SOLVED Supermicro X8STI-F, USB Flash key, FreeNAS compatability issues.

[Trebor27]

(NOTE: I'm not sure if this is limited to openBSD/FreeNAS, or if it's a general hardware incompatibility. I would be a little surprised if windows had an issue also... I will experiment later with other OS's.)

So after a lot of pain I tracked down all my FreeNAS problems to USB key issues with my, older generation, motherboard, a Supermicro X8STI-F.

Here is what I have found: *MAYBE* this can be of use to others.

Incompatible and results in repeated read errors:
SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - SDCZ43-032G-GAM46
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BGTG41W

SanDisk Cruzer Fit 16GB USB Flash Drive - SDCZ33-016G-B53
I've bought 2x of these and tried both, neither work in FreeNAS and this motherboard...
https://frys.com/product/7280603
or from amazon (I bought from Fry's)
https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Low-Profile-Drive-SDCZ33-016G-B35/dp/B005FYNSZA/

Working USB flash keys:
SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive With Speed Up To 190MB/s, SDCZ80-064G-AFFP
This one runs extremely HOT, so I don't want to use it as a 24/7 drive. Plus as a high-performance key, I get zero benefit in my usb2.0 ports. Interestingly this flash key uses a NAND flash, U100 SSD controller and a USB->SATA adapter. So not your typical USB flash key...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008AF383S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

JD Lexar JumpDrive Firefly 2GB USB key (USB2.0)
This one is a really old flash drive, but very lightly used, so only old in "laying in a drawer" terms. :)
This is what I am using now and it's ROCK-SOLID!
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820191269

SanDisk Cruzer 32GB (16GB x 2) Cruzer Blade USB 2.0 Flash Drive Jump Drive Pen Drive SDCZ50 - Two Pack
Just bought and verified by creating a mirror of the 2GB flash drive above, the other keys fail fatally when trying to do this.
I took a "punt" on these based on the USB2.0 note...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00652C690/

Not tried yet:
Will update when I have tried, currently out on loan.
I'm hopeful this one will also work, it being the newer brother of the above Sandisk Extreme key.
SanDisk SDCZ880-128G-G46 Extreme PRO 128GB USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU8TZRV
The last USB flash key above I have only just mirrored from the JD firefly, but there were no read errors unlike the other two USB keys. I also ran a scrub of the pair and still no read errors. So it's looking good. The bad keys really show up very very rapidly!

Cheers
Rob
PS. Admins: If there is a better location for this post, I'm sorry, please feel free to move it.

 

[joeinaz]

I have an X8DTE that boots VMware off of a 32GB Samsung USB stick. My X8 seems to only boot from the rear EXTERNAL USB ports. The internal (on the motherboard) ports only worked for booting a CDROM. I can also see if the front panel USB (attached to a header on the motherboard) also work.

 

[Trebor27]

Hi Jo,

So I thought the same initially. You replied to my other thread.

But last night I reinstalled from my 64G USB key, using case front USB port for the boot/install USB key, onto both 16G USB keys both plugged into the internal motherboard ports. It went flawlessly and the system continues to boot and operate fine with no read errors reported using both internal USB ports.

So in my case, I don’t think it was the ports, but instead the USB keys/motherboard/freeNAS incompatibility.

I will try my “bad” keys and a windows 10 boot image, this might rule out FreeNAS from that 3-way statement above.

I made the Win10 boot key last night, but didn’t get a chance to try it yet.

Cheers
Rob

 

[pro lamer]

A long time ago I had a case when a USB stick worked only if connected to USB port pair (Windows device manager named the pairs 'hubs') other than the USB keyword
(Windows xp, mobo MSI K7T266A or similarly named, can't recall exactly)

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