Beeps when written to

[unraidn00bie]

Hi folks,

 

I've set up an unRAID server using a Dell Dimension 2400 box using a no-name SiI3114-based SATA raid card and the following Seagate HDs: 1TB + 2TB and a 2TB (parity).  The server started life running unRAID 4.5 and recently upgraded to 4.7.  My problem is this:

 

From Day 1 the server beeps whenever data is written onto it.  There'll be a short "beep" followed by a short "boop" and it'll just keep repeating itself until the data is finished copying over.  Trust me, it gets annoying very quickly.  Otherwise, it seems to work fine.  It doesn't beep at all when read from.  I don't know what's considered reasonable transfer rates but over a 100Mbit connection, it'll copy 5-6GB in over an hour.

 

If I could disconnect the internal speaker, I would, but I think it's a piezo or something that's soldered onto the motherboard.  What am I missing?  I ask the community for guidance.  Thank you.

 

unraidn00bie

[adammerkley]

Just a suggestion: are you sure the server isn't disconnecting from the network when being written to?  I ask because unRAID will do a short beep upon disconnection and a boop upon reconnect...

[unraidn00bie]

I know what you mean about that series of beeps during a network connection.  While I don't know how to rule out your suggestion completely, I do find it odd that the beeps only happens when data is written to the server - not when read from.

[dgaschk]

Turn the sound off in BIOS.

[unraidn00bie]

Turn the sound off in BIOS.

 

Good suggestion and it's reasonable to think that it'd work.  Sound is one of the options in the BIOS under "integrated devices" and even after it's been disabled the beeping can still be heard.  I've even tried putting some tape over what appears to be the piezo on the motherboard.  The beeping continues when writing to the server...

[WeeboTech]

Check your cable if it's up to spec.

Do an ifconfig, look for errors on the ethernet port.

 

I know my system is on the bench right now, If I bump the cable and it goes off like, there is a beep...

Then when it reconnects, there is another beep.

 

So turning off the sound before investigating everything may just mask the real issue.

 

Try doing a network benchmark test with something like. ttcp/pcttcp or atto.

[vca]

Here's a shot in the dark.  I don't recall having seen this in any BIOS so this might just be crap...

 

Perhaps your BIOS has a "voltage monitoring" function, and perhaps you have a marginal power supply, and perhaps the act of writing to a drive increases the current drawn by the drive, which causes the supplied voltage to drop, which causes the motherboard to notice and issue a beep?

 

Just releasing a wild goose, feel free to chase (or not)...

 

Regards,

 

Stephen

 

[wisem2540]

I am having a similar issue.  I went on vacation for a few days and when I came home, my room mate told me that my server beeps "27 times" about every hour or so.

 

I am using a norco 12 bay case.  Im running 3 drives on a 450w 2U PSU with a 26amp 12v rail, so i dont think power would be an issue.  I telnet into the server and ran ifconfig and did not see any errors.  I have yet to hear the beeping, but im trying to be proactive.  Does anyone have any clue as to what I can do to test?