the Mike Mercury Ham Radio Page One method to try... attempting to bring back a Ubiquiti node from the dead.
If your Bullet or other Ubiquiti device dies, possibly due to a corrupt flash:
Summary of what is described below:
regardless of the Ubiquities flash, regardless if DHCP is enabled or not... during power-up the Ubiquiti bios will look for activity on it's factory assigned static IP address before executing the POST and loading of the firmware flash. Even of your Ubiquiti is bricked, there's a chance you can still upload a flash file in it and breath new life into the unit.
This first section deals with attempting to prove the Ubiquiti will still communicate, even though it's data port seems to be dead...
Note: To attempt this method, you need to be familiar with the Windows Run & CMD (command window) and the "ping" function.
If you are not already experienced with these, I suggest you go no further.
* Have the POE powered via 120vac
* Do not have your Ubiquiti device plugged in to the POE at this moment.
* Connect your computer directly to the POE adapters LAN port, via Ethernet cable.
* Disconnect any access to the internet by your computer. If you access the internet via WiFi, then disable WiFi on your computer during this procedure.
The following is using Windows XP; though it should be similar to other OS's
* Click on Start, Settings, Network connections (if you don't see "Network Connections"... go into "Control Panel" and find it there)
* Right Click on Local Area Connection... select Properties
* Single-left-click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click on Properties
* Click on the circle to the left of: Use the Following IP address
* Type in the following into the IP address field: 192.168.1.50 (press Tab after entering the"50")
* The Subnet mask should automatically fill in: 255.255.255.0
* Click OK
Step-byStep Instructions
Summary; you will power up the Ubiquiti after pressing and holding the reset switch. Once holding in on the reset switch, then plugging in the Ubiquiti ethernet cable into the POE (powering it up), and continue holding the switch for 30 seconds, you will then try to successfully ping the unit.
1. Without any ethernet cable plugged into the Ubiquiti yet... locate the devices reset switch, and practice pushing in on it; you can feel a very minor -click- sensation. Once you are comfortable with this switch actuation... release the switch and continue below.
Note: if you don't have physical access to the node ( say it's installed up on a tower)... some POE's have a remote reset switch on them; it's next to one of the ethernet jacks. This will work as well as accessing the actual switch on the device itself.
2. have your computers ethernet cable plugged into the POE LAN jack (the POE is to be powered via it's 120vac power cord)... ... but the ubiqiti's ethernet cable unplugged from the POE at this moment.
3. have your command window up on your PC, with the Ping command all typed in ready to execute:
ping 192.168.1.20 (except don't press ENTER yet)4. While holding in the reset switch, plug the ethernet cable into the ubiquiti device (the other end of this cable was already plugged into the POE).... continue to hold the reset switch inward for 30 seconds.
5. After 30 seconds of holding in the reset switch, release the reset switch and execute your computers ping command as described above; if you get successful pings. As long as you don't cycle power or unplug any cables... you can proceed directly to the Flash uploading. If you don't get a successful ping, unplug the ethernet cable from the device, wait a few seconds, and try again starting from step #3.
6. Once you get a successful ping and have released the reset switch, you can now force-feed a flash file via any of the upload FTP type programs. You can TFTP or PumpKIN the flash file up into the ubiquiti; it can be the BBHN FACTORY flash (not the upgrade version), or the original Ubiquiti flash file. I have no experience with ARDEN flashes, but they should work as well. The PumpKIN program screen has a field called ACK; and it should count-up until the entire flash file is uploaded.
If you got a successful ping, but the PumpKIN program upload fails, send me an email.
Good luck !
PunpKIN
* when you run it, most of the time it runs minimized. Look at your task bar for a pumpkin shaped icon, and click it to maximize. If multiple copies are running, it will not work properly.
* click "Put File"
* "Local File": have the flash file selected (choose "octet" as the type). It can be the factory Ubiquiti file, or the mesh FACTORY flash (not the upgrade version).
*enter in under "Remote Host" 192.168.1.20 and then press OK
* If it starts to upload, there is a percent-sent activity figure (ACK) that will show on the screen. I was warned that once it finishes, still wait another 20 minutes before disconnecting and re-powering the Ubiquiti.
When the PumpKIN upload is finished and you've waited an additional 20 minutes, recycle power to the node device.
If the flash you uploaded was the BBHN or Arden file; proceed below:
* Do the same steps you did earlier to your computer, except click on Obtain an IP address automatically
click on OK and you're back to where you originally were.
* unplug the ethernet cable from your computer, wait a few seconds, then plug it back in.
* now is when you can try to connect to your node again using http://localnode:8080 if you used the BBHN flash file.
Tim
Return to Main Mesh Page
