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Ethernet drivers

Offline CC

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Ethernet drivers
« on: May 03, 2014, 07:22:46 AM »
Hi, would appreciate some help.
Installed SME 9 into a fitPC 3.  Wishing to run it as a server-manager and had planned to use eth0 for internet and wlan0 for connection to the LAN. wlan uses a realtek chip and is not recognised by SME9.  (BTW: It is recognised by SME8 but will not work.)  Googling suggests this is not a good way to go anyway, so I purchased a Gigabit USB -> Ethernet adaptor which is claimed to work under Linux.

My problem is that I need to install the supplied drivers and have no idea where I should install them to.  The readme file says to unpack and install in to the "Template" directory.

I'm a novice at CLI so any step by step assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Offline nicolatiana

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2014, 08:47:55 AM »
Provide more infos but, even if I don't know the exact use you are going to do of your FITPC3, you'll live a better&quite life installing Sme in server only mode leaving a good wLan router/modem make the job for you. If you can go-back consider the FITPC3i that has the option for an extra gigabit port.

I can suppose that if a direct support for USB adapters in SME is not provided (so was in SME7, maybe in SME8 too) you must compile the driver/KO ---> not a good idea on a server.

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,47150.msg232253.html#msg232253
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,46069.msg225391.html#msg225391

Nicola
« Last Edit: May 03, 2014, 08:57:10 AM by nicolatiana »
Consulente di Smeserver.it -  Soluzioni e supporto su Sme server in Italia.

Offline stephdl

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2014, 08:59:29 AM »
Hi
It would be good to give the exact reference of your hardware if you want some helps, but my experience of Linux says it is easier to buy first hardware well known to work with the target Operating system than try to adapt the hardware.
In other word, your usb/network or your computer are maybe not compatible with the kernel 2.6.32, and it is possible that you cannot do something against that state.

try to google with the precise reference of your usb/network with  'centos6' words and look about returns.
for your computer you could search in https://hardware.redhat.com/RHEL6 to see if your hardware is given in that database.

EDIT: charlie's statement in 2010
Quote
Quote from: byte on May 31, 2010, 10:35:01 AM

    Finally USB network adapter(s) are not supported with SME Servers.

In fact, never have been.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2014, 09:11:35 AM by stephdl »
See http://wiki.contribs.org/Koozali_Foundation
irc : Freenode #sme_server #sme-fr

!!! Please write your knowledge to the Wiki !!!

Offline CC

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2014, 05:00:05 AM »
Thanks for the responses..  Guess I will have to consider my options.  I'm not prepared to shell out another $1K for hardware with dual Ethernet ports.  Also pretty disappointing that CentOs is not capable of working with either the Realtek Wlan or the usb port when Debian supports both straight out of the box, even on 2.6+ Kernels.

Offline TerryF

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2014, 05:37:17 AM »
Thanks for the responses..  Guess I will have to consider my options.  I'm not prepared to shell out another $1K for hardware with dual Ethernet ports.  Also pretty disappointing that CentOs is not capable of working with either the Realtek Wlan or the usb port when Debian supports both straight out of the box, even on 2.6+ Kernels.

Can you post the chipset details used for the wlan, thanks
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Offline idp_qbn

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2014, 09:36:34 AM »
No need to spend a lot of money. Read again nicolatiana's first reply :
Quote
you'll live a better&quite life installing Sme in server only mode leaving a good wLan router/modem make the job for you.

A good WiFi modem/router should cost you somewhere between $100 and $200 (that's Ebay prices in Australia for WiFi b/g/n/ and some /ac.
Look for ones with gigabit ethernet.

Much, much simpler.
Much more reliable......you don't have everything depending on a single device you've had to kludge (sorry, "modify")to get it going.

Cheers
Ian
___________________
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Offline nicolatiana

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2014, 10:08:41 AM »
@CentOs: it's not so strange the supposed "lack" of support for some particular hardware components. Centos like its "father/mother" RedHat is a server class distribution like Novell Sles or hypervisors like Esx or Proxmox. Their main goal is giving the best out-of-the-box hardware support on selected hardware, usually medium-high end ones, those who can give robustness and stability.
As stated by Stephane the best strategy when building a Linux box (not only Sme) is a good HCL research before purchase.
I can figure that your wLan or your Usb-Lan adapter is working on Linux distros that have a "Desktop" focus too (like Debian --> Ubuntu); Centos & company focus is another one.

After the sermon . . . . . .  8)

. . . . consider that You not yet given us the brand/chipset of your usb->lan adapter  :mrgreen:

Nicola
Consulente di Smeserver.it -  Soluzioni e supporto su Sme server in Italia.

Offline stephdl

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2014, 11:36:22 AM »
do Microsoft provides driver for hardware ?
NO!
Please give us the exact reference of your hardware, hard to help you without that.
See http://wiki.contribs.org/Koozali_Foundation
irc : Freenode #sme_server #sme-fr

!!! Please write your knowledge to the Wiki !!!

Offline CC

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2014, 12:13:59 AM »
The wlan uses a Realtek RTL8723AE chipset.  The usb -> Ethernet adapter uses an AX88179 chip.

I found a post saying that drivers for the Realtek chip are in the ELRepo repositeries but haven't been able to download and install them as when using the commands in the post it said they were not there?

Offline TerryF

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2014, 03:06:17 AM »
Considering Realteks lack of linux driver development for this chipset I don't think you have a lot of choices..the suggestion by idp_qbn looks to be best option.  Hopefully RealTek or another source may come up with the goods down the track, even then seeing a kernel update could be many months away at the very least.

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Offline janet

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2014, 03:08:43 AM »
CC

Quote
The wlan uses a Realtek RTL8723AE chipset.  The usb -> Ethernet adapter uses an AX88179 chip.
I found a post saying that drivers for the Realtek chip are in the ELRepo repositeries but haven't been able to download and install them as when using the commands in the post it said they were not there?

If you want help, you need to be more specific.
Exactly what commands are you issuing ?
Give us a link to the post you reference.
Did you configure the repository on sme first, before trying to install from it ?
Please search before asking, an answer may already exist.
The Search & other links to useful information are at top of Forum.

Offline CC

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2014, 08:40:18 AM »
Thanks for everyone's help.

I have closed the tabs that related to installing the drivers from the ELRepo repositories and also closed the SSH connection to the server, so am unable to report back on the commands I attempted to use.

Looks as though I have no option but to follow idp_qbn's advice and go server only mode until drivers eventually become available.  I suspect this will give me other issues but maybe easier to deal with them than these drivers.

Offline Stefano

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Re: Ethernet drivers
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2014, 10:38:26 AM »
I have closed the tabs that related to installing the drivers from the ELRepo repositories

if you use firefox, you can open last session's open pages.. and, of course, you have the history

Quote
and also closed the SSH connection to the server, so am unable to report back on the commands I attempted to use.

reconnect and
Code: [Select]
history

will tell you what you did

Quote
Looks as though I have no option but to follow idp_qbn's advice and go server only mode until drivers eventually become available.

with your approach, you are trying to use a screwdriver to make an hole in the wall.. it could be done, but it's not the right way
follow idp_qbn's advice..

Quote
I suspect this will give me other issues but maybe easier to deal with them than these drivers.

sorry but my crystal ball is broken.. what issues do you expect to have? make questions, we will answer