So I am thinking of creating a ProxMox cluster, three (3) nodes, and use direct network between the nodes (no switch). Now that requires two network ports dedicated just for this. Plus the normal ports. I don't think I will be able to get small boxes with all networks ports. But I can get my hand on HP 800 Mini G6 boxes. And there are a number of USB ports (USB Type-A 10Gbps Ports) capable of high data rate. Now is it possible to use those USB ports with direct USB to USB cables? I have no experience of USB networking, but I though by not using a dongle, one might actually gain something? or not...?
Use USB for network (without a USB to Ethernet dongle) - is it possible?
- Thread starter Bamsefar
- Start date
No, it's not possible and if you do find a way no-one else will be using such a system, so you won't get any support or online help.
I think that the G6 boxes have a PCI slot for the wifi card, so you can switch the wifi for 2.5 or 5Gbe PCIe network adapters. At some stage you are going to need a network switch too.
I have a HP G4 in operation as a node in my cluster, the mini or tiny PC's are great for someone just starting out and learning the ropes. They are available used for $100 or less, yet provide enough grunt for people to learn the system and what they really need specs wise, before going out and spending $1000's
Well I guess I need to explain the obvious thing here: I am just playing around to learn a bit or two.
One could call it playlab if one like, or just a homelab on some standard Intel based hardware.
For the record, a HP 800 Mini G6 can hold a number of different CPUs - I would choose something slow performance since well I am in no hurry. Each HP 800 mini G6 can hold 64GB of RAM and two NVME SSDs. There is also a "HP Flex IO" port, which can be used for an extra 2.5GB network card, there is also an old 1Gbit FC adapter but why someone would use that I do not know - and there is that 1Gbit ethernet port on the motherboard from start. One can also add a graphic card, but I do not need that either. All in all, I think a HP 800 Mini G6 is a okay box to play around with. It is cheap, and it got some things that other boxes do not have. A Intel NUC or Asus NUC would be great, but it is only the last generation that can add an extra 2.5GBit network extension card, and the NUC boxes are more expensive. Fresher of course, but do I need that?
For comparison I have a Proxmox server (none cluster, just a single stand alone box) with a Intel i5 10210U (I think, might be wrong on the exact version but it does not matter either), 32GB RAM and 5.5 TB of SSD storge. It turns around all my VMs/LXCs including a virtual firewall based on OPNSense. So if I for some odd reason would decide to move that "personal production environment" to a cluserbased setup - then I would most likly choose complety different hardware, since that runs 24*7. And it only consumes 29W. So 3 boxes of HP 800 Mini G6 - it will of course use more power, so playlab it is.
On top of that I am retired so I am in no way interested in paying for licenses or support - I am here to learn, and sometimes one makes misstakes and one will learn at least as much from thoose misstakes. Life is nor perfect. Nor is support, and trust me, I know when support also fails big time (that time a SAN dropped a complete RAID-5 set without notice or anything....), so supported or not, I do not care. It is a playlab after all.
What I asked was if I could use the USB 3.x ports to use as high speed network without dongles that will need to convert to Ethernet cable???
One could call it playlab if one like, or just a homelab on some standard Intel based hardware.
For the record, a HP 800 Mini G6 can hold a number of different CPUs - I would choose something slow performance since well I am in no hurry. Each HP 800 mini G6 can hold 64GB of RAM and two NVME SSDs. There is also a "HP Flex IO" port, which can be used for an extra 2.5GB network card, there is also an old 1Gbit FC adapter but why someone would use that I do not know - and there is that 1Gbit ethernet port on the motherboard from start. One can also add a graphic card, but I do not need that either. All in all, I think a HP 800 Mini G6 is a okay box to play around with. It is cheap, and it got some things that other boxes do not have. A Intel NUC or Asus NUC would be great, but it is only the last generation that can add an extra 2.5GBit network extension card, and the NUC boxes are more expensive. Fresher of course, but do I need that?
For comparison I have a Proxmox server (none cluster, just a single stand alone box) with a Intel i5 10210U (I think, might be wrong on the exact version but it does not matter either), 32GB RAM and 5.5 TB of SSD storge. It turns around all my VMs/LXCs including a virtual firewall based on OPNSense. So if I for some odd reason would decide to move that "personal production environment" to a cluserbased setup - then I would most likly choose complety different hardware, since that runs 24*7. And it only consumes 29W. So 3 boxes of HP 800 Mini G6 - it will of course use more power, so playlab it is.
On top of that I am retired so I am in no way interested in paying for licenses or support - I am here to learn, and sometimes one makes misstakes and one will learn at least as much from thoose misstakes. Life is nor perfect. Nor is support, and trust me, I know when support also fails big time (that time a SAN dropped a complete RAID-5 set without notice or anything....), so supported or not, I do not care. It is a playlab after all.
What I asked was if I could use the USB 3.x ports to use as high speed network without dongles that will need to convert to Ethernet cable???
Last edited:
There is such thing as MQTT which allows you to communicate from one computer to Arduino and raspberry pi but not other computers. It is not worth the hassle one bit to even try, you're better off purchasing USB to ethernet adapters and use the normal way of computer networking.