Wake-On-LAN: Anybody Got It Working?

The short version: all my Wake-on-LAN (and other) problems appear to have been cured by doing a USB Boot Recovery followed by a boot menu "Reinstall OS".

The longer version:

After two months backing-and-forthing on a trouble ticket, I seem to have inadvertently found the solution to the Wake-on-LAN problem--and several other problems--with both my Ultra 6s.

After having my backup system, NAS2, stripped of content and available to tech support via SSH, I took it "private" again and reloaded my config to restore shares and backup jobs. The backup jobs didn't work, so I deleted 'em and tried to recreate 'em, but when I hit "apply" the job was forgotten (see multiple threads: FrontView changes not "sticking"). I decided to do a Factory Reset.

I found I couldn't do a Factory Reset through FrontView, and I wasn't able to bring up the Boot Menu at all (see multiple threads: Boot Menu not working). Oh, dear... Then I found mdgm's suggestion of doing a USB Boot Recovery here:

viewtopic.php?f=64&t=49874&start=2

I followed the instructions to reflash 4.2.15 on my Ultra 6, and immediately had the Boot Menu back! I proceeded with a Factory Reset, after which the NAS started to behave just the way it was supposed to: no sleep problems, Wake-on-LAN no matter how it was shut down; no FrontView-changes-don't-stick; etc.

After fully backing up NAS1 to NAS2, I tried a similar procedure on NAS1: USB Boot Recovery to reflash the firmware, then from the Boot Menu (which now showed for the first time ever), I tried "Reinstall OS", which reinstalled the OS on disk from the (just-reflashed) flash memory, but leaves user data intact (except for security certificate, password, and IP address setup). Hey presto: suddenly NAS1, like NAS2, worked perfectly and consistently, for the first time since I unboxed it.

I surmise that some unknown but nontrivial number of Ultras was improperly flashed at the factory, leading to a number of odd, sometimes intermittent, and puzzling problems, including some or all of the following:
- Wake-on-LAN not working after front-panel power-off.
- Wake-on-LAN not working after scheduled power-off.
- Boot Menu not accessible.
- Scheduled sleep not working if schedule calls for sleep within next ten minutes or so.
- Some or all changes made in FrontView don't "apply" properly, or at all.
- Backup jobs failing after configuration restoration.
Performing a USB Boot Recovery reflashes the memory with the proper code; Reinstalling OS rewrites the on-disk OS from the reflashed memory (a Factory Reset also reinstalls the OS, of course, but it also erases your data).

If you want to try this yourself:

- You do this at your own risk, of course; I am not saying this will fix YOUR problem(s), only that it fixed mine. I offer no guarantee of suitability or fitness of purpose of this fix for any problems whatsoever. NETGEAR support was pleased to hear that this fixed my problems but did not indicate whether it was a wise thing for me to have attempted in the first place.

- Back up your data before you try this. You run the risk of wiping your data and/or rendering your NAS unbootable.

- Have a selection of USB flash drives handy to try. When you have one that works, you'll see its access light flash briefly during the boot process, then off and on for a while as the NAS reads code and data from it; then the NAS will shut off, typically within a minute or 90 seconds of power-on. With a USB drive that the NAS dislikes, you'll see the access light flash briefly, once, then never again, and the NAS will neither finish booting nor will it shut down. I tried two newish USB flash drives with excellent read/write performance, and had no luck at all. I wound up using a giveaway flash drive from a conference two years ago that may well be the SLOWEST flash drive ever made, and the NAS happily recognized it. (A note I ran across says that the ReadyNASes don't want to boot from flash drives with built-in hubs. FWIW, the flash drive that worked for me appears in OS X's System Profiler as a "flash disk", while the ones that don't appear in the list as "USB 2.0".)

- Both my NASes were updated to the latest BIOS, which I was able to obtain from support after opening a support ticket and explaining that chirpa suggested a BIOS update but then did not respond to requests for that BIOS (see: viewtopic.php?f=51&t=45584&start=14). I do not know if the BIOS update, which fixed some scheduled power-on issues, is a necessary component of this fix.

Boot Recovery isn't normally a recommended procedure to do unless tech support recommends it, but if you can't access the boot menu, then that does indicate a problem with the flash and that the USB Boot Recovery is worth a try (I would try doing a firmware update if you can first though in case this fixes it, before attempting a USB Boot Recovery).

If you can I would backup your data and do a config backup before doing the USB Boot Recovery.

