IT blog » versatek vx-1000mdi http://vmnf.no-ip.org/itblog Misadventures in the IT area... Sun, 04 May 2014 09:38:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9 Versatek VX-1000MDI recovery http://vmnf.no-ip.org/itblog/versatek-vx-1000mdi-recovery/ http://vmnf.no-ip.org/itblog/versatek-vx-1000mdi-recovery/#comments Fri, 02 May 2014 09:53:42 +0000 http://vmnf.no-ip.org/itblog/?p=111 Versatek VX-1000MDI recovery

This is my second post. I hope I can share further experiences I am having so I can help others facing similar issues.

Versa Technologies, Inc. VX-1000MDI DSLAM

I’ve got a Versa Technologies, Inc. VX-1000MDI so I could finally simulate a WAN ADSL connection similar to those that ISPs provide to home Internet users. Device is a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) 24 port ADSL 2+ concentrator. ADSL ports are available via a RJ21 female connector. I will need a breakout cable or similar to be able to connect my ADSL router to it! Those 24 ADSL lines share a 100Mbps connection to network (bridge only) via a standard RJ45 port. There is also available a serial Console terminal port via a DE9 male connector.


Versatek VX-1000MDI – Back panel

Versatek VX-1000MDI – Inside case

Versatek VX-1000MDI – Front panel

Connecting to device via serial Console terminal

Unfortunately device was DOA (Dead On Arrival). I was able to turn it on, leds and fans on and connect via a serial Console terminal (found settings printed on device chassis: 38400 8-N-1). Connection was made with an USB – COM adapter. (If you wish you can look at How to Setup a serial Console connection.)


Serial Console terminal connection diagram

SecureCRT Console terminal connection to VX-1000MDI

I got this information from device output:

NBfz

Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Finding flashfs partition...FAILED
*** No valid flashfs partitions found in flash
ERR: Flash boot failed.
NBb

Helium 500/520 NP Network boot v1.15 (FLASH)

MAC 00:30:50:03:41:FF
SDRAM 0x02000000 bytes

D(Hold '*' during reset for prompt)

Using LAN recovery mode

Booting from auto-select source
Boot from Ethernet Port0
boot
boot
boot
boot
(...)

 

Device flash was probably cleaned up before shipping (“No valid flashfs partitions…”). After start-up device keeps trying to boot without success from network. I contacted Versatek (http://www.versatek.com/) and even not buying from them they were very nice indeed and delivered what I needed to get it back to work:

basicboot.zip (379,198 bytes)
flash.zip (1,446,046 bytes)
Uploading boot-firmware on VX1000MDILD - console.pdf (243,764 bytes)

 

Due to some awkward hardware incompatibility (connecting with an USB – COM adapter) I was unable to send a “space” while device was booting or even an “*” to get a boot selection prompt. After some tries with multiple softwares I removed hardware control flow from SecureCRT Console terminal software.


SecureCRT removing flow control options(Options – Session Options – Connection – Serial)

Device started to listen to “*” (and / or “space“) during boot phase!

(...)
DBoot from Ethernet, or Flash? (E/F)It appears you loaded the network boot program from a flash boot
Are you sure you want to boot to flash ?

 

Booting from Flash

NBfz

Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Finding flashfs partition...FAILED
*** No valid flashfs partitions found in flash
ERR: Flash boot failed.

 

Since boot to flash was not ok I tried Ethernet recovery mode but unfortunately without success also. I had device connected to a simple network with TFTP32 (available from http://tftpd32.jounin.net/ ) running as TFTP server and simultaneously as DHCP server but device never requested an IP with this setup. I confirmed that both DHCP and TFTP were working with other system.


Network connection diagram

TFTP32 by Ph. Jounin


TFTP32 by Ph. Jounin

Used the following settings:


TFTP32: Global settings
TFTP32: TFTP settings
TFTP32: DHCP settings

Still I found documentation about a similar device that seemed able to grab an IP, connect to TFTP server and boot in LAN recovery mode.

(...)
boot
boot
reply
IP 192.168.1.66
Server 192.168.1.234 ()
Booting 'BOOT.bin'
.........................(...)

