AP Disconnect Reason:Firmware updating to flash memory

judoboy
judoboy Posts: 2  Freshman Member
First Comment
edited April 2021 in Security
Hi,

I have a USG60 and a NWA5123-AC.
2 weeks ago (I presume), the USG60 automatically update to the new firmware V4.30 (AAKY.0).
Since this update, the Wifi doesn't work anymore.

I have tried to update the NWA5123-AC firmware through the USG60, it propose the firmware V5.00 (AAZY.4) and start to update the AP.

Now, since 2 weeks, I have the same message in the USG60 logs, every 30 s

Priority : Alerte

Category : CAPWAP

Message : 

AP Disconnect. MAC:xxxxxx, Name :xxx,Reason :Firmware updating to FLASH memory. Please wait for AP go on-line. Do NOT remove the power or reboot the AP in Updating State, Model:NWA5123-AC


What should I do to make the AP work again ?

Thanks,

All Replies

  • parnassus
    parnassus Posts: 13  Freshman Member
    Friend Collector First Comment
    Interesting issue...I too have an USG60, it is still running 4.25 Patch 1 and it controls a NWA-5121NI...so, reading what you wrote, I'll wait an answer before considering to update to newly released 4.30. Have you found (or somebody from ZyXEL advised you with) a workaround or your issue is still valid?
  • judoboy
    judoboy Posts: 2  Freshman Member
    First Comment
    No answer from Zyxel (but it's not a good period for quick response).
    I will wait till begin of next year, and maybe restart on the old firmware version.
  • ChrisGer
    ChrisGer Posts: 205  Ally Member
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    Hello @parnassus and @judoboy ,
    i've a USG60W with 35xx NWA-APs in production. in my case, the update of the main USG was successful, but my internal memory for downloading the AP Firmware was full and i had to delete the stored config-backups from my USG and restart the firmware update and start the CAPWAP AP update. In the 2nd try, the update was sucessful and takes about 15 minutes for the AP update.
    have you tried to reset on of the APs to factory default (if useing CAPWAP) ?

    Regards
    Christian

    Happy Christmas eve! :)
  • parnassus
    parnassus Posts: 13  Freshman Member
    Friend Collector First Comment
    I successfully performed the update on a USG60 with one NWA5121-NI, new AP Firmware was available after check when the USG60 was already running on 4.30 (before, USG60 on 4.25 Patch 1, the NWA5121-NI ran on Firmware 4.22 Patch 1): applying for the AP Firmware update was a matter of seconds, from Cloud the USG60 downloaded new Firmware 5.00 Patch 4 (equivalent to 5.10 AFAIK) for all NWA512x Wireless AP family (NWA5121-NI, NWA5123-NI, NWA5121-N and NWA5123-AC).

    I noticed only a very strange thing: before starting the USG60 Firmware update using the Cloud Firmware method on the Standby image (and so before rebooting the USG60 on that image to perform the update) I deleted some Configuration files [*] leaving only, respectively, these four files:
    • startup-config.conf (actual timestamp)
    • lastgood.conf (equal in size WRT startup-config.conf, only its timestamp was different of months)
    • autobackup-0.00.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • system-default.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    to make room.

    Well...guess what? once the USG60 was on 4.30 I re-checked the Configuration Files available and I found at least seven new files other than the four I expected to see (updated):
    • startup-config.conf (actual timestamp)
    • lastgood.conf (equal in size WRT startup-config.conf, its timestamp was different for just one exact minute if compared with the startup-config.conf file)
    • autobackup-4.25.conf (actual timestamp)
    • system-default.conf (actual timestamp)
    • 425AAKY1-2017-07-28-08-48-35.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • autobackup-0.00.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • 420AAKY2-2017-04-15-00-35-42.conf (last modified on April 2017)
    • 420AAKY1-2017-01-01-13-50-19.conf (last modified on January 2017)
    • 420AAKY1-2016-12-06-17-53-00.conf (last modified on December 2016)
    • apply-temp.conf (last modified on October 2016)
    • startup-config_convert.conf (last modified on October 2016)
    • 420AAKY1-2016-10-25-19-12-05.conf (last modified on October 2016)
    and those new seven files (autobackup-4.25.conf was expected) aren't those three I deleted before starting the update procedure!

    [*] the file I initially deleted were these three:
    • 420AAKY2ITS-WK11-r76589-2017-07-27-12-53-49.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • 420AAKY2ITS-WK11-r76589-2017-05-01-23-14-13.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • 415AAKY0-2016-10-25-19-03-07.conf (last modified on October 2016)
    So from where those seven configuration files above came from (excluding the autoback-0.00.conf which was part of the four I left before starting the update procedure)?

    That's a mistery.








  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    @judoboy
    Since I updated the Firmware from 4.25 and 4.25 patch 1 to 4.30(AP also update to V5.00 (AAZY.4) ), the AP is working normally, and the log message does not display "AP Disconnect......." every 30 seconds.
    The log message you mentioned, this will show up when AP is updating the new firmware, so the message will not display again, if ap update successfully. 
    Therefor, to analyze this case more precisely, if possible, please pm me your configuration, topology,how many devices connect to USG, and I want to confirm my steps are the same as yours, please share your steps as well. 
    Charlie
  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    @parnassus
    The normal behavior of firmware update is after upgraded, USG will only backup a configuration on configuration file filed to avoid configuration incompatible happened.
    As your situation,  the configurations you deleted are belonging into first firmware partition, so after firmware updated, the configuration list you checked are second(Standby) firmware partition. This is why there are seven files after you did firmware upgrade(because originally, the configurations are belonging into second firmware partition).
    Charlie
  • parnassus
    parnassus Posts: 13  Freshman Member
    Friend Collector First Comment
    edited December 2017
    @Zyxel_Charlie thanks for the insight...so, if I understood you correctly, each Firmware partition (Running and Standby) owns its set of separated configuration files on a separated flