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Mrfix71

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Fairly new to this OS, only for about 6 months on a built Poweredge R420, and been browsing thru the forum to find something that matches my situation. After shutting down the server rack to move power to dedication circuit last week, I lost access to the server data. The mapped network drive link quit working (red X), trying to access by any one of the IP address (6 connected ethernet ports) results in "Cannot reach this page" using IE, and using the IP addresses in file explorer gets the "Windows cannot access...". Naturally, I do not want to mess around and lose the data that is stored.

The switch LEDs show the (static) ports are active
Confirmed the ports' settings (subnet, gateway, and alt DNS) match the iDrac settings
I can access the iDrac fine via IP address but not any of the server storage IPs
 

sretalla

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Perhaps you could use the iDrac to look at the console of the server and see what it says its IP address should be.
 

Mrfix71

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Sretalla...I thought so and have looked in there several times. Obviously I am not looking in the right place. Any help with this is greatly appreciated!

I downloaded and searched thru the User Guide as well as thru the forum. What puzzles me is that when I am in the server Lifecycle Controller and set up IP addresses again, they will show up on a network IP list... until the server finishes booting up. Tried that process at least 10 times the last two nights. Last night I noticed the NIC's IP addresses would disappear except for the iDrac's IP. There is no network address or (Web User Interface) showing up on the Console Setup menu.

I went so far as to change out the (unmanaged) switch between my office and the server rack since I noticed there were differences in the network IP roster between my office PC and the other that is connected to the server rack switch. Both computers were accessing the same router menu at the same time. But, that did not change anything that I could see.
 

sretalla

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How have you done the setup to have 6 NICs? have you set the switch to run LAGG? have you done that setup on TrueNAS already?


There is no network address or (Web User Interface) showing up on the Console Setup menu.
Do you see anything on the server console? if you select the option for the shell (should be option 9) and type ifconfig ?
 

danb35

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This sounds very much like a networking problem, though I'm wondering how you have six NICs configured on the server. But from the console, you should see something like this:
1614779781996.png

If you don't see the IP address (could be more than one, if you have more than one NIC configured) at the bottom, and you're getting IPs by DHCP, there's a problem between your DHCP server and your FreeNAS/TrueNAS box. Cables are a common culprit.
 

Mrfix71

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You guys are so helpful and with my knowledge being so modest, I am starting to lose the confidence I have been building with networking (LOL)
I will check all this information and make some notes as I go step by step, but this setup is only a couple of months old. All known devices have static IPs so I can track unknowns against a roster. It was working perfectly until I ran a dedicated AC circuit and shut it down to move the power over. Seems like a setting changed somewhere. The back of the server has 10 ports: 1x2 port embedded, 2x 4 port pcie cards (11 if you include the iDrac) which was a surprise. I was going to try merging them together (Aggregating, teaming, etc), but want to learn more about what I will gain out of my setup by doing so. This server archives full PC backups (cloned drives), digital music, family video and photo archives, and surveillance video.

I will post what I find so it may help someone else.
 
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Mrfix71

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A more appropriate title as I get deeper into what is going on, would be something like Retrieving Network Configuration. Starting all over after a night's sleep, searching the forum, and taking notes, Nearly identical to https://www.truenas.com/community/threads/freenas-box-stopped-seeing-network.44615/#post-299660
Accessing the FreeNAS box directly using the console menu. I do not see the software version anywhere and do not recall it from memory. Under the console menu there is the "web interface could not be accessed" message, which is likely the whole problem.I tried the #9 Shell and "ifconfig" but cannot see most of the results on the monitor.
20210306_072612.jpg
If I try #1 Configure Network Interface" and select any of the options, I get error messages:
Delete Interface? (y/n) Y
Deleting interface configuration: OK
Restarting Network: Failed
ok
Restarting Routing: ok
-back to console setup menu-
#4 Configure Default Route
IPv4 Default Route [192.168.1.1]: 146:71:28:117 (from router)
Saving IPv4 gateway: Ok
Configure IPv6 Default Route? (y/n) N
Restarting Routing: ok
-back to console setup menu and with the "web interface could not be accessed" message
#4 Default route using the switch IP as well then reset back to default 192.168.1.1
-back to console setup menu and with the "web interface could not be accessed" message
Checked for any unknown or accidental Link Aggregation and VLAN. As suspected, none were there.
#5 Configured static route using destination network 192.168.1.1 (router) and gateway 146.71.28.117 (from the router)
-back to console setup menu and with the "web interface could not be accessed" message
#6 DNS
DNS Domain [local]: BLANK
Nameserver IP #1: 104.245.248.5 (from router)
-back to console setup menu and with the "web interface could not be accessed" message
The router does not have any of the server MACs listed as active at this moment but there is connectivity and activity when accessing the switch's GUI.
I do not want to touch the #8 reconfiguration option and am completely stumped where to go from here. Been looking thru forums without luck for previous posts regarding connecting a PC directly to the server and temporarily by-passing any connection interference between the server and router.
 

