Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    SSD or Flash Drive, small home server

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    19 Posts 4 Posters 3.8k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • I
      itsignas
      last edited by

      Okay, thanks dude! Any recommendations of flash drives? I have old 8gb but it's like 3-5mb/s, super slow.. :)

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • ?
        Guest
        last edited by

        You can go either with a real SSD but please have a look on the tech. specs. that this drive is supporting than
        also TRIM. Other storage options that might be working well for you can be;

        • mSATA
        • M.2 SSD
        • DOM-SSD
        • SATA-DOM
        • SATA or IDE 2.5" SSD

        It might be also pending on your existing hardware what you want to insert, but at this days it would be
        the best to go with one of the most common SSDs or mSATAs, they are mostly all fine for some years.

        You might be using DD (DiskDump) to copy your entire actual HDD over to the SSD, after this is done
        you can activate TRIM support in pfSense and all want be fine.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • I
          itsignas
          last edited by

          I have DP35DP motherboard from intel it don't support M.2 either mSATA, so im left with ssd, but i don't know will pfsense kill it fast?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • ?
            Guest
            last edited by

            but i don't know will pfsense kill it fast?

            Likes the most other things, you get what you pay for! Not even but mostly.
            I am using a Samsung840 Pro 128 GB, it was easy and cheap to get because
            the Samsung850 was coming out, but this one has some Firmware problems.

            If you enable TRIM support in pfSense it will be the best as I see it, I am happy with mine
            because it is really fast and quiet.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • I
              itsignas
              last edited by

              Yep, i have 850 EVO 250gb, in my main rig, will some dirty cheap ssd for like 20bucks, 16gb be ok? ;D

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • ?
                Guest
                last edited by

                will some dirty cheap ssd for like 20bucks, 16gb be ok?

                If you are really sure that they are supporting TRIM you could test it out,
                if not I would be aware to use this than, because the data that will be wiped
                will not be marked as for rewrite and than often the SSD will slow down after
                a while and/or will dieing faster. It is not a must be more a can be.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • I
                  itsignas
                  last edited by

                  What about this one?

                  http://www.ebay.com/itm/FASTDISK-SSD-16GB-SATAII-2-5-Solid-State-Drive-Flash-MLC-Storage-Device-/201385280443?hash=item2ee37f83bb:g:mn8AAOSwWnFV97Ws

                  Will 16gb be enough?

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ?
                    Guest
                    last edited by

                    What about this one?

                    http://www.ebay.com/itm/FASTDISK-SSD-16GB-SATAII-2-5-Solid-State-Drive-Flash-MLC-Storage-Device-/201385280443?hash=item2ee37f83bb:g:mn8AAOSwWnFV97Ws

                    Is it supporting TRIM?

                    Will 16gb be enough?

                    How many and which packets?
                    What you all want to install on the disk?
                    Do you want to run Squid as a cache Proxy?

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • N
                      NOYB
                      last edited by

                      No.  3-5 mb/s is not fast enough.

                      I'm running an 8GB version of this and get about 20 MB/s on USB 2.0 port.

                      Lexar® JumpDrive® S75 USB 3.0 Flash Drive, 16GB
                      http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/605246/Lexar-JumpDrive-S75-USB-30-Flash/

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • I
                        itsignas
                        last edited by

                        Im running nothing fancy basic installiation, no cache or something, maybe few packages.

                        O the other hand flash drive will it be enough like 20mb/s, for some heavy packet logging, cause i have dedicated server box, server, 50 players, and web server.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • N
                          NOYB
                          last edited by

                          Recommend also enabling /tmp & /var ramdisk with periodic backup a few times a day.  I have RRD set for 9 hours and DHCP set for 7 hours.

                          Yeah I don't run any packages to speak of.  VPN client config wizard is only thing I really have need of.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • ?
                            Guest
                            last edited by

                            Yeah I don't run any packages to speak of.  VPN client config wizard is only thing I really have need of.

                            Then the NanoBSD version would perhaps the best way to walk on, but if the performance is not
                            so great or more is needed the DOM-SSD or SATA-DOM is also a fast and tiny way to go, for sure
                            not same cheap as with a USB pen drive but also as a small install.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • N
                              NOYB
                              last edited by

                              I've always run the full install on USB flash drive.  Enable RAM disk and it doesn't hit the drive much.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • U
                                uknownme123
                                last edited by

                                This question has been addressed in the past. Don't go with cheap SSD unless you are using SLC type, industrial grade. Find out the write cycle life of you SSD. I've had cheap SSD die on me using Windows7. When you install the full version of pfSense it writes to the drive constantly logging the graphs and other stuff (sorry I'm no expert).

                                When you run the nano version (compact flash & usb) it is ran from RAM. Everything is loaded from the flash drive into ram at boot and after boot, the running OS exist in RAM. So the intense disk using features of pfSense are turned OFF in nano version. There is an option in pfSense where you can offload logging into a log server.

                                If you go with a cheap SSD, you can always turn off logging, follow the guide here:
                                https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=34381.0

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • First post
                                  Last post
                                Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.