unRAID Server Release 5.0-rc5-r8168 Available


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Well, for a data point and feedback -- my build with a -  Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3 uses the Realtek 8111 chipset for the LAN

 

I've suffered with the mysterious syslog messages about the link going up/down "repeated xxxx" times.

 

Was really hoping for a cure with this special version.

 

No dice.  Actually worse.  No link error messages, but speed of throughput dropped to a crawl....

 

Anyway, just ebayed a nice Intel CT Gig NIC (EXPI9301CT).  Now that I see that others have the same problem,  and it's a universal cure to just go with a new NIC -- I don't mind tossing a few bucks at the build to just move on.

 

The more I read on these forums about realtek issues I must admit, I am thinking of just getting an Intel NIC as well. Fit and forget.

 

Yup.  After also reading the 'commentary' that was mentioned earlier in this thread,  it really seems like Realtek isn't all that cooperative/helpful/etc with the Linux world.  So I'll double-check the chipsets involved if/when (yea it's really when isn't it always) I decide to upgrade my build -- or build a second one...  I think I'm close to the latter ;)

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Does the EXPI9301CT support WOL? Is anyone currently using this card and can give some feedback?

 

Does anyone know if the EXPI9301CTBLK is the same as the EXPI9301CT?

 

I can't speak to the certain combinations of Unraid + your mobo + this card, etc...

 

But check the intel site - http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/network-adapters/gigabit-network-adapters/gigabit-ct-desktop-adapter.html

 

The CT does support WOL.

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My next (Final?) update on sleep/WOL:  mobo=Gigabyte GM-MA785GM-US2H; OS=unraid 5.0 rc5 r8169

 

I installed an Intel network card and changed the BIOS to disable the Realtek on-board chipset (LAN port). System came up fine. I then told the system to go to sleep using the main screen of Simple Features.  The system went to sleep (state S3).  I then sent a proper WOL packet, followed by probing at reasonable (2 second) intervals the LAN port (I make a request to connect as a probe).  After about 4 seconds the LAN port accepted the connection request indicating that at least it was alive.  I then tried a ping on the LAN port and that worked fine.

 

I then went to the console of the unRaid system and it was inoperative.  The monitor was off and there did not seem to be any response to the keyboard.

 

I then tried to log in to the Web port of the unRaid system from another computer and it was inoperative.

 

Conclusion.  Since the result/issues are the same independent of the LAN NIC chipset (Intel vs Realtek) I must conclude it is either a MoBo hardware or BIOS issue or  something to do with the slackware drivers in unRaid and this Mobo.  I suspect the later. I guess I will live without Sleep/WOL (:-(.

 

 

I have not tried the r8168 version of 5.0 rc5 with the Intel NIC as I could not see that making a difference.

 

I am just too lazy to boot up windows on this system. Tthere is an internal IDE HDD and optical drive that are not being used so I could do that without too much of a problem. maybe if I get some time . . .

 

 

Any advice or comments appreciated. 

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I used all RCs, from 1 to 4 and never had NFS problems while streaming from my unRaid-server to the XBMC mediacenters. Isn't the NFS-implementation supposed to have a bug?

 

NFS only gets used for streaming, not for direct file copy to from my PC/Laptop to a servershare, might that be a reason I have never come across this bug?

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I used all RCs, from 1 to 4 and never had NFS problems while streaming from my unRaid-server to the XBMC mediacenters. Isn't the NFS-implementation supposed to have a bug?

 

NFS only gets used for streaming, not for direct file copy to from my PC/Laptop to a servershare, might that be a reason I have never come across this bug?

 

It depends on how you are unsing nfs and the behavior of your nfs client software:

- nfs access to disk shares should always be reliable

- nfs access to user shares can be unreliable, the failure being "stale file handle" errors.

More on this when -rc6 is released...

