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

btwixt
Guide

RN102 unresponsive after initiating FW update from 6.10.6 to 6.10.7

Initiating update from local admin page, everything seemed normal
including the blinking power light during the update process.
I received a status email that the unit was rebooting, and
I watched the four blue LEDs waiting for any change from the
normal all-LEDs-on-solid when the unit is ready. I never
observed any indication from the LEDs that it had rebooted,
regardless of the status email.

And now, the unit is unresponsive from local network or
ReadyCcloud.

What are my options for data recovery?
What are my options for returning the unit to normal operation?

Message 1 of 34
StephenB
Guru

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

Did you try powering down, and powering up again?

Message 2 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Unit is unresponsive to power button.  Shall I pull the power plug?

 

Message 3 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Pulled the power plug & waited a few minutes.
Applied power and unit appeared to start without touching power button.
The amount of time from applying power to power LED going from blinking to solid on was
only about 6 seconds, much faster than a normal boot. And, unit is unresponsive
to any access and power button. I have not tried the reset button.

Message 4 of 34
Sandshark
Sensei

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

Does RAIDar find the unit?  What status does it show?

Message 5 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

RAIDar finds nothing.
My router LEDs show that it is physically connected at 1Gbps but router admin page does not list it as an attached device.
Message 6 of 34
Sandshark
Sensei

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

How about with the drives removed?  Do the removal with power off, then power on and see if RAIDar reports "No disks".  It's best if you mark them as you remove them so you can put them back in the same order (also, with power off).

Message 7 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Drives removed.  No change in symptoms.

This unit had been configured with a static IP.

The router LEDs confirm that there is a physical connection at 1Gbps to the unit

but the router no one at the static IP and no RN102 MAC address anywhere

in the attached devices listing. So, I would suspect that my next option has something

.to do with holding reset while powering on, but I'm not sure what the procedure is.

Message 8 of 34
StephenB
Guru

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


@btwixt wrote:

This unit had been configured with a static IP.

The router LEDs confirm that there is a physical connection at 1Gbps to the unit

but the router no one at the static IP and no RN102 MAC address anywhere

in the attached devices listing.


Well, if the IP address is configured on the NAS, then it won't show up in the attached device listing.  It would show up if you'd reserved it in the router, but not if it is truly a static address.

 

RAIDar should still be able to find it though, even if it the current router is not using the same subnet.

 

If it is using the same subnet, then you should also be able to ping it.

 

Note that all config info is on the disks.  So if the disks are all removed, then the NAS will be using DHCP to get an address.

Message 9 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

It's MAC and associated IP always shows up in the route.... when it was working.

It just an old R7000 router with stock firmware.

And, if it cannot even DHCP, then it's really hosed.

Which brings me to:

Is this thing just a brick from here on out?

Are there any secret handshakes with the Reset/Power/Backup buttons that will at least let

me get some firmware into it?

If it's permanently a brick, are there data recovery services/techniques for the disks?

Message 10 of 34
StephenB
Guru

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

It's not clear to me that it's bricked.

 

If you have a spare disk (nothing on it you care about), then you could try doing a factory install from the boot menu.  If that doesn't work, then you could also attempt a USB recovery.

 

There are a few options for data recovery.

  1. If you have good linux skills, you can boot up the NAS in tech support mode, and try to mount the volume manually.
  2. You can use paid Netgear support (they do have a data recovery service).
  3. You can find another data recovery service.  Make sure they are the ability to recover from the BTRFS file system.
  4. You can purchase data recovery software that supports BTRFS (ReclaiMe is one of several).

 

Message 11 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Re: It's not clear to me that it's bricked.
>>Did I forget to mention that it does not respond to the power button?

 

Re: [...] doing a factory install from the boot menu. If that doesn't work, then you could also attempt a USB recovery.
>>Where are these procedures detailed?
>>How will I communicate with the unit when it doesn't even respond to the power button?
>>I really would like to see if unbricking is possible.

 

Re: Option 1 and good linux skills
>>I dabble with things like Mint. Convex OS was 30 years ago.
>>What do I have to lose? I'm sector-by-sector mirroring a disk to play with right now.
>>(That will keep me busy for at least a few hours.)

 

Re: Option 2 & 3
>>Reserved in case options 1 & 4 fail.

 

Re: Option 4
>>I'll contact ReclaiMe.
>>But wouldn't I just be able to hook the disk to a Linux box and mount it?
>>Or is there something a bit different about ReadyNAS Btrfs?


Thank you, Sandshark and StephenB for your quick replies.
Y'all are definitely helping me get over the shock that hit me this morning
when what I depend on to supplement my failing memory was suddenly ripped away from me.

I'll let y'all know what happens, ok?

Message 12 of 34
StephenB
Guru

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


@btwixt wrote:

Re: It's not clear to me that it's bricked.
>>Did I forget to mention that it does not respond to the power button?

 


I did see that.  I wasn't sure if that was happening with the disks removed or not. 

 

When the disks are installed the NAS will try to do a clean linux shutdown, which sometimes hangs.

 


@btwixt wrote:

 

Re: [...] doing a factory install from the boot menu. If that doesn't work, then you could also attempt a USB recovery.
>>Where are these procedures detailed?
>>How will I communicate with the unit when it doesn't even respond to the power button?
>>I really would like to see if unbricking is possible.

 


Both are described in the hardware manual on pages 20-22 here: https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/READYNAS-100/ReadyNAS_%20OS6_Desktop_HM_EN.pdf

 

Booting into tech support mode is there also (but nothing about how to access the NAS from tech support mode).  We could give some help there, if you can boot into that mode.

