How to configure Freenas with multiple network cards?

[mrteaiot]

I have using FreeNas with single built-in 1G network card just fine but notice little slow with 4 different IP's running thru it at the same time.
My FreeNAS using 192.168.1.15, Plex Server using 192.168.1.16, SyncThing using 192.168.1.17 and Nextcloud using 192.168.1.18. They all are in same Jail Pool system.
I bought 2 1G network cards with total of 4 additional network ports thinking I can separate each IP traffic for each physical network card. the installation of the Network Cards just fine and FreeBSD OS found all the network interfaces. I want to setup the FreeNAS traffic on 192.168.1.15 using em0 interface, Plex Server traffic on 192.168.1.16 using em1 interface, SyncThing traffic on 192.168.1.17 using em2 interface and Nextcloud traffic on 192.168.1.18 using em3 interface.. When I setup the Interfaces on the FreeNAS each interface require me to use different subnet but that is not what I wanted because I only have 1 LAN with one subnet at home router.
Is this even possible in the same subnet? Will I gain any the thru put buy doing separate IP for separate networks? Please give me some idea and suggestion on how to set this up. I am not able to find any good YouTube video that explain this setup. Most video I see was about setup Link Aggregations..

 

[dlavigne]

Did you find a solution for this?

 

[mrteaiot]

Not yet. Waiting for answer. Now I try the LAGG interface on the FreeNAS. I am able to create LAGG0 in freenas using 4 NIC card with single IP address of 192.168.1.15/24. I change all my plug-in to use this LAGG interfaces. All the installed plugin show the services is restart and up running but not working. The plex server, syncthing, nectcloud each show separate IP4 address but none of them are working. Only FreeNAS is working.
Do I approached this the wrong way or do I need to setup each separately like I mention before or LAGG is the best option. But all the install plug in is not working.

 

[Pheran]

LAGG is the right way to do this, but it's not going to work correctly unless the switch that your server is plugged into also supports LAGG and is configured appropriately. Given your mention of "home router" I doubt this is the case.

 

[mrteaiot]

I am using the Unifi system at home. I have pfsense, a few wireless UAP, Unifi 24 ports switch and 8 ports switch. I am connecting the FreeNAS LAGG to the port 2, 3, 4 and 5 from 4 1G NIC card in Freenas. I set this 4 ports as aggregate port. IS this correct? But the installed plug in still not working.

 

[Pheran]

If the Unifi switch supports LAG, then do you have match protocols on both sides? For example, if you set LACP on the FreeNAS side, then you'll need to configure LACP on the switch as well.

Make sure to use VNET on your plugins jails, and they should likely be assigned to vnet0:bridge0, not directly to a LAG interface.

Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, all of this may not be worth it. Having a 4-port LAG does not mean you are going to get 4Gbps of bandwidth from any one place. Any single client will still be limited to 1Gbps; but multiple clients may end up using different links.

 

[mrteaiot]

I know I only get 1Gbps throughput but I basically want each plug-in with separate IP use each 1Gbps NIC card? I am fine LAGG or not LACP. Just want the best use of all 4 of my NIC card with 4 IP address.

 

[jenksdrummer]

I also use Ubiquity/Unifi for some LAG, but mainly switch-to-switch.

If you're using SMB, if there are multiple NICs that can communicate on the same local subnet, and you're using Windows Server 2016 or above, you can get multi-streaming SMB. Not sure if FreeNAS will play along with that or not. It will play along as an ISCSI connection; but MPIO and RR (or similar) is needed (Windows = Server OS) and each NIC needs to be on it's own subnet (FreeBSD thing, you can use the same subnet with other devices...and you can use the same subnet via shell w/ FreeNAS, but the GUI won't let ya)

 

[mrteaiot]

Just want my add on plug in to work. Now my Plex Server, Syncthing and NextCloud are not working even all the services are up. Not able to ping each of the Ip. Only work is the FreeNAS Ip.

 

[thaFaxGuy]

I don't think this will work. I read some where (not sure where, you can google multiple network support by freebsd) that the OS freeBSD (or any other OS for that matter) does not support multiple network interfaces. I tried the same setup when I tried to use both network interfaces on my motherboard. In the end, I unplug and use only one.

 

[danb35]

freeBSD (or any other OS for that matter) does not support multiple network interfaces.

Of course it does. The issue is with multiple NICs on the same subnet, and there's a resource on that exact issue here:

Resource - Multiple network interfaces on a single subnet

We've had a number of people over the years bring up the topic of multiple network interfaces on a single subnet. Often done by Windows administrators or storage admins, where it works to varying degrees, this is sadly not proper IP networking...

www.truenas.com

But you realize this thread has been dead for a year and a half, right?

 

[thaFaxGuy]

Thanks for pointing me to the link. This was the article I read a while back, that I used for my conclusion. That no OS supports multiple [physical ethernet] interface with different IP sources from a single subnet.

See Line 10: “Multiple physical interfaces on the same network may not work the way you anticipate.”
Also line 17: “What most people want this to mean is that when you bind to an IP address that's assigned to a specific card, traffic goes in/out that card. This doesn't happen. Sorry.”

Maybe I should be more clear in my response. I just did not recall where I got the info.
Thanks for pointing me back to it again.

Yes I was aware that is an old Issue. But I was hoping to inform someone searching for an answer, as I have been informed by many others.