

[doubledroz]

I was planning on using the internal drive and throw in some USB drives when the main drive filled up. I wasn't going to use the NAS features too heavily, which is why I believed that USB is an option.

However, since having these frustrating troubles, I was trying to install other operating systems to see if they would work - what I discovered was that this Toshiba Laptop has a particular issue with pretty much any OS that isn't Windows, and if you use the built in LAN (Atheros AR8152) you get a crash and your screen goes fuzzy. Apparently wi-fi doesn't make the system crash, but I need the bandwidth that ethernet provides.

I managed to crash CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu Server, CrunchBang, FreeNAS, FreeBSD and NAS4Free all when there was network activity. Apparently it is something to do with the Bios, and a constantly changing DSDT file.

Looks like I'll need to just put this idea to bed.

Thanks for your responsed.