WS-12-250A, hardware/firmware issues

[sirhc]

For the console port to "vomit" as youre indicating but yet the switch does boot and Linux "must" be loading as you can ping it , get the login page, and you get the SSH screen that would indicate that the serial interface is bad as Linux MUST be loading properly but we use the serial interface/console at the end of the line to program the MAC, Model and such so the serial interface did work at that time so it would have had to gone bad sitting?

As the switch is first booting that is Redboot which we did not customize the Redboot loader which is outputting to the console port at the initial boot?

Now I suppose it is possible that a lose screw rattling around in the chassis might have damaged the board knocking off a resistor or something?

[sirhc]

The Linux Partition must be fine as it loads, but you can not login which would indicate that config is corrupted which is on another partition?

The weird thing here is the console port "vomiting" as you describe it.

Please verify that your console cable and emulator settings are all correct, I am not insinuating you're making a mistake but it just seems weird that the console port is behaving like this, make no sense?

[josh]

Now when you do the 20 second default button while powering it on you did let it set for about 4 minutes before doing anything with the switch?

It takes about 4 minutes for the switch to reformat the jffs2 partition, if you disturb it during this period it will corrupt the flash partition where the config reside and could act like this.

It is very important to let it sit for that 4 minute +/- period.

Chris, I have done it 3 times now. It has now been sitting here for ~30m after a reboot. It looks like it's stuck in some kind of boot loop, but I can't confirm because I can't read the console output. :(

[sirhc]

Well if the console port is non functional then the recovery from the secondary partition is not possible.

Guess we are going to have to RMA this one then, sorry.

Please email the MAC address to chris@netonix.com and I will issue an official RAM number but since I know I have issued 7 others it will be NRMA0008

Please box it back up in the original box and return it to us at:

Netonix
Att: RMA - NRMA0008
154 Earland Drive
Building 5C
New Holland, PA 17557

[sirhc]

If it is in a boot loop then you are seeing the constant pings stop and then restart again?

[josh]

Chris,

I went through 3 cisco style console cables, 1 null modem adapter, 3 gender changers, and finally found something that worked :)

I also found why I was seeing a CONSTANT stream of data - one of the gender changers I was using was BROKEN and was constantly sending data to the terminal, just a 0:21; over and over and over.

I was able to reset the login information and get into the switch, HOWEVER... I would love to know how this happened?

Again, originally on 1.1.1
Upgraded to 1.1.8
used the GUI to "reset to defaults"
then I couldn't log in... i'm going to try and "reproduce" this again

[josh]

EDIT:

So, anytime I reset to defaults from the GUI, it broke my password.

HOWEVER, I just reflashed 1.1.8 for a second time, and now resetting to defaults WORKS.

I don't know how this switch got into this state with the two simple steps I was in, but I'm glad that it DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE BUG, SIMPLY A FLUKE.

I will TRY to recreate this on one of my other NIB switches, and will update this thread with further info.

[sirhc]

CHRIS - I can confirm.

I am on 1.1.8 right now.

Any time I "Reset to Defaults" from the GUI, it "b0rks" my password and I have to use the CLI to fix it. I was just able to reproduce this. Looks like a BUG!

Squash it!

So your saying if you have v1.1.8 and do a UI factory default this happens? Let me go try this cause I am sure I have tested this.

[sirhc]

I just did a UI factory default and was able to login with Username "admin" Password "admin"??

I will down grade to v1.1.1 then upgrade to v1.1.8 and factory default that?

[josh]

(See my above update)