How to access FreeNAS Mini using DB9 (serial) port

[balbir97]

I have freenas mini and I want to connect to DB9 port of it from my mac laptop. In Mac laptop I only have RJ45 and USB port. Is there a way I can connect both? which cable should I buy? I just want to learn and play using serial communication. Any help is appreciated

 

[danb35]

I have freenas mini and I want to connect to DB9 port of it from my mac laptop.

Why? What do you hope to accomplish that way? You'd use a USB-Serial converter to make the connection, but I really doubt you'd be able to do anything useful with it (other than a serial console, but you can accomplish that more easily over the LAN without needing any extra hardware).

 

[balbir97]

Appreciate help on how to access it over LAN, you meant using IPMI command line tool or web interface (java client)?

 

[danb35]

Appreciate help on how to access it over LAN, you meant using IMPI command line tool or web interface ( java client ) ?

There's the web interface with the Java client, and there's also serial over LAN (which gives you the effect of a serial console, but without a serial cable). I know there's been a thread or two here about Serial over LAN, but I don't have the links handy.

 

[balbir97]

It's seems 'console redirection' is a additional H/W in FreeNAS mini which enables to forward the VGA/Mouse/Keyboard.. Appreciate if I can get more details about it

And SOL (Serial Over LAN) , I am not sure how it works.. appreciate any link/url to which I can read to understand more about it.

 

[danb35]

Appreciate if I can get more details about it

I'm sure the manual for the FreeNAS Mini has more details; if not, the manual for the motherboard would.

 

[Redcoat]

This document http://www.asrockrack.com/support/ipmi.pdf is what you need.

To have IPMI work without issues you will need to have the latest BMC firmware - version 00.35.00 found here if you don't have it already. The mobo manual is at that link also, but it won't help you much with your current questions, though it's good to have.

 

[Ericloewe]

Resources section to the rescue! Partially.

https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...srock-motherboards-alternative-to-jviewer.51/

 

[Redcoat]

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that for the SOL - it works and I used it earlier.
I just dropped back to the however-crippled Asrock IPMI with the new BMC firmware as at least the KVM worked fine (for me anyway...) and I used it extensively in my recent memory and temperature testing exercises.

 

[wblock]

To use the DB9, get a USB to serial adapter cable.