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Mikrotik LDF5 firmware image download Help Needed

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AG6ST
Mikrotik LDF5 firmware image download Help Needed

Has anyone tried loading the "Microtik First Install Process" using the "Windows Procedure"? Lately?
Under "DOCS, GETTING STARTED GUIDE,  Installing AREDN Firmware", "Mikrotik First Install Process"
Please read below and enlighten me on what I might be doing wrong.  Thanks!!!
1. I have a new Mikrotik LDF 5 that I'm trying to load the AREDN firmware package (step 1) on to.
2. Everything seems fine up to the pont in the AREDN Mikrotik "Windows Procedure" step 5 and 6. 
3. I get to the end of step 5 and it says hold the reset button until you see "TFTPd: DoReadFile: rb.elf"
in the Tiny PXE log window.
4. I do see that line appear in just a couple of seconds in the log window.
5. Instructions say release the reset button, which I did, BUT information keeps scrolling down in the window, showing it loading more files (apparently).
6.  It says a bunch of some stuff about sent...
discovered...
stuff over and over again with different IP addresses scrolling down.
7.  This goes on for over 2 hours now.  Does it take hours to load? No info in the instructions on what to expect here.
8.  On a previous attempt (after step above, I did follow the instructions to click the "offline" button immediately after the "...DoRead..."
but the ping to the IP address 192.168.1.1 or the admin page address fails to connect.  It seems like I'm missing something important around this stage of the procedure. 
thanks for any help!
AG6ST

Same Day 5:50 pm
I got past this trouble spot.
I'm not sure what was wrong.  It seemed to start working correct (the extra scrolling data stopped showing up) after another try.  at step 5 above, I select the pxesrv stop button and then after maybe a minute the ldf5 ligts stop flashing and I am then able to get into the nocall IP setup screen.
Then things go bad again.  I keep getting locked out after I follow the on screen instructions to set the node name/password and reboot.
Again I am locked out. I don't know why.  None of the login names I was given work to get back in to continue configuring.
There is confusing info about the blockownerincription package that I don't understand in the splash screen that comes up when I'm first able to get logged into the ldf5 and will ignore for the time being.

I have tried several times and keep getting locked out when I try to follow the setup instructions after I get in initially.   The instructions about needing to be connected to the internet are confusing.  Does it mean connect to the WWW net or just the local net for the node.  I don't know of a way to connect to the WWW and the local node at the same time.  I think it means just to get on the WWW to download the upgrde package (but those instructions were earlier already), then go back to the local node only.  maybe?

Well after hours of trial and error, I got it to connect.
There seems to be issues when saving changes and rebooting.  It seems that the userID of root, never updates.  I had to keep trying different user IDs and passwords, and then I found the magic combination (trial and error again) to get into it.  Change one or 2 things and reboot each time seems to help figure out what is going on once you get initially connected.

The "Charts" "Sound On" is working now, so that is helping me aim toward Mt Wilson (32 miles distant) with the LDF5 mounted on a Winegard 30" dish.  I was able to pick up a few more dB of SNR with that.  Sig is at -74 on the scan mode.  for about a 20 to 22 dB SNR   LQ 95%, NLQ 47% Txmpbs is only about 1.1 to 2 which is pretty much too slow to be useful I think. Discouraging.

I also have a Ubiquity Nanobeam M5-300a pointed at Mt. Wilson on my roof. The SNR is only 12 dB  LQ and NLQ are 55 and 89 respectively with a Mbps of 6 to 8
It seems quite a bit better bit rate than the Mikrotik even thought it is a much smaller antenna/dish and the poor SNR.
AG6ST

w6bi
w6bi's picture
Userid
You can't change the userid - it will always be root.  

Orv - W6BI
AG6ST
LDF 5 Firmware Install Issues Solved
OK, I get that now, It is working, Thanks!  Not knowing one little detail make a big difference...  Step 13 below is where I got hung up at my last attempt.
Here is my list of instructions for teh LDF 5 that I put together from my experience.
Make sure you know the paths to the 2 files you need for the LDF 5.  pxesrv works fine from a thumb drive so put all the files you need on it as a suggestion.
1. set your PC to Ethernet LAN direct IP 192.168.1.10
2. in pxesrv dir set config.ini add the rfc951=1 after [dhcp]
[dhcp]
rfc951=1

3. Put the Mikrotik factory .elf file in the pxesrv files dir copy and name it rb.elf
4. launch pxesrv
Allow both public and private access if the Windows blocker pops up
5. check that pxesrv picks up the IP addres above the other lines should all be ok as is
6. uncheck the box at lower left
7. Down at the bottom select the rb.elf file from 3 above
8. check "Bind IP" in pxesrv if not already

9. select "online" on pxesrv you should see somethin like
   5:24:30 PM ROOT=C:\Users\rwgra\Documents\Radio\MESH Net AREDN\MikroTik\pxesrv (1)\files\
   5:24:30 PM DHCPd 192.168.1.10:67 started...
   5:24:30 PM TFPTd 192.168.1.10:69 started...
   5:24:30 PM HTTPd:80 started...
10 Push in the reset button and hold while powering up the LDF5.   Continue holding reset button in
   After about 10 or 15 seconds with some blinking on the LDF5 you will the ...DoReadFile:rb.elf (like below)
  :24:30 PM TFPTd 192.168.1.10:69 started...
   5:24:30 PM HTTPd:80 started...
   5:26:23 PM DHCPd:REQUEST received, MAC:64-D1-54-A3-C4-B0, XID:96645DB8
   5:26:23 PM DHCPd:BOOTP REQUEST
   5:26:23 PM TFTPd:DoReadFile:rb.elf B:1452 T:0
   5:26:23 PM DHCPd:ACK sent, IP:192.168.1.21, XID:96645DB8
11. release the rest button on the LDF5 and push the "Offline" button on pxesrv. Keep the LDF 5 powered up.
12 Check that you can connect using 192.168.1.1 in the browser
  You should get the 
   NOCALL-163-196-177...  splash screen from the LDF5

13. From the NOCALL screen, you need to load the upgrade .bin file that you should already know the path to.
14. Select Setup and login as root and hsmm from that same login screen still running
15 select Administration
16 Find the Firmware upgrade .bin File and double click to select it
17 Press "Upload"  which takes a while. ~3 Minutes
18 while that is going on change the ethernet adapter back to DHCP Obtain IP Address automatically
19 now ping 192.168.1.1 (again) and you should see the NOCALL-163-196-177 page saying it is not configured
20 Click on "Setup"
21. Change the Node Name to your Call  AG6ST-3 for me here
22. Set the distance bar to some correct distance
23. Set a password
24. Hit Save Changes & it will now REBOOT if you did everything correctly ( look for error messages)
and get message during reboot:
If something goes astray you can try to connect with
http://localnode.local.mesh:8080/
or
http://AG6ST-3.local.mesh:8080/
type in the 
localnode.local.mesh:8080/
into the browser and you should be good to go.
Select Basic Setup, log in with root and your new password.

AG6ST  April 2019

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