danb35

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connecting a PC directly to the server
Pretty easy--assign a NIC on the server a static IP in a given subnet, assign a NIC on the PC a different static IP on the same subnet. Plug in a cable from the one NIC to the other. On the PC, browse to the IP of the NIC on the server.
 

Redcoat

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I can access the iDrac fine via IP address but not any of the server storage IPs
Do you have more than one LAN port on the FreeNAS box connected besides the dedicated IPMI/iDRAC port?
 

Mrfix71

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I have a PC connected to one of the embedded NIC ports. The static IPs have been assigned (which have been on the same subnet). With only the temporary cable and iDrac connected, the laptop with 192.168.1.43 and the server with 192.168.1.192, pinging the server "destination host unreachable" but 0% loss. Not accessible thru a IE browser or file explorer. Tried the same on each of the 10 server ports.

After looking thru some shell commands, I tried freenas-debug -n to see what would be revealed about network configuration. Not quite sure how to take the limited info shown.
20210306_215429.jpg
 
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Redcoat

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what does ifconfig show?

also you can get to console output with /etc/netcli
 

Mrfix71

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Redcoat.....ifconfig information cannot be seen, except for the last 3 port entries (i assume they are port entries)
20210306_072612.jpg
Maybe I am not reading or interpreting the data. I will try that command to see what happens. Out of fear of losing data, I am debating on looking at the professional assistance route but not quite there yet.

Is that command used in the Shell option? I entered it but the server went right back to the console menu again.
 

Redcoat

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To eliminate the risk of losing data you can disconnect your storage drives.

You can save the ifconfig info to a file with ifconfig >mytestfile this will create mytestfile in the current folder - use the editor ee to look at it - ee mytestfile - you will see all the commands for the editor ee as the header to the file's data.
 

Mrfix71

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Whew! Didnt occur to me and will do that immediately. (Insert Face Slap! LOL)
I read other posts about a folder. How do you access that folder? It takes about 5 min to boot the server and to get to the Console Menu. Have not seen anywhere I can do that.
 

Redcoat

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You already showed a screenshot at the command prompt after you ran freenas debug -n.

I assumed that was the ERemote Screen you can access through idfrac, because FreeNAS is there running and you have the command prompt.

Wherever that was, go back to it and run ifconfig >mytestfile When the command prompt returns, type ee mytestfile and the file should open with a display in the editor "ee" and all its commands displayed in the header - here's mine from my NAS4 Freenas machine:
1615128571385.png


To get out of t he "ee" display, exit with the Escape key folloed by the Enter key. To move around use the arrow keys.

Post the contents of the file here.

If at some point you wish to go from the command line in the shell to the console menu, then put /etc/netcli at the command prompt.

To get back from the console to the shell command line,. use the option "9". (no quotes).
 

Mrfix71

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Using the iDrac remote viewer is another issue but much less important. Haven't been able to open the jnlp file that it generates and has not been a critical point yet. But here are the results of running those commands:
1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg

Thanks again Redcoat. That was very helpful.
Being able to reference the MACs on the screen from those I keep on my master device list will help narrow down the ports.
 

Redcoat

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It looks like you are hooked into interface bge5 at present.
What does the consoled display show? use /etc/netcli
 

Mrfix71

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I will be away to take care of other things and will look this when i get back. Do not want to stop this enlightening momentum!
 

Redcoat

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I'll admit to being very confused that you have yet failed to post the output of /etc/netcli
 

Mrfix71

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Redcoat, looks like there is a pause then the console menu pops up with same message. When I connect the PC to the port with that MAC and try to connect, I get the same results as I have been. Running the command again, the 100base TX disappeared.
 
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