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I used all RCs, from 1 to 4 and never had NFS problems while streaming from my unRaid-server to the XBMC mediacenters. Isn't the NFS-implementation supposed to have a bug?

 

NFS only gets used for streaming, not for direct file copy to from my PC/Laptop to a servershare, might that be a reason I have never come across this bug?

 

It depends on how you are unsing nfs and the behavior of your nfs client software:

- nfs access to disk shares should always be reliable

- nfs access to user shares can be unreliable, the failure being "stale file handle" errors.

More on this when -rc6 is released...

 

I am actually only accessing via user shares and haven't had a single hiccup while streaming, but what stopped working is downloading subtitles via XBMC-Plugin, but that might not an NFS-issue.

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It depends on how you are unsing nfs and the behavior of your nfs client software:

- nfs access to disk shares should always be reliable

- nfs access to user shares can be unreliable, the failure being "stale file handle" errors.

More on this when -rc6 is released...

 

If you achieve high data rates between server and client, and are using tcp (rather than udp), then nfs transfers from the server can hang.

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I am actually only accessing via user shares and haven't had a single hiccup while streaming, but what stopped working is downloading subtitles via XBMC-Plugin, but that might not an NFS-issue.

 

It is the same with Samba shares. I can not download subtitles via XBMC subtitles plugin to unraid too. Is it possible this issue to be connected with some kind of a permission problems?

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I am actually only accessing via user shares and haven't had a single hiccup while streaming, but what stopped working is downloading subtitles via XBMC-Plugin, but that might not an NFS-issue.

 

It is the same with Samba shares. I can not download subtitles via XBMC subtitles plugin to unraid too. Is it possible this issue to be connected with some kind of a permission problems?

 

 

For some reason I only have this problem on one XBMC-box, so I am assuming it it not an unRAID-problem. All of my XBMC-setups are identical (OpenELEC beta 4).

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So what's the final word on the r8168 driver release vs. the regular release?  Will you be moving forward with 2 releases, or do you have a one fix fits all solution for rc6 and going forward?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

That's a good question.  AFAIK, no one has reported in -rc5-r8168 that 'r8168' does not work (in situations where 'r8169' does work), but I have no idea how much of the Realtek/unRaid user base has even tried it.  If the next -rc only includes r8168 then I guess I'll find out  ;)

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So what's the final word on the r8168 driver release vs. the regular release?  Will you be moving forward with 2 releases, or do you have a one fix fits all solution for rc6 and going forward?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

That's a good question.  AFAIK, no one has reported in -rc5-r8168 that 'r8168' does not work (in situations where 'r8169' does work), but I have no idea how much of the Realtek/unRaid user base has even tried it.  If the next -rc only includes r8168 then I guess I'll find out  ;)

 

I would like to add the I was running 5.0b12a (that has the R8168 Driver) and unRAID was flawless, no dropouts or loss of network. Upgraded to 5.0RC4 and I stated to get eth0 up/down errors under high load (streaming multiple 1080p files from diff disks). I then compiled my own r8168 driver for RC4 and it went back to being a solid network without issues. I then moved to RC5-r8168 and things have been flawless. my MOBO is a Gigabyte GA-H55M-S2H with 1 x RTL8111D chip (10/100/1000 Mbit) NIC. Hope this helps.

 

- WingmanNZ

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So what's the final word on the r8168 driver release vs. the regular release?  Will you be moving forward with 2 releases, or do you have a one fix fits all solution for rc6 and going forward?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

That's a good question.  AFAIK, no one has reported in -rc5-r8168 that 'r8168' does not work (in situations where 'r8169' does work), but I have no idea how much of the Realtek/unRaid user base has even tried it.  If the next -rc only includes r8168 then I guess I'll find out  ;)

Is it possible for you to make the r8169 driver available as a download at that point, just in case.  That way, a download of it, combined with a few modprobe commands could substitute the r8169driver for the r8168 driver and everybody could be on the same"rc6" version.
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