Need help with your HALP Dell home server VxRail S470. There are several problems reported.
Need help with your HALP Dell home server VxRail S470. There are several problems reported.
Ok so I have spent the better part of a month desperately trying to fix/troubleshoot issues with my home Nas and server and I'm LITERALLY bashing my head against a brick wall ( got the headache and hospital bill to boot ) trying to figure these issues out, I have been to numerous forums, help sites, YouTube vid, everywhere trying everything my tiny brain has tried to fix..... so 1. Dell VxRail S470 server (my "NAS server") issues - PERC card not showing HDDs and SSDs so I cannot RAID them in any way, no storage shows up at all except in the HBA 330 everything is normal - Network card shows "unknown network, no internet", reset multiple times, new OS at least 3 times ( lost my 20TB of data too, thanks windows server 2020 ), new firmware at least twice - tried a new OS ( True NAS scale ), got a "Grub Rescue" ( thinking its due to PERC card and "no storage", please correct me if I'm wrong ), and now I cant even install an OS 2. Dell PowerEdge r610 ( my "Head server" ) - Network card issues, same as other server ^ ( 2nd NIC "wifi" works fine, thank fk ) 3. UDM Pro ( modem ) - not recognizing all devices connected - recently upgraded data cables in roof from cat 6 to fibre with all hardware on either end then immediately after all issues occurred - factory reset twice 4. Unifi AP 7 Pro - constantly restarting - not broadcasting SSIDs - ( factory reset it multiple times, tried multiple poe++ injectors, new cables, new data cables to the brick )
It contains a raid card, but it might be faulty or not meet your needs. The presence of perc cards suggests an older system with strict limits. A simple switch might be causing the issue—check if all devices connect properly through it. The problem seems highly sensitive, and the servers appear to have a DHCP-related issue.
This model is essentially a rebranded PowerEdge R730XD. I used it as a home server running TrueNAS for some time. Regardless of the PERC card you installed, remove the pre-boot configuration and turn off RAID support. I’m unsure if Dell refers to it as "IT mode" or "HBA mode," but this approach lets the drives connect straight to the operating system rather than showing virtual partitions. (ZFS requires unobstructed access to the drives for proper operation.) These units are also recent enough to boot from an NVMe SSD via a PCIe adapter, though you’ll need to allocate multiple lanes on one drive. (Be aware that not all PCIe slots will function if only one processor is installed.) Which mezzanine card are you using? I found the Broadcom quad Gigabit card and the Intel 1000/10g combo card worked well for me.
Dell PERC s130 performed well before the fiber upgrade. It ran Win Server for six months without issues, and everything was listed as "certified refurbished" locally. I’m considering a replacement since my current RAID card is software-based. I’ve tried a ZTE modem with four LAN ports (dumb), two other switches—one a basic 4-port gig switch for cheap TP links ($80), the other a Netgear GS274Tv3 managed switch—and none of them let me connect internet. The switches do recognize data, but nothing is streaming online. I’m not sure if buying a new one is worth it, but I can return the old unit under warranty and fix it. I plan to test the old card first, maybe load the lifecycle controller and share a photo when I’m at the shop on Monday morning. I recall it was a 10G 2-port/100MB 2-port combo card from the original listing, and I’ll get the hardware list then.
The severe error persists despite Wi-Fi networks being manually assigned SSIDs.
I overlooked something important: Changing from a PCIe PERC card to a mezzanine card placed in the PERC slot on the motherboard—or switching from onboard RAID to a mezzanine PERC—requires updating the backplane cables connecting your drive. My R730XD has a 12-bay LFF chassis with two 2.5" bays above the power supplies. I’ll make sure to note the part numbers later.
I own two 1.6TB LSDDs (2.5") and twelve 4TB SAS 3.5" drives, all enterprise-grade and certified. I’m looking for an image of the nearest option.
Do you have another PoE power delivery solution? It seems most devices or the cable they connect to are likely not meeting requirements. That’s frustrating, but since you mentioned a Windows Server, consider disabling DHCP on your router and letting the server manage it temporarily. This might resolve connection issues similar to what you’re experiencing.
Regarding IP addresses for machines not connected via Ethernet, along with their subnet masks and gateways, I can compile a list if you provide the specific devices or networks you’re interested in. It’s an interesting topic—your approach with Broadcom equipment makes sense for home use because it’s reliable, widely used, and affordable.
Several mezzanine options are available for the 13th generation PowerEdge servers. Most listings feature a quad Gigabit Broadcom card, an Intel combo with two 10GBASE-T ports and two Gigabit cards, or an Intel 2x SFP+ paired with two Gigabit cards. These appear to be the most popular choices in the used market based on my search.
i currently don't have a spare, here are the links to what i found Buy Ubiquiti 48VDC 30W Gigabit 802.3at PoE+ Injector [U-POE-AT] | PC Case Gear Australia Buy Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro Indoor Wireless Access Point Wi-Fi 7 [U7-PRO] | PC Case Gear Australia Buy Cruxtec CAT8 40GbE S/STP Triple Shielding PoE Cable White 0.3m [RS8-003-WH] | PC Case Gear Australia i’ll try that once i can, i’m pretty sure the default IPs are set, i know i adjusted them manually in the UDM and on the NICs in the lifecycle controller, but i usually leave gateway IPs untouched. they typically range from 192.168.4.20 to .29 for one server, then 192.168.5.30 to .39 for the “NAS” so i can keep things organized. i really need a reliable 10G NIC at a lower cost soon (working on a budget). i’ll check some options and see what fits best, or maybe buy a budget gig wifi ethernet combo card so it works either way, thanks for your help."