how do I install ethernet drivers

[Steve Davis]

I am a newbie at this and this my first attempt at building a NAS server.
FreeNAS version 9.3.1 stable edition.

Hardware includes:
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS M2NBP-VM / Socket AM2
CPU: AMD Athalon 64
RAM: 3GB
HARD DRIVES:
2 - 320GB ATAPI
2 - 320GB SATA
1 - 160GB ATAPI as boot drive
NETWORK Adapter:
3Com 3C905B-TX 10/100 Mb

I have 3 new 1000Mb pci adapters that are all based on the RealTEK RTL8169S chipset.
I found the FreeBSD driver for the realtek adapters, but I have no clue as to install it.
please help me with this .

 

[Bidule0hm]

You don't need to install it, all the drivers are already here.

However there's some big problems with your current system:

• Less than the 8 GB of RAM requirement
• Non ECC RAM
  
• Non server grade MB
• Realtek NICs

I recommend you to read the hardware recommendations thread (link is in my signature) before continuing ;)

 

[DrKK]

To say nothing of gamer-grade AMD stuff.

 

[tvsjr]

Athlon 64? That's a 12 year old processor...

 

[SweetAndLow]

Throw that hardware away, to old, to power hungry and not very good.

 

[Steve Davis]

You don't need to install it, all the drivers are already here.

However there's some big problems with your current system:

• Less than the 8 GB of RAM requirement
• Non ECC RAM
  
• Non server grade MB
• Realtek NICs

I recommend you to read the hardware recommendations thread (link is in my signature) before continuing ;)

I have read all of the available information about this driver, everything keeps going in circles. Everything I have read states that the adapter worked well with versions prior to FreeNAS 9.3
I'm not the only person who is having this problem, seems as of version 9 something happened to with driver support for the RTL81xx series.

 

[Steve Davis]

Throw that hardware away, to old, to power hungry and not very good.

as i stated before " this is a work in progress" other than this "hiccup" of a driver issue FreeNAS 9.3.1 runs very well on this platform with no problems.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Just because something is old doesn't mean it has to be "thrown out" --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Jailer]

You're missing the important point that BiduleOhm is trying to make. Your hardware is not adequate for FreeNAS. The extremely low amount of memory alone will tank this build in short order.

Get some better, more appropriate hardware or be prepared to lose your data.

-- Just because something is old doesn't mean it has to be "thrown out" --

Very true but it is woefully inadequate for FreeNAS. Build a firewall out of it if you insist on using it.

 

[Steve Davis]

Athlon 64? That's a 12 year old processor...

yes it is about 12 yo, and it is also a very stable dual core processor

 

[Jailer]

as i stated before " this is a work in progress" other than this "hiccup" of a driver issue FreeNAS 9.3.1 runs very well on this platform with no problems, YET.

There, fixed it for ya.......

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

this is a work in progress

Trying out FreeNAS on old hardware to see if you like it is fine up to a point. It can go wrong in several ways including:

1. It seems to work so well that you start relying on it, then one day it falls over and you lose something important.
2. It fails in some way, and you don't know whether to blame the hardware or the software. You consider seeking help on the forum or reporting a bug, but know that with a system that doesn't meet minimum requirements, traction will be limited.

 

[Steve Davis]

Trying out FreeNAS on old hardware to see if you like it is fine up to a point. It can go wrong in several ways including:

1. It seems to work so well that you start relying on it, then one day it falls over and you lose something important.
2. It fails in some way, and you don't know whether to blame the hardware or the software. You consider seeking help on the forum or reporting a bug, but know that with a system that doesn't meet minimum requirements, traction will be limited.

right now I'm not putting anything on the NAS that I am worried about loosing. I have been building and repairing PC's since around 1983 with msdos ver 1.1 on IBM pc / pc xt.
FreeNAS is a new project I am undertaking and am learning to use, if you can't help me let me know of someone that can.

all I want to know is how to install a driver

 

[Steve Davis]

There, fixed it for ya.......

If you "fixed it" what did you do?

I'm not joking here, I am serious about this.

 

[SweetAndLow]

right now I'm not putting anything on the NAS that I am worried about loosing. I have been building and repairing PC's since around 1983 with msdos ver 1.1 on IBM pc / pc xt.
FreeNAS is a new project I am undertaking and am learning to use, if you can't help me let me know of someone that can.

all I want to know is how to install a driver

you don't install the driver. FreeNAS is built to be an appliance. This means you get what you get and you don't modify it. If you want to install drivers just use normal FreeBSD so you can install what ever you want.

 

[Steve Davis]

You're missing the important point that BiduleOhm is trying to make. Your hardware is not adequate for FreeNAS. The extremely low amount of memory alone will tank this build in short order.

Get some better, more appropriate hardware or be prepared to lose your data.


Very true but it is woefully inadequate for FreeNAS. Build a firewall out of it if you insist on using it.

again: I don't care about loosing data at this time, I want to learn to use the software; I will probably reinstall FreeNAS before the hardware fails.

 

[pirateghost]

You don't install drivers.

 

[depasseg]

If you "fixed it" what did you do?

I'm not joking here, I am serious about this.

He added "Yet" to the end of your sentence.

 

[Steve Davis]

you can install a driver into FreeNAS, and no thanks to any of you so called GURU's I figured it out myself

 

[Steve Davis]

that's what learning on older equipment is all about, LEARNING, not letting someone else do all the work, and you and taking all the credit

 

[pirateghost]

you can install a driver into FreeNAS, and no thanks to any of you so called GURU's I figured it out myself

Nobody said you COULDN'T