Can I downgrade firmware

[sirhc]

looking back, I don't think i got a clear answer on how to downgrade? If I try to load 1.4.7 on a switch with 1.4.9 i get some sort of folder/directory error. If i need to step it back, or go back even further let me know where I can get the right version.

Try a power on factory default then try to downgrade.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=409#p2398

Press the factory default button and hold for 20 seconds when powering up
This feature reformats the writable partition where the config is stored then recreates a new config with the default, this process is actually handled but the boot loader. If you ever see an error or warning on the console during initial boot or in the Linux system log about the JFFS2 filesystem such as a checksum issue this is the only way to correct that issue. Now the JFFS2 file system is pretty resilient and even if it gets corrupted 99.9% of the time you would never have an issue but if you really want the error message to go away you have to do this type of factory default, just remember to backup your config or write it down first as with any factory default your config is lost!

WHEN PERFORMING THIS DEFAULT YOU MUST LET THE SWITCH SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES

[jurwiller]

that topic does'nt seem to have anything about tftp recovery, just factory resetting?

I understand the rest, I will let you know.

[sirhc]

that topic does'nt seem to have anything about tftp recovery, just factory resetting?

I understand the rest, I will let you know.

Oh sorry, not fully awake yet, missed you were doing console upgrade.

Will see if Stephen can help you out.

[jurwiller]

i have a switch here in the lab i am testing the downgrade on. after the reset while consoled in, I cant actually see where it is formatting anything; but it does factory default. I tried holding the reset button in during boot as well; Im not sure if its going beyond the factory reset.

when I try to load a previous firmware even after the reset, I get " Error: Missing fisdir_m25q128 " when doing it from CLI or web UI.

[Julian]

D'oh. Also not fully awake, the link I meant to post was this one: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1073#p8073

Sorry. You have to be pretty quick with the control-c at boot to get to the redboot> prompt, but that's where you need to be.
Loading the recovery tarball should get you to where you can load whichever firmware binary you'd like. There were some bugs that we wanted to make sure were thoroughly quashed and GUI downgrades were disabled.

[jurwiller]

sweet thanks! ill try this and let you know.

[jurwiller]

I successfully downgraded to 1.4.7 using that method. Thanks! now I will need to rinse and repeat for a bunch of switches, Ill let you know how it goes.

[sirhc]

I successfully downgraded to 1.4.7 using that method. Thanks! now I will need to rinse and repeat for a bunch of switches, Ill let you know how it goes.

I emphatically still say this is NOT your issue.

Also be careful when you force a downgrade this way instead of the web UI which knows that some models can NOT run older versions you risk having an incompatible firmware and you can brick the unt and that is not covered under warranty.

Also note that v1.4.7 has security holes and the switch can be compromised.

[sirhc]

WS-12-250-DC units that do not allow downgrade in the UI/CLI does so for a reason.

You will end up bricking some of these if not all units that refuse to downgrade in the UI / CLI as they do that for a specific reason (hardware changes on the power supply).

There were hardware changes in the power supply mostly that will NOT work properly on older firmware.

For instance if you do that to any of the last 2000 plus units we built v1.4.7 FORCED on to the unit will cause the unit to act flaky and or brick the unit.

Again I am telling you this is NOT your issue.

[jurwiller]

Firmware was indeed NOT the issue! I didn't end up downgrading more than about 4 of them until we stumbled upon the issue. the ones I did downgrade didnt brick or anything and appear to be running fine, I will upgrade them again asap.

I cant remember if I mentioned this earlier on in this post or the one I started on the same topic, but these 19 poles do have 1 thing different than the other 19, that I thought originally was a symptom but ended up being the cause. Initially, like the 19 poles in production these new 19 poles all had microsemi in-line surge supression like all my tower gear does. I kept getting the link bounces, and Mimosa support told me to remove the in line surge because the A5 had protection built in and it was causing too much resistance on the line. When those were removed, the cabinet ground lug did not get tightened down enough in almost every case. I noticed this by checking for ground current, voltage if there was current, and continuity between all the grounds and the ground rod. Surprisingly (or not) the only device that had any current on the ground at all was the netonix at the chassis ground screw. Once the other end of that ground cable was securely fastened to the cabinet ground with the microsemi inline surge's removed - my Ethernet errors and port bounces appear to have gone away!

Still strange that I was able to run the Microsemi surge nid's on the first 1/2 of my poles, but all of a sudden I cant on the 2nd 1/2 - but whatever, I am happy that these are now behaving like I know these switches can :)

I want to thank you all for stickin with me on this one, I know I said it before you have a great product. man was this a frustrating run. I also apologize for not seeing this sooner. I do have one final question, is it normal to see voltage on the chassis ground of the netonix, or is this pointing to a different underlying issue? It was strange to me when testing grounds yesterday that the cabinet, the AC feed, the AC-2-DC power supply, the heated backplate and the A5-14 all had no voltage on ground but the Netnoix did. Now that the switch is connected, does that voltage on ground cause any goofy-ness for any of the other gear?