Server Loses Connectivity with Network

[DaFolsom]

I'm new to Unraid and servers, in general.  Please re-direct me if this is a known issue.  When I boot up my server it is "recognized" by my network.  I can see it in Windows 10 file manager and can see it in the Network Map on my Asus RT-AC68P router.  However, after some period of time, I can no longer find the server on the network.  For instance, last night it was there.  This morning it has "disappeared".  It is setup (from the router) with a static IP.  Server seems to be running (fans are cranking).  If I reboot it, the server once again becomes recognized on the network. Any thoughts about what could be causing the server to lose connectivity with my network?

[trurl]

Can you attach a monitor and keyboard?

[DaFolsom]

I can.  I will do so tomorrow after work.

Anything in particular I should look for?

[DaFolsom]

Attached monitor and keyboard.  There was no video output yet the server seemed to be running (at least the fans were).  I rebooted the server (hard reset) and unraid launched to web GUI and I was in.  I looked at the syslog, but it meant nothing to me.  It's up now but who knows for how long.  Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

[trurl]

Sounds like a hardware problem. Have you done a memtest?

 

Go to Tools - Diagnostics and attach the complete diagnostics zip file to your next post.

[DaFolsom]

Haven't done a memtest.  Don't know how.  I've attached the diagnostics file.  Thanks so much for your efforts on my behalf.

mediaserver-diagnostics-20190128-2240.zip

[trurl]

Memtest is on the boot menu. Overnight is often recommended.

[trurl]

Nothing obvious in the diagnostics. Syslog doesn't survive reboot so no way to know what happened before. If it happens again you could use Troubleshooting mode of Fix Common Problems, which will do more logging, and also save them to flash for later. You don't want to leave it running all the time though or you will fill up your log space.

[DaFolsom]

I know this must be a stupid question, but how do I get to the boot menu?  Thanks so much for reviewing the syslog and for your advice.

[trurl]

You have to have a monitor and keyboard attached and select memtest from the displayed menu using the keyboard.

[DaFolsom]

Got it.  My USB keyboard and mouse do not seem to respond on the boot menu.  Do I need to be wired, perhaps?

[trurl]

How did you manage to get your BIOS configured to boot from flash without a keyboard?

[DaFolsom]

Edited the syslinux.cfg file on the USB (on my other computer).  USB keyboard works once I get past the boot menu so I guess some drivers get loaded?

[DaFolsom]

Wait... I misunderstood your question.  Just reread it.  Sorry.  It's late.  USB keyboard worked when I "deleted" into the BIOS, but it doesn't seem to work when I get to the Unraid boot menu.  

[itimpi]

1 hour ago, DaFolsom said:

Wait... I misunderstood your question.  Just reread it.  Sorry.  It's late.  USB keyboard worked when I "deleted" into the BIOS, but it doesn't seem to work when I get to the Unraid boot menu.  

That is really strange!    First time I have heard of a USB keyboard that allows entry to the bios but that does not work with the boot menu.

 

it is also possible to edit the syslinux/syslinux.cfg file on the flash drive and move the ‘default’ entry to the option you want auto-booted, but this is much less convenient than a simple keyboard selection from the boot menu.

[electron286]

I have had many issues with USB keyboards over the years not working at one point or another during the boot and handoff processes between bios, extended bios, boot selection kernal, OS....

 

  I still try to use mother boards that have dedicated PS2 style Keyboard and Mouse ports as a result.

 

  I did have one mother board that did like a USB to PS2 keyboard/Mouse adapter MUCH better than a USB keyboard though.  It never worked right with a USB keyboard, no matter how many different one I tried.  When I switched to the adapter and a PS2 Keyboard, I never had another problem with it.  I think it was either an Acer or an HP computer if I remember right...  I have seen similar symptoms on a few Dell computers though.