 

Creation of a USB recovery disk is described here: https://kb.netgear.com/29952/How-do-I-use-the-USB-Recovery-Tool-on-my-ReadyNAS-OS-6-storage-system

 


@btwixt wrote:


>>But wouldn't I just be able to hook the disk to a Linux box and mount it?


You can if the file system isn't damaged.  

 

You'd need to install both mdadm and btrfs on the linux system.

Message 13 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Re: boot menu > memory test
Does this require disks installed?
If not, the result of memory test is a rapidly flashing power LED.
(This the most interaction I've has with RN102 since 04:00CST!)
Message 14 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Re: boot menu > memory test
Result with and without disks:
Rapidly flashing power LED and solid on ACT LED.

How do I interpret this?
Message 15 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Correction to "Re: boot menu > memory test"
Result with without disks:
Rapidly flashing power LED.
Result with disks:
Rapidly flashing power LED and solid on ACT LED.
Message 16 of 34
StephenB
Guru

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


@btwixt wrote:
Re: boot menu > memory test
Result with and without disks:
Rapidly flashing power LED and solid on ACT LED.

How do I interpret this?

https://kb.netgear.com/25629/ReadyNAS-OS-6-RN102-Memory-Test-Analysis

Message 17 of 34
Sandshark
Sensei

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

Will it not respond to the power button for turning it on or off?  Will it turn off if you press and hold the button?  Do you regularly re-boot the NAS, or was the re-boot  the first in a long time?  Is the Ethernet LED illuminated when it's on, or when it's off (but plugged in)?

 

It's beginning to sound like you may have a problem with the +3.3VSB in the unit, and possibly other voltages.  The answers to these questions will help determine just how likely that is.

Message 18 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Ever since the attempted OS update the unit does not respond to the POWER button no matter how long you depress it.

Same with power on. Ever since the attempted update, as soon as power is applied to the unit it powers up without

touching the POWER button.


Re: Ethernet LED
>>Excellent suggestion! I completely forgot to look, and it is a useful datapoint in troubleshooting.
>>It starts flashing a second after power is applied to the unit.
>>HOWEVER, I did mention that when the unit is plugged in and connected to the router
>>it seems able to negotiate operation of the cable connection at 1Gbps, and that's a physical layer/hardware
>>sort of thing, right?  And that would require stable power to the Ethernet circuitry/chip.

 

Re: Is the Ethernet LED illuminated when it's on, or when it's off (but plugged in)?
>>The plugged in and power off state is not attainable.
>>Unit powers up as soon as power is applied.
>>In case you were gonna ask, when disks are installed they spin up and become ready
>>as indicated by a test point on the Hitachi drives.


Re: +3.3VSB [...] and possibly other voltages.
>>My area of expertise, and I have the technology to check.
>>I have checked the external power supply and it is stable & clean under all load conditions.
>>HOWEVER, the fact that I am able to enter the boot menu (unit recognizes that RESET button is
>>being held on during power up) and cycle through boot options (unit recognizes operation of the

>>BACKUP button) would seem to mean power is probably not the issue.
>>Granted, the result of selecting any of the boot options results in a rapidly (5 per second following

>>a 6 second pause) flashing POWER LED and that means someone is running some code
>>somewhere, right?
>>Having said all that, I will measure everything I can.

 

Re: [...] or was the re-boot the first in a long time?
>>Unit being power cycled / rebooted is rare. UPS battery can keep the unit, and related equipment,
>>up for 90 minutes, and extended power outages are rare. I did notice that uptime was 48 days prior
>>to OS update.

 

 

Message 19 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Just thinking out loud:
Would a RAM failure explain all this behavior?
Message 20 of 34
Sandshark
Sensei

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

Power-on with the button is pretty much independent of anything else.  It has an input for commanded power off and WoL power-on, but it's hard to figure how a fault in those could keep the button from working.  It is powered by the +3.3VSB (created internal to the NAS from the external 12V), but so is the Ethernet (to support WoL).  The 3.3VSB is on whether the unit is "off" or not.

 

Given the Ethernet seems to be working (though no address assigned because the processor never negotiates one), that probably eliminates the 3.3VSB as the cause.  It may be something else in the power-on circuit that is causing the problem with the power on/off, something that may have happened some time ago but was not detected because the NAS was never powered off.

 

I think your issue with the button and the NAS not booting may be separate issues.  I think you should at least assume that for now.

 

Given it doesn't even show up in RAIDar with no drives, the next thing I can think of is it's a UBOOT issue.  A USB recovery is supposed to fix that, though I've seen instances posted here where it didn't seem to.  Still, it shouldn't hurt even if it's not the fix.  Given you can get to and go through the boot options, I don't think it's a CPU or RAM issue (not that either is repairable).

 

 

Message 21 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Good analysis.
I have not tried the "secret" 4-pin header serial port.
Is that worth the effort?
The fact that memory test, while it seems to start, does not behave as
described in the documentation would seem to put another nail in the
final diagnosis coffin. Are there enough nails yet to call it a brick?
Message 22 of 34
Sandshark
Sensei

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

But the memory test also relies on UBOOT to at least get started.  So I don't think you're ready to call it a brick yet.

Message 23 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Sandshark,
If you haven't already, check out my latest post of bizarre behavior here:

 

Re: USB Recovery and boot menu > memory test with reference to OS updates and making brick

 

Message 24 of 34
btwixt
Guide

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

Sandshark,

I reread your statement and wanted to clarify a point.

 

Re: "But the memory test also relies on UBOOT to at least get started."

 

The thing is, I am uncertain that memory test actually started as the rapidly flashing

POWER LED is used as an indication of many different events (unfortunately)

and may not mean memory test has started but that some error/event has occurred

not directly related to memory test.

Message 25 of 34
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