Forum Discussion

btwixt

Guide

May 24, 2022

USB Recovery and boot menu > memory test with reference to OS updates and making bricks.

Reference:

Re: RN102 unresponsive after initiating FW update from 6.10.6 to 6.10.7

Followed directions at this link:

https://kb.netgear.com/29952/How-do-I-use-the-USB-Recovery-Tool-on-my-ReadyNAS-OS-6-storage-system

In the section "To boot your desktop model ReadyNAS from USB:"
first it says hold the Backup button. Then for 2-bay models it says to hold the Reset
button. Must be an error because the Reset button takes you to the boot menu.

And this provided my friends and I with quite a few laughs:
"Try several different USB drives until the ReadyNAS completes the recovery process."
Is there some sort of QVL for acceptable flash drives???

I ran out of patience (and beer) at about 24 trys with units ranging in age from 1 to 12 years

and capacities from 512MB to 32GB and various allocation unit sizes during format.

Nearly everything I try, this procedure included, ends in about 6 seconds

with a rapidly flashing power LED.

And I have yet to find any documentation on what behavior I should expect from the LEDs
while running BOOT MENU > MEMORY TEST. I have only found "Ask NetGear."
I'm asking.

I really hate to give up on this... but it is looking more and more like a brick.

Extra Credit Question: On the back panel is a small sticker near the Ethernet port. It covers a 4-pin header.

What is it for?

11 Replies

StephenB
Guru
May 24, 2022
btwixt wrote:

In the section "To boot your desktop model ReadyNAS from USB:"
first it says hold the Backup button. Then for 2-bay models it says to hold the Reset
button. Must be an error because the Reset button takes you to the boot menu.

Agreed. I think it is intending to tell you to hold the backup button for 30 seconds instead of 15. Though if you have a USB drive that has an activity light, that will tell you when the NAS begins booting from USB.

btwixt wrote:

Extra Credit Question: On the back panel is a small sticker near the Ethernet port. It covers a 4-pin header.

What is it for?

If you have a suitable adapter, you can connect the header to a serial port on the PC, which will give you console access w/o needing ethernet.
- btwixt
  Guide
  May 24, 2022
  Please satisfy my curiosity on two points:
  1. What is the expected response to entering memory test from the boot menu?
  2. Why has this twice before asked question been entirely overlooked?
  Is this some jealously guarded intellectual property info?
  - StephenB
    Guru
    May 24, 2022
    btwixt wrote:
    
    Please satisfy my curiosity on two points:
    
    1. What is the expected response to entering memory test from the boot menu?
    
    2. Why has this twice before asked question been entirely overlooked?
    
    Is this some jealously guarded intellectual property info?
    
    FWIW, I answered it here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/New-ReadyNAS-Users-General/RN102-unresponsive-after-initiating-FW-update-from-6-10-6-to-6/m-p/2226523#M48652
    
    https://kb.netgear.com/25629/ReadyNAS-OS-6-RN102-Memory-Test-Analysis?article=25629