🛠 Ethernet Gigabit et accès SSH

Objectives

Configure the ODROID-XU4 as a headless server: Gigabit Ethernet (up to ~880 Mbit/s measured with iperf3, one of its major strengths) and secure SSH access. Architectural particularity: the GbE chip is connected to one of the two USB 3.0 hosts on the SoC, while the other host powers the two external USB 3.0 ports via a GL352x hub — keep this in mind for a NAS setup.

Hardware

• ODROID-XU4 running Armbian, RJ45 Ethernet cable, box/router
• No built-in Wi-Fi: only USB dongles if needed

Full code

# 1) Verifier le lien et l'adresse IP
ip -br addr show
sudo dmesg | grep -i -e eth -e link

# 2) Creer l'utilisateur et durcir SSH
sudo adduser admin
sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo sed -i 's/#PermitRootLogin.*/PermitRootLogin no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart ssh

# 3) Mesurer le debit reel vers une machine du LAN (attendu ~880 Mbit/s)
sudo apt install iperf3
iperf3 -c 192.168.1.10 -t 20 -P 4

# 4) Adresse IP statique (NetworkManager, image desktop) ou /etc/network/interfaces
nmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" ipv4.method manual \
  ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.50/24 ipv4.gateway 192.168.1.1
nmcli con up "Wired connection 1"

Expected verification

ping works between the PC and the board, the first SSH connection displays the server fingerprint, and iperf3 approaches 880 Mbit/s upstream — a rare throughput for an SBC of this generation. ssh admin@192.168.1.50 opens a shell.

Common errors

• Expecting Wi-Fi: the board has neither built-in Wi-Fi nor Bluetooth, only USB.
• Saturating the bus: connecting two USB 3.0 SSDs while pushing network traffic degrades speeds (shared USB topology).
• Locking yourself out with a misconfigured firewall: keep the HDMI console or serial console ttySAC2 (1.8 V) as a fallback.
• Forgetting to install iperf3 on the test server on the other end.