Rocket M5 not working after an upgrade from V. 3.18.9.0 to V. 3.19.3.0

30 posts / 0 new

Tue, 06/25/2019 - 06:24

AC2OG

Hello,
my rocket M5 was working nicely with AREDN firmware 3.18.3.0, but it got blocked after trying to upgrade to 3.19.3.0. The upgrade session was going on for 20 min., so I decide to disconnect the PC. When I tried the new connection I got the initial page as a newly flashed device, but the frequency windows in the basic setup disappeared, as well as the RF IP address. Please see the attached docx.
Is there a way to recover the device?

Tnx and 73 de Leo AC2OG / I3RKE

File Attachment:

Rocket blocked after update to 3_19_3_0.docx

Tue, 06/25/2019 - 14:56

AE6XE

Yes indeed, something

Yes indeed, something happened and the config data was not 100% preserved. At this point, we need to get the node back to firstboot state:

A) hold reset button while already booted for 15 sec
B) firstboot button under setup pages
C) "default values" in basic setup

Unfortantely, this means you'd need to do the initial setup again, so be sure to screen shot any settings page to remember all the information that is correct.

Joe AE6XE

Tue, 06/25/2019 - 18:40

(Reply to #2) #3

AC2OG

Thanks Joe!

Thanks Joe!
I went thruogh the 3 steps you suggested, but the device is still blocked.
The "firstboot" and "default values" buttons in basic setup with no actions/result. I can fix manually the rf IP, but not the channel / frequency (the windows with the channels no more available. Anyway all the parameters that I fix aren't saved. I tried also to reload a fresh firmware with TFTP without success.
Is there something more to do in order to recover the device?
Leo AC2OG

Tue, 06/25/2019 - 23:00

(Reply to #3) #4

AE6XE

Can you attach the support

Can you attach the support data download? Link at bottom of Administration page.

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 02:09

(Reply to #4) #5

AC2OG

yes, here attached.

Support File Attachments:

support data download

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 08:54

(Reply to #5) #6

AE6XE

It appears like some files

It appears like some files are missing -- errors in the system log that olsr can't find some of its plugins. Also, is this a Titanium rocket 5? If not, a different image needs to be loaded.

Validate the image, and upload again, but uncheck the "keep settings" box. We don't want it to retain possibly bad config data, rather to reload new and clean.

Joe AE6XE

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 12:36

(Reply to #6) #7

AC2OG

It is a Rocket M5 and not a

It is a Rocket M5 and not a Rocket M5 TI (in spite of what appear in the info) !
Do you suggest to load the firmware via TFTP or from inside the node at page "administration" ? If TFTP which port on TFTPUtil Gui ?

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 12:40

(Reply to #7) #8

AE6XE

Yes, could try to load from

Yes, could try to load from the administration page, and may have to accept the warning for miss-match image name. Be sure to uncheck the "keep settings" box and setup from a clean firstboot node. If this isn't working then fall back to the tftp process or just jump to the tftp process for best chance at success on 1st try.

Joe AE6XE

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 12:52

(Reply to #8) #9

AE6XE

AC2OG, Another thought,

AC2OG, Another thought, maybe a disconnect still. In the data downloaded file, the image thinks the hardware is the titanium rocket, which takes a different ifirmware image than the regular rocket device. But since the hardware is definitely not a titanium, let's clarify what happened. My assumption was that the wrong image (rocket-m-ti) was loaded, but possible there is a bug and the correct image was loaded and detected the wrong device. Can you confirm which specific image was loaded?

TFTP uses the standard port 69 with UDP protocol.

Joe AE6XE

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 13:27

(Reply to #9) #10

AC2OG

I tried a new upload (from

I tried a new upload (from administration) with " keep setting " unchecked, but the upload didn't ended and now the device is blocked with the 3rd LED from left side that lit on red continuously.
No way to connect it.

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 13:49

(Reply to #10) #11

AC2OG

further to my previous post I

further to my previous post I was able to put the device in TFTP mode, tried to upload the firmware, but got the message in the log that an error occurred.
Pse see the attached

File Attachment:

TFTP.docx

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 16:03

(Reply to #11) #12

AE6XE

I'm not familiar with this

I'm not familiar with this TFTPUtil Client. Is there an option anywhere to do "binary" transfer mode. tftp usually needs to be told if the data is text or binary. 3.18.x.x is a very old image. The middle ground is the 3.19.3.0 image. Latest is:

http://downloads.arednmesh.org/snapshots/trunk/targets/ar71xx/generic/ar...

Joe AE6XE

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 16:06

#13

AC2OG

Now the device is bricked, I

Now the device is bricked, I can't connect anymore though the browser. I can put it in TFTP, but no way to upload.
I consider the device lost and decided to buy a new one. My doubt is that the same problem could happens again.
Question ? Do you have experiences of other users that have loaded successfully the firmware version 3.19.3.0 on the Ubiquiti Rocket M5 ?

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 19:02

(Reply to #13) #14

AE6XE

Yes, many people are using

Yes, many people are using Rocket M5s, it's the go-to for tower sites. If you'd like, can mail me the rocket, and I'll take a look. send me email at callsign at arrl dot org and I'll send back address. (I'm not at my QRZ address until mid July.)

Joe AE6XE

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 01:27

(Reply to #14) #15

AC2OG

sending mail to you I

sending mail to you I received this message: 550 5.1.1 <ae6xe@arrl.org>: Recipient address rejected: User unknown .
Please send me your address here: gardin.leo@gmail.com
Ciao!

