[MLB-WIRELESS] Cisco 1242 Ethernet port problem?

[Neal Wise]

On 26/05/2009, at 5:42 PM, Mark Aitken wrote:

>> Initializing ethernet port 0...
>> Reset ethernet port 0...
>> Reset done!
>> link auto-negotiating....
>> auto-negotiation takes 10000 milli-seconds to complete
>> ERROR: timeout waiting for auto-negotiation to complete
>> ERROR: fail to bring ethernet link up
>>
>> The system has been encountered an error initializing
>> ethernet port. You may need to check hardware
>> The system is ignoring the error and continuing boot.
>> If you interrupt the system boot process, the following
>> commands will reinitialize ethernet, tftp, and finish
>> loading the operating system software:
>
> Now, my thinking is it is a HARDWARE issue, ie a chip on the
> motherboard.  Or am I wrong?

Maybe. It may also have corrupted firmware or config. Cisco WAPs have  
a two stage boot. You're sitting at the end of stage 1 which normally  
automatically goes on of course.

 From there you can only do a few things

     ether_init

     tftp_init

     boot

first try just typing boot at the ap: prompt

this should encounter whatever issue is making it unhappy and will  
indicate what you should do next. You may just have something in  
config wrong or corrupted. See if you can see what boot image it's  
looking for and if it finds it.

If it boots hey you're in business. Should come up on a default config.


If not... the following presumes a healthy device and i take no  
responsibility :-):

> I have done a hardware reset but still no go.

Holding the reset at poweron puts you where you are. Hardware failure  
can too I'd guess.

> Anyone have any experience with this AP and or this issue that may
> assist me in solving it?

if you don't care about the config/firmware you're probably going to  
need to do the following:

* unplug power

* unplug ethernet - important or it wants 255.255.255.255 as its TFTP  
server

* hold mode button and plug in power

* hold until light goes red

* when "The system has encountered an error initializing the ethernet  
port..." paragraph comes up hit return at the ap: prompt and type

ap: set

and you'll get something like
ap: set

DEFAULT_ROUTER=10.0.0.1

ENABLE_BREAK=no

IP_ADDR=10.0.0.1

MANUAL_BOOT=no

NETMASK=255.255.255.224


Plug in an xover or whatever. Put yourself on 10.0.0.2/255.255.255.224
Note that mask. This was on a 1231. Weird mask though and yours may be  
different for all i know
Get a TFTP server going on your end with new firmware in it.

then

ap: ether_init

and it will bring up the ethernet and you should get a link on it and  
your switch/xover

Then you usually do the following (after you download new firmware  
from Cisco!)

THIS WILL REMOVE FIRMWARE AND CONFIG </youwerewarned>

ap: format flash:
takes a while

ap: tftp_init
to give it a tftp client

ap: tar -xtract tftp://10.0.0.2/c1200-k9w7-tar.default flash:
tar hooking from tftp is both technically sweet and terrifying from a  
security point of view. Get file name right

Then most importantly you have to specify the boot image (example  
below - yours will be different)

ap: set BOOT flash:/c1200-k9w7-mx.123-8.JA2/c1200-k9w7-mx.123-8.JA2

Get that right. Type set again to confirm you're happy with what it  
says (only worried about boot image not IP stuff)

There may be some kind of dir or ls command on flash: at that point  
for you to work out the path to the boot file. And you can always  
repeat it.

You should be able to type boot at this point
ap: boot
Loading "flash:/c1200-k9w7-mx.123-8.JA2/c1200-k9w7-mx.123-8.JA2"… 
##########(etc etc)

Should be on a default config

And if you're upgrading a WAP across various releases make sure none  
of the interim releases updated the bootloader or you can brick it.

This is also how you can convert to LWAPP and back if you have the  
right firmware.

regards,

neal
___________
d neal wise - nwise @ spy.net
SPY internetworking  -  will network for food
http://www.spy.net
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