Re: WAC510 - repurpose but still "locked" due to Insight registration?

RobLigt · ‎2021-12-20

Hi,

I was given a Netgear WAC510 which we really could use in our environment.

Unfortunately, it appears still to be a Netgear Insight's registered device and therefore can not be registered and not even reset?

I tried the reset as described in the manual but other then cycling of the various led-indicators, I can't see it appearing on our (wired) network?

I do notice that both wireless led's are turned off, so I gather the previous admin disabled the radios.

Is there truely nothing I can do with this WAC510 until the previous admin disassociates this WAC510 from their own Insight account?
As I expect that will never happen as that admin is no longer available.

Thus I can smash it to bits and return it to e-waste?

Thanks for any response!

schumaku · ‎2021-12-20

@RobLigt wrote:

Unfortunately, it appears still to be a Netgear Insight's registered device and therefore can not be registered and not even reset?

I tried the reset as described in the manual but other then cycling of the various led-indicators, I can't see it appearing on our (wired) network?

This is intentional and by design. No local reset process does unbind it from Insight - for good reasons - think about....

@RobLigt wrote:

I do notice that both wireless led's are turned off, so I gather the previous admin disabled the radios.

THe LED behaviour can be part of the still active Insight config, e.g. LED all-off or LED only-power.

@RobLigt wrote:

Is there truely nothing I can do with this WAC510 until the previous admin disassociates this WAC510 from their own Insight account?

You can challenge a nice Netgear moderator to free-up the serial number/MAC address from the Insight binding. @JohnC_V can you assist please?

RobLigt · ‎2021-12-20

@schumaku
Thanks for the prompt response, much appreciated!

Whilst I can understand that a simple reset won't regain access(i.e. password-reset or something), but with a full/factory-default I would expect to get access to the WAC510.
As the latter should/would clear the complete configuration and thus pose no security-risks?

The WAV510 it is not, as far as I've understood it, a cloud-only device, but (also) locally managable?

We repurpose many Netgear kit, including some very expensive switches and this is the first time I can't get access to a Netgear product.
If it would be a cloud-only (read: Insight required) I can understand it to a certain extend, of course.

But most of the time, unless we purchase new kits, some admin left configurations/settings in the kit we repurpose.
I always will factory-reset, update the firmware and factory-reset again before deploying a kit into our network, as a standard practice.

I believe that a cloud-enabled product, like the WAC510, should offer the ability to factory-reset (and thus lose the complete configuration) eventhough it might be hooked into an existing Insight account as that way, whenever that decomissioned WAC510 is repurposed, it can be re-used again.
But that is my view of course, and I guess I'm wrong in this one.

@JohnC_V
if you can't help me please do let me know, I will then return the unit and get our money back.
I hate to give-up on any Netgear kit that could/should be re-used.

YeZ · ‎2021-12-20

In most of the Insight-supported devices including WAC510, we have implemented in the firmware that if the unit is reset to factory default, it will be removed from the previously Insight account.

You can try again with this:

1. Make sure your WAC510 is connected to a router with Internet access, as the removal of Insight account association post factory reset will require Internet connection to make it effective.

2. Reset it to factory default one more time.

If this still does not remove it (the blue Cloud LED is still on after the 2nd factory reset), you can private message me the serial number of your WAC510, and I will help remove it.

Thank you.

RobLigt · ‎2021-12-21

Hi @YeZ
Thank you for the response!
The firmware in this WAC510 might be quite old, I'm told.

I went thru the reset-procedure (pressing the reset-button for 10 seconds) again, this time the power-led now shows solid orange (boot failed?), the Insight LED is flashimg green in almost some kind of morse-code:
From what I can see,5x then 3x, then 1x and then 2x?
I waited 10 minutes, no change in the led behavious as described, so I powered it off and reconnected the power, no chance.
Did I brick this WAC510?

schumaku · ‎2021-12-21

Insight LED can be green (earlier serial numbers) or blue (later serial numbers).

Early firmware versions indeed were not able to "escape" from the Insight trap as I've mentioned before.

Amber power LED being on for a longer time indicates a boot issue - some kind of tftp recovery process might be required. Have no details at hand, but _assume_ the ubiquitous Netgear router tftp firmware recovery might be workable

RobLigt · ‎2021-12-21

It is indeed the older model, serial number starting with 4W8.

I searched the documentation but can't seem to locate any information about TFTP procedure other then to contact Netgear Support.
I guess that procedure is also quite elaborate too that only Netgear is able to provide that procedure,

Too bad, I had high hopes we could re-use the WAC510 but I guess not.
Really saddens me, especially the long nights I've put into it so far.
Hopefully I will get my money back otherwise it will be a very expensive mistake, for me.
Not too happy about that, if I'm honest.

RobLigt · ‎2021-12-22

Okay, I still do not want to give-up hope as our standards are Netgear kit;

Frm the looks of it, this WAC510 indeed has a boot-problem, I do not see the MAC-address appearing in the ARP.
I have obtained permission to set-up a TFTP in our (secured) environment.

But I would need some guidance how to resolve this issue.

Thanks!

ps: I already checked but I won't be able to get my money back so a big incentive to get this working again.