The USB Boot Recovery doesn't touch your disks or the data on them and the worse that could happen should be that you need to do a RMA of your unit (data should be fine provided array is in a redundant state) but it's better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes when doing a USB Boot Recovery some important information identifying your unit gets wiped out which requires tech support to remotely login and fix it. So doing the boot recovery when it's not necessary can lead to their time being wasted.

I guess perhaps I should look and see if I can access the boot menu. I was waiting to use it till when I upgrade to 3TB disks (probably in a year or two once prices have fallen considerably) to run the "Test Disks" boot option, but I guess I could check to see that I have a working boot menu tonight.

I spoke too soon... a week later, and my second NAS is (once again) ignoring Wake-on-LAN if it powered off from a schedule or from the front-panel button. Haven't tried the first NAS as it's normally running 'round the clock.

Oh, well. Back to the drawing board...

adamwilt wrote:
I spoke too soon... a week later, and my second NAS is (once again) ignoring Wake-on-LAN if it powered off from a schedule or from the front-panel button. Haven't tried the first NAS as it's normally running 'round the clock. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board...

Adam,

I'm curious because I am also working with an L3 engineer at Netgear for the exact same issue and can not activate the boot menu on my Ultra 6; while in your case, the WOL seems to have regressed, are you still able to activate the boot menu?

Thanks,
Bruce

Just wanted to update...

After further digging around it seems like the ProSecure UTM25 doesn't support WAN WOL, either via VPN or a firewall rule. I guess they consider it a security issue. Bummer... :(

Could I get a Jedi to confirm this for me? That way I can stop trying to get it to work.

Thanks!

fbmachines wrote:
Just wanted to update... After further digging around it seems like the ProSecure UTM25 doesn't support WAN WOL, either via VPN or a firewall rule. I guess they consider it a security issue. Bummer... :( Could I get a Jedi to confirm this for me? That way I can stop trying to get it to work. Thanks!

After updating RAIDiator to 4.2.16 final, there is now an option under "network-->interfaces" "Select xmit_hash_policy:". Default was set at "Layer2" so I changed it to "Layer3+4" and all is good in the Wake on WAN world. I can wake up my media server via my iPhone (iNet) to stream AirVideo, and meaningless work releated stuff too.

Is there a downside to selecting Layer3+4? Performance drop?

EDIT: Should have mentioned that I am using NICs 1 & 2 in LACP config.

I just updated to 4.2.16 and WOL seems tb working for me so far - with no tweaks.

Haven't gone offsite yet to try it from there, but it's definately working within my home LAN.

FWIW, for iPhone/iTouch/iPad, there's an app called "iNet" that's working well for me. It's not cheap as apps go - about six bucks when all the dust settles - but the functionality is definately there.

Only caveat is that you have to buy it twice: the intro version (which lacks WOL) for a buck, then the "real" version for another five.

Once you that second version, you're good to go.

EDIT 2011 04-07 15:47:
Just tried walking around the block, connecting via a neighbor's unsecured WAP, and issuing a WOL.

No-Go. Not knowing much about this stuff, I'm guessing it's something about the app not being able to make use of a dynamic domain service like DynDNS.org. Either that or my being too clueless to know how to tell the app to use said service....

Spent an hour or so looking through iPhone apps, but couldn't find one that both claimed to work over the internet and actually did so.

Closest seems tb "Wake", but perusal of recent reviews suggests the developer *tried* to implement the over-the-internet feature, but failed.

EDIT 2011 04-09 14:30:
Found an app called "iNet Pro" by BananaGlue.de, which seems to be the real deal - i.e. they have a team working on it, not just some guy in his rec room after work. Current release as of this time is 2.02, but they have a 2.2 in the works that promises to do it all. Have been back-and-forth with the developers a couple of times, and they are both responsive and credable.

WOL only works when the device issuing the WOL packet is on the same subnet as the sleeping device. You will only be able to get Remote WOL working if you can instruct another device on your LAN to send the packet.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ic_Packets

Check out your router - it may have WOL support

@ECHO OFF
:BEGIN
CLS
START C:\wol.exe FFFFFFFFFFFF



(change FFFFFFFFFFFF with your NAS MAC address)

Hi,

I have an Ultra 4 in firmware 4.2.17.
The wake on lan works from my Android phone but only just after I power off the NAS.
Between 0 and something like 4mn after the power off the wake on lan is working but not if I wait longer.

Anyone have experienced this issue ?