USB 2.0 vs 3.0

[Z300M]

Well I was able to install to the USB3 drive through the USB2 port. But whatever I try, I can't get FreeNAS to boot successfully from the USB3 port. It stops and gives me a 'mount:' prompt.

I think that's what happened when I had the USB boot device plugged into the USB3 port and had USB3 enabled in BIOS and with the tunable.

 

[solarisguy]

Well I was able to install to the USB3 drive through the USB2 port. But whatever I try, I can't get FreeNAS to boot successfully from the USB3 port. It stops and gives me a 'mount:' prompt.

My fault! You are supposed to use USB 3.0 devices in USB 2.0 ports, or in USB 3.0 ports when USB 3.0 is disabled in the BIOS, with hopefully BIOS making them USB 2.0 ports and not just turning them off.

You still get a benefit of using a faster device (if the device is truly faster). As they advertise, twice and up to three times regular speed

@Z300M, thank you! I re-read the post and noticed that I had read what I wanted, not what had been written...

 

[Rilo Ravestein]

You still get a benefit of using a faster device (if the device is truly faster). As they advertise, twice and up to three times regular speed :).

There is no real benefit, since you will only boot from it. Since the box will be on 24/7, you shouldn't care less about the USB drive speed.

As they advertise, twice and up to three times regular speed :)

Yeah, right. Maybe if they compared with an USB drive like this :D

 

[Z300M]

I think that's what happened when I had the USB boot device plugged into the USB3 port and had USB3 enabled in BIOS and with the tunable.

And I have just tried again plugging a USB 3.0-connected hard disk into a USB 3.0 port and, even though USB 3.0 is enabled (actually "automatic") in the BIOS and I have the xhci_load tunable enabled, the transfer speed is a mere 40MB/sec.: USB 3.0 on Haswell systems is still not supported even in the underlying FreeBSD.

 

[solarisguy]

@Rilo Ravestein, that is not my experience

I am buying average (not top of the line) devices. Thus in the same USB 2.0 port, USB 2.0 devices (Kingston, Patriot, SanDisk - no Hello Kitty :D ) might have read speeds 14-15MB/s and only very few would be around 20MB/s, while USB 3.0 devices would be 30-35MB/s and some 40MB/s.

Your mileage may vary ;-)

 

[crashdev]

I love the Hello Kitty drive. That's admittedly quite tempting.

Running the USB3 drive off the USB2 port works excellent. I'll tinker more with the tunable, and dis/enabling USB3 in BIOS settings to see if I can get it to run USB3 and be happy and stable. If not, it really isn't a big deal. Like I said, the USB2.0 port works great.

Thanks all for the assistance.

 

[Rilo Ravestein]

Good luck to you! Please report how (if ever) you got it to work ;)