 

  Anyway, over the years I have found the main reason on my machines for the screen to go black, or any other "lockup" to be power supply related.  Just popping in a nice new beefy power supply has almost always fixed my problems with unstable systems.  This has been on computers that had previously been running with no problems and then start to be non-operational randomly.  The next common problem I have seen is memory, as was already mentioned by "trurl".  It could be failing memory that can be found by a memtest, or it may be a low resource level, meaning not enough memory is available for what demand is being placed on the hardware.  If the memory is good, adding memory could be the fix. 

 

  Another thought, some BIOSes have some strange power saving options, (I think mostly older ones), that actually will shut down parts of the motherboard and chipset if enabled and the computer is not actively used with an input device.  Come to think of it, I think it is on mother boards like that, where I seem to have had the largest issues wit USB Keyboard compatibility... but that may be simply a co-incidence.

Edited January 29, 2019 by electron286
Forgot to respond to the original complaint...

[trurl]

When you say USB keyboard and mouse, do these have cords that plug in, or are you using something wireless that has one of those USB "dongles"?

[DaFolsom]

USB dongle.  Works booting into the bios.  Doesn't work on the Unraid boot menu.  What I can do is borrow a corded keyboard from work.  I want to run the suggested memory test and I'll also poke around in the bios for any power saving features.  The power supply is a new 650w Corsair.  It should be good, right? 

I currently have my fingers crossed as it has been working without lockup for the past 2 days.  Thank you, everyone, for your counsel.  I now have a lot to check out.

[electron286]

Sadly, I have also had some new big name power supplies that were bad out of the box.  It does not happen often, but it does happen.

[electron286]

  Just two days ago, I had a problem at work where the USB Keyboard would not work on one of the computers.  It worked for initial boot, BIOS, Wndows boot selection (F8), but after that it would do NOTHING and there was no way to log into Windows.  The USB Mouse was still happy though.

 

  Then I found out the computer had been moved, then hooked back up.  I then started realizing that the cable for the keyboard probably had been switched to a different USB port.  I looked at the motherboard, and realized that two of the rear USB ports were from the MAIN CHIPSET, and the other 4 USB ports were going to an additional support chip.  In this case, it was a driver issue for the add-on chip for the 4 USB ports that the keyboard and mouse were both plugged into.  Windows, as pretty much every other OS, loads and uses the drivers it has configured for the hardware on the mother board, INCLUDING ALL hardware that may already have been functional before the OS fully loads.  I moved the cable for the USB Keyboard from one of the 4 ports on the add-on chip, to one of the two USB ports on the main chipset, booted the computer again and everthing started to work normally again.  This is just one of many times over the years I have seen this type of behavior with USB Keyboards.

 

  There are other times, when I have not been able to find ANY USB port on the mother board that would work fully with a USB keyboard always.  In one case, I had a multi-boot computer that one USB port set would work with the Keyboard in Windows but not Linux, and the other USB port set on the motherboard would work in Linux, but not Windows!  Luckily, this motherboard did also have the PS2 type connections, that worked well in ALL the boot states and OSes that were loaded so all USB keyboards removed and an older PS2 type keyboard installed.

 

  I have also seen more issues with USB Dongles, than with hardwired USB keyboards.  You may also have better results by moving the USB dongle to another USB port on the mother board.  I always recommend to, IF USB MUST BE USED, to try to make sure the keyboard is plugged into a USB port connected to the MAIN CHIPSET not an add-on chip.  USUALLY this would also mean that you would be wanting to use a USB port on the BACK of the computer, NOT one on the front of the case, or via a USB hub.  The trick is which ports on the back are on the MAIN CHIPSET?  Usually the motherboard manual can help you out to know which USB ports are on which chip...

 

  As a side, but related note, I have also seen better compatibility with USB keyboards with INTEL chipsets and associated drivers (including BIOS), than with other chipsets.  I have not paid attention to USB DONGLES and chipset compatibility, as I really try to avoid them unless absolutely needed, and then I usually try to still have a hardwired keyboard there also as a second keyboard for when the dongle does not work...  It does seem, from what I have encoutered, that the USB Dongles usually have a better chance of working well AFTER an OS has loaded and taken over than in the pre-OS environment with the BIOS drivers running however.