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 09:42

(Reply to #15) #16

K6AH

Wrong domain used

Only ARRL employees and elected reps use the ".org" email domain. Members use ".net".

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 10:15

(Reply to #16) #17

K6CCC

That is incorrect. At least

That is incorrect. At least in the old days, the mail forwarding service was .org (don't know if it still is, but I have had my call at arrl.org for well over 20 years).

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 10:19

(Reply to #17) #18

AE6XE

We've separately connected up

We've separately connected up. I typoed my email address it is @arrl.net :) .

Wed, 06/26/2019 - 19:34

(Reply to #18) #19

K6CCC

I have two Rocket M5 nodes

I have two UBNT Rocket M5 nodes that were loaded with 3.9.3.0 initially and later various Nightly builds. No problems at all.

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 01:58

(Reply to #19) #20

AC2OG

Thanks for info! I'll try to

Thanks for info! I'll try to load 3.9.3.0 factory through Ubiquiti airOS in a new out of the box device.

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 08:54

(Reply to #20) #21

AE6XE

AC2OG, AirOS won't load the

AC2OG, AirOS won't load the AREDN factory image in recent versions. There's a firmware signature check, and only the manufacture can sign the firmware. This tftp method is the only way to load. It might be possible to do it from AirOS, but have to find every successive version and downgrade one version at a time until arriving to an AirOS version that doesn't require signatures. AirOS limits the version of AirOS that can be uploaded to only 1 or 2 versions back and newer versions.

I suspect there is something not quite right in the tftp setup or process, and if receiving another device, still needs to be found. There is a tftp command line in windows, optional windows feature to install (trying to recall).

I always confirm the ubiquiti devices is responding in tftp mode:

ping 192.168.1.20

If so, then from a command window:

tftp -i 192.168.1.20 put <aredn factory file name>

Joe AE6XE

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 10:14

(Reply to #21) #22

AC2OG

hello Joe,

hello Joe,
installed the fttp command line, followed your instructions and after a time got the message: "error on the server, firmware check failed".
P.se look at the attached

File Attachment:

TFTP feedback.docx

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 10:22

(Reply to #22) #23

AE6XE

if this is a new rocket, then

if this is a new rocket, then you very likely need the "xw" firmware. try the "rocket-m-xw" factory image instead. the image you're loading is for the older "xm" hardware. One way to tell is when AirOS is loaded the version will show "xw..." or "xm...".

Joe AE6XE

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 12:21

(Reply to #23) #24

AC2OG

Fine business, I have been

Fine business, I have been able in uploading the aredn-3.19.3.0-ubnt-x-xw-factory. Still there are some small problems:
Can't save the basic setup, because the rf Mesh IP was set at 10.0.0.0, so I put it manually. Moreover can't save a different channel (blocked to 147) and when I try to save the setting I get the message: parameter MAC2 in file "_setup.default" does not exist.
Please look at the attached files

Support File Attachments:

Supprt data.rar

File Attachment:

Info on the device-02.docx

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 12:54

(Reply to #24) #25

AE6XE

OK, good progress. The

OK, good progress. The wireless is not coming up correctly. I suspect due to vendor specific flash data code for your local regulatory rules. In starting up the wireless it was defaulting somehow to the US country settings and may be missmatching what is defined in the vendor flash data. Do you have a way to edit the file "/etc/config/wireless" on this node? If you can add one line in this section, reboot, good chance it will come up correctly with the proper default IP addresses, etc. Once settings are saved, then a new AREDN unique country code is used.

In this section add the one line a the end:

config wifi-device 'radio0'

option type 'mac80211'

option channel '36'

option hwmode '11a'

option path 'platform/ar934x_wmac'

option htmode 'HT20'
option country 'IT'

We're guessing at which country the vendor flash data for this device was initialized for. Once the device boots and the wireless AP come up, then everyone would work correctly. There are many other Ubiquiti devices in EUR with AREDN firmware, so not sure when we suddenly see this issue.

Joe AE6XE

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 13:30

(Reply to #25) #26

AC2OG

Ok Joe, thanks a lot for your

Ok Joe, thanks a lot for your strong support!
I have Putty installed on my PC, tried the connection with no success. I suppose I'll need a ssh key.

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 14:04

(Reply to #26) #27

K6AH

Not on well-known port

You will need to connect on port 2222, rather than the standard port 22.

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 17:38

(Reply to #27) #28

AC2OG

Thanks K6AH

Thu, 06/27/2019 - 17:42

(Reply to #28) #29

AC2OG

Hi Joe,

Hi Joe,
After several tentatives, I don't know how and why, finally the channel 153 ( the one I need to use) have been saved and now all is working fine.
I have really appreciate your very nice support.
Grazie e ciao !!

Sun, 11/21/2021 - 10:45

#30

K7AZ

Older Rocket M5-Ti now thinks it's a plain M5

While attempting to convert an older M5-Ti XW radio, I some how managed to it get to think it is a plain M5 so it ends up with undesired messages, odd LED's and wont save any settings to put it in service. Attached is the support file. It will accept TFTP loads but I have yet to find a config that reverses the brain damage.

File Attachment:

M5 not M5-Ti Radio.docx

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Rocket M5 not working after an upgrade from V. 3.18.9.0 to V. 3.19.3.0