Not enough PCI-E slot, possible for freeNAS or Unraid to retain network settings when installing a PCI-E network card?

[Deluded]

Title is a little confusing, so I'll explain.

Using my old gaming computer for a NAS, and I've identified a potential snag.

i7 860
12gb ram
Gigabyte H55 mobo

Now, the above motherboard has two full length PCI-E slots, meaning I can insert anywhere from 1x up to 16x. But it also has multiple PCIE 1x slots.

Now the issue on hand -- I would like to run Dell H310 raid card in IT mode. So that's the top slot occupied.
I also would like to run an Intel gigabit PCI-E card, since onboard is realtek crap and can't sustain thoughtputs. So that's the bottom 16x slot occupied.

Buuuuuuuut, the board and the CPU do not have integrated graphics, so I have to remove one of the cards to install a GPU to at least set up either freeNAS or unraid.

So my question is, if I set up the OS with a GPU in slot #2 (slot #1 being the RAID card), then take out GPU and install gigabit PCIE card, would the OS be able to retain the network settings and apply it to the PCIE network card?

 

[Grebuloner]

So my question is, if I set up the OS with a GPU in slot #2 (slot #1 being the RAID card), then take out GPU and install gigabit PCIE card, would the OS be able to retain the network settings and apply it to the PCIE network card?

Probably not, or at least, not easily.

There are two and a half options that will make this easier and help you out in the future when you want to manage the system:

1. VNC/Teamviewer/SSH/etc. Some kind of network remote access that you can do all of this from another machine. Set it up with the video card in and then pull it out and do everything from another system. (I think Freenas has VNC built in)

2. Use a 1x to 16x PCIe riser (like coin miners use) and put your GPU on that while doing what you need to do with everything else in place. The card will work fine on a nonconductive surface as long as it gets its power and air, and then you can remove it when you're done and reattach as needed.

2.5. Use a USB external GPU. This is the least likely to work because of drivers or OS support, and also the most costly.

 

[Deluded]

On #1.....

A thought just occurred to me just now. Suppose I set it up, remove GPU and boot it up, it'll still connect to the onboard realtek NIC, and I should be able to SSH into it from another machine.

I don't have much experience with freeNAS or unraid, but do they support adding another NIC via SSH, then once I'm connected to the gigabit NIC, then through the same control panel disable realtek and unplug?

 

[Grebuloner]

Yes, making sure that you have enabled and set up SSH on the FreeNAS box (it's not available by default, there are some hoops, but tutorials make it easy). Once you're in via SSH, you are essentially in the command line interface of the box and can do any configuration from there. Make sure that all the network cables you intend to use are connected before you set up the Intel nic. Once they are good to go, you can do everything else via the web interface.