 

I had no luck doing above.

Starting VX-1000MDI recovery process

File uploading via xmodem

Both (Ethernet and Flash) were not working for me so I went for “space” on boot option and this time I was able to issue xmodem command and try a send xmodem transfer. First I sent basicboot.bin (from basicboot.zip).


SecureCRT using send xmodem transfer

SecureCRT selecting basicboot.bin

Output was:

NBrNBfz

Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Key pressed, stopping boot.

Entered console ... User request.
]xmodem                                                                             

Starting xmodem transfer.  Press Ctrl+C to cancel.
  100%     576 KB    2 KB/s 00:03:15       0 Errors

Image relocated - type quit to boot
]quit

 

At this time I was finally with some hope to get this device back in working order. After getting “Quantum” prompt I was able to start procedure described on pdf I got from manufacturer. First cleaned up flash partitions:

NP
i100%
Allocatable memory starts @ 0x10a000, end @ 0x2000000
No, or invalid, configuration information in EEPROM - trying FLASH
Valid configuration (size 256)
Flash Rewrite version 9.0.7.7 (4th Nov 2004) 
BSP: He500/G24 v1.2.0.5
CSP: He5x0/He400 CSP v1.0 (ISOS 9.0)
Copyright (c) 2004
Quantum> 
NP software version is 0x00000900 (reply took 5us)

Quantum> flashfs wipe 1
Quantum> flashfs wipe 2
Quantum> flashfs wipe 3
Quantum>

 

Hard rebooted device and this time loaded flash.bin (from flash.zip):

NBrNBfz
Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Key pressed, stopping boot.

Entered console ... User request.
]xmodem                            

Starting xmodem transfer.  Press Ctrl+C to cancel.
  100%    1600 KB    3 KB/s 00:08:14       0 Errors

Image relocated - type quit to boot
]quit

 

Device now got a brand new firmware…

NP
i 100%
Allocatable memory starts @ 0x4d7c00, end @ 0x2000000
No, or invalid, configuration information in EEPROM - trying FLASH
Valid configuration (size 256)
Ethernet gateway version 9.0.7.7 (4th Nov 2004) 
BSP: He500/G24 v1.2.0.5
CSP: He5x0/He400 CSP v1.0 (ISOS 9.0)
Copyright (c) 2004 Versa Technology, Inc.

NP software version is 0x00000900 (reply took 6us)
SNMP Research SNMP Agent Resident Module Version 15.3.1.7 
Copyright 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 SNMP Research, Inc.
Failed to open //isfs/im.conf - restoring from //expand/isfs/im.conf.factory
                                                               
         ##       ##          #######       #####    ##        
         ##       ##          #########    #######   ##        
          ##     ##           ##     ##   ##    ###  ##        
          ##     ##  ##   ##  ##      ##  ##     ##  ##        
           ##   ##   ### ###  ##      ##  ####       ##        
           ##   ##    ## ##   ##      ##   ######    ##        
           ##   ##     ###    ##      ##     #####   ##        
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##        ###  ##        
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##  ##     ##  ##        
             ###      ## ##   ##     ##   ###   ###  ##        
             ###     ### ###  #########    #######   ########  
             ###     ##   ##  #######       #####    ########  
                                                               
Login: admin
Password: *****

Login successful

-->

 

Fixing device configuration

I still get some errors (see “Failed to open… “) that will be fixed with a minimal configuration restore.

--> console enable 
Switching from CLI to console mode - type 'exit' to return

Quantum> flashfs update
Updating flash filing system ...
done
Quantum> exit

Returning to CLI mode 

--> system config clear 
Restoring backup configuration //isfs/im.conf.minimal
To finish clearing, please save configuration and restart.
*Note that subsequent changes this session will NOT be saved*.
--> system config save

--> system restart

 

Restarting…

NBpNBfz

Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Finding flashfs partition...done.
NP
i 100%
Allocatable memory starts @ 0x371900, end @ 0x2000000
No, or invalid, configuration information in EEPROM - trying FLASH
Valid configuration (size 256)
Ethernet gateway version 9.0.7.7 (4th Nov 2004) 
BSP: He500/G24 v1.2.0.5
CSP: He5x0/He400 CSP v1.0 (ISOS 9.0)
Copyright (c) 2004 Versa Technology, Inc.

NP software version is 0x00000900 (reply took 6us)
SNMP Research SNMP Agent Resident Module Version 15.3.1.7 
Copyright 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 SNMP Research, Inc.


 !!!!!!!!! No users are configured with sufficient access to create other
 !WARNING! users, so this UART session is being logged in automatically with
 !!!!!!!!! sufficient access.



-->

 

No errors now but also no users on device. Next step will add a default user on device.

Resetting device to factory default settings

I will now restore factory default settings.

--> system config restore factory
Restoring factory defaults...

--> system config save 

--> system restart

 

New restart with factory defaults. No errors and with a default user named admin with password admin.

NBpNBfz

Helium 5x0/400 PP boot v1.5

SDRAM size = 0x2000000
Finding flashfs partition...done.
NP
i 100%
Allocatable memory starts @ 0x371900, end @ 0x2000000
No, or invalid, configuration information in EEPROM - trying FLASH
Valid configuration (size 256)
Ethernet gateway version 9.0.7.7 (4th Nov 2004) 
BSP: He500/G24 v1.2.0.5
CSP: He5x0/He400 CSP v1.0 (ISOS 9.0)
Copyright (c) 2004 Versa Technology, Inc.

NP software version is 0x00000900 (reply took 7us)
SNMP Research SNMP Agent Resident Module Version 15.3.1.7 
Copyright 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 SNMP Research, Inc.
                                                               
         ##       ##          #######       #####    ##        
         ##       ##          #########    #######   ##        
          ##     ##           ##     ##   ##    ###  ##        
          ##     ##  ##   ##  ##      ##  ##     ##  ##        
           ##   ##   ### ###  ##      ##  ####       ##        
           ##   ##    ## ##   ##      ##   ######    ##        
           ##   ##     ###    ##      ##     #####   ##        
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##        ###  ##        
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##  ##     ##  ##        
             ###      ## ##   ##     ##   ###   ###  ##        
             ###     ### ###  #########    #######   ########  
             ###     ##   ##  #######       #####    ########  
                                                               
Login: admin
Password: *****

Login successful

-->

 

Accessing device via network interface (RJ45 port)

I am now able to see current device IP configuration. Device is at 192.168.1.253. (I did not try this IP before so I cannot confirm if device was already with this configuration or not.)

--> ip list interfaces 
 
IP Interfaces:

 ID  |    Name      |    IP Address    |   DHCP   |   Transport
-----|--------------|------------------|----------|----------------
   1 | iplan        | 192.168.1.253    | disabled | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------

-->

 

I configured my laptop to 192.168.1.1 (with mask 255.255.255.0) and besides being able to access device via serial Console terminal I was now also able to connect to it via both a telnet session and / or its Web interface.

Telnet session

Issuing telnet 192.168.1.253 took me to device login screen and just needed to enter default user authentication to get device prompt as serial Console terminal (un: admin and pw: admin).

$ telnet 192.168.1.253
Trying 192.168.1.253...
         ##       ##          #######       #####    ##
         ##       ##          #########    #######   ##
          ##     ##           ##     ##   ##    ###  ##
          ##     ##  ##   ##  ##      ##  ##     ##  ##
           ##   ##   ### ###  ##      ##  ####       ##
           ##   ##    ## ##   ##      ##   ######    ##
           ##   ##     ###    ##      ##     #####   ##
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##        ###  ##
            ## ##      ###    ##      ##  ##     ##  ##
             ###      ## ##   ##     ##   ###   ###  ##
             ###     ### ###  #########    #######   ########
             ###     ##   ##  #######       #####    ########

Login: admin
Password: *****

Login successful

-->

 

Web interface

Using a common Web browser pointed at 192.168.1.253 I got a login dialog that required same default authentication as previously.


VX-1000MDI Web interface login dialog

After logon…


VX-1000MDI Web interface

Device is now fully working and ready to play!

Comments and suggestions

As always comments and suggestions are very welcome.

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