ZyXEL NSA320: eth0 "link is not ready"

[CharlesB]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WarheadsSE', 'c')onsider trying the linux-kirkwood kernel package

[Kurlon]

Seeing as you've got a working alternate connection, if switching to linux-kirkwood doesn't clear it, install mii-tool or eth-tool and see if manually specifying media settings clears it up.

[WarheadsSE]

Another instance of edge-case auto-negotiation fail!

[Kurlon]

I can understand 10/100 autoneg failure as there isn't an official spec for that, autoneg is part of the GigE spec though... how mfgs get that wrong is beyond me.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WarheadsSE', 'A')nother instance of edge-case auto-negotiation fail!

[CharlesB]

I just received a 2nd NSA-320. I allowed it to boot using the factory-installed OS, and it accesses the network fine; the console shows a Gb link, and I turned Wireshark on in time to see NetBIOS registrations.

What I would like to do, now, is, without permanent alteration, manually boot the hard drive with Arch on it.

(side note: for that matter, if the OS on NAND wasn't wiped out, why can't I manually boot to that on the old device? "nboot" just returns "** no boot device **" like "usbboot" did.)

I put the hard drive in; I expect that I can use "bootext2" for the purpose. Here's the full syntax:
bootext2 dev:boot_part1,boot_part2 addr boot_image linux_dev_name
The problem: I don't know what to put in there! I'm guessing that the 1st two are "0:0", and the image is "uImage".

Can someone help me with using the bootext2 command??

[CharlesB]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('CharlesB', 'C')an someone help me with using the bootext2 command??

[CharlesB]

(Writing this while trying to pay some amount of attention to a phone-meeting at work, so hoping it makes sense...)

After messing around with long command-lines on the new device, I finally realized that I didn't even need to be messing around with a new unit -- the env variables added by the Arch "installer" showed exactly how to switch the old device's default boot between stock & Arch with a pair of very simple commands!

run to_stock
run to_linux

Each command takes care of setting up all the environment variables, saves the environment, and reboots.

And now I finally know, by typing a single command on my original device, the answer that I bought the 2nd one to answer:

It's not the hardware.

Under the factory-installed OS, the Ethernet port works fine. That means I'm not dealing with a defective unit, a difficult Ethernet environment, etc. It's a software problem, and is indeed therefore fixable through software; I no longer fear that continued effort in this area will be in vain.

So, now that we know it's not [purely] a hardware problem. Yet, neither can it be purely a software problem, if the following assumption is true:

I assume that, with this device now on the "supported" list that there is indeed a live, working device out there. If that is the case (and it didn't take special tweaks beyond the default config to make it work) then there must be a hardware difference between the two environments -- either in the NSA320 itself, or in the devices it's connected to -- or my device (having the same software) would work just as well as the other. However, it's a difference that's subtle enough that it doesn't affect the stock OS, only Arch.

Does anyone claim to have a currently-working NSA-320 in their possession?

Any other thoughts?

[WarheadsSE]

I do, and I wrote that handy switcher-roo Handy isn't it. You can even fw_setenv bootcmd run to_stock/to_linux from running system

I have mine hookup up to Gigabit switches, either via my Buffalo AirStation router (running DD-WRT) or my NetGear GS108T. Never had a problem with them.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WarheadsSE', 'H')andy isn't it.