Cannot connect Netgear NAS RN214 during USB Recovery

[SH_Gabe]

Hi,

Due to the NAS failed to boot, I tried to do USB recovery.

I followed the instruction in the link below.

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

I succeeded in entering the recovery boot menu and reached "DEBUG: TELNET" with IP address status in LCD.

However, I cannot access to this IP address. I used Chrome browser and it said "This site can't be reached, (IP Address) refused to connect."

I was in the university, so I moved to my home because it may be caused by the school network. But it is also not working now.

Can some one give me a solution about this?

Thanks,

[Sandshark]

That's because you have to TELNET into it in that condition, not use a browser.  But it tends to indicate that the USB recovery didn't work completely.  Since it seems to have done something, maybe just try again with the same USB.  If that doesn't work, try re-creating it and try recovery again  I recently had a NAS take 5 tries with the same USB I've used on others before it worked right.  Figuring something had happened to the USB content, I re-created it after the second try, and it still took 3 more (without re-creating yet again) to work right.

[mdgm]

It can be something as simple as not putting the firmware image on the USB key that can lead to it falling into a debug mode.

You didn't state as to whether you'd done any other troubleshooting e.g. accessing the boot menu, seeing if it will boot into tech support mode etc.

The system failing to boot could be nothing to do with the internal flash in which case doing USB Boot Recovery is a waste of time.

There are other possibilities like a bad disk, full 4GB root volume etc.

[SH_Gabe]

Thanks for your response.

I tried to access boot menu, but there was only option I can choose "Factory Default". However, I don't want to reset data.

So I am trying to do USB recovery now.

If the reason is bad disk, for example, one of the hard drive broke, how can I solve this? 

Thanks,

[SH_Gabe]

Thanks,

I am trying with your suggestion. I will update the result later.

[Sandshark]

If the problem is on a drive, USB recovery will do nothing to help you.  But at this point, you seem to have also have a "broken" boot menu.  The only option available to you even before you tried the USB revovery was Factory Default?   Not even Normal?  If so, then the menu was already "broken" and maybe you did need USB recovery just to get to the next right step (likely OS re-install), but it may be that there is a problem with the flash memory in your NAS where that is stored.  I still recommend you try again a couple times.

[SH_Gabe]

Thanks for response.

Yes. Boot menu does not work with right options. There is only "Factory Default" on LCD and I cannot move to or select other menu such as "Normal" or "Disk Test" and so on.

I tried 10 times what you recommended, but it still not working...

[mdgm]

Note NTGR provides a zip file. You need to unzip that and put the firmware .img file on the USB key used for USB Boot Recovery.

[StephenB]

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@SH_Gabe wrote:

Boot menu does not work with right options. There is only "Factory Default" on LCD and I cannot move to or select other menu such as "Normal" or "Disk Test" and so on.

---

Are you using the backup button?  See pages 58-59 here: https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/READYNAS-100/ReadyNAS_%20OS6_Desktop_HM_EN.pdf

[SH_Gabe]

Yes I am using backup button. But it does not work at all. Only "Factory Default" showed up and I cannot move or change the menu.

[SH_Gabe]

Sure, I unzip the file and install the recovery system with .exe file. I just followed the instruction.

Thanks,

[Sandshark]

Maybe your backup button is stuck.  I believe "Factory Default" is the second choice.  So if the NAS sees only one button push because the buttton is stuck on, that could be the presented option.

[mdgm]

# ls -la /mnt
drwxr-xr-x 3 8192 Dec 31 1969 .
drwxrwxrwx 20 460 May 6 14:39 ..
-rwxr-xr-x 1 0 Feb 28 2016 NTGR_USBBOOT_INFO.txt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 86892544 May 3 17:02 ReadyNASOS-6.10.5-x86_64.img
drwxr-xr-x 2 8192 May 6 07:16 System Volume Information
-rwxr-xr-x 1 2729717 Dec 22 2017 initrd-recovery.gz
-rwxr-xr-x 1 3746824 Dec 1 2016 uImage-recovery

You put the x86 firmware image on the USB key whereas the RN214 requires the ARM firmware image. Remove the x86 firmware .img and put the ARM firmware .img file on and try USB Boot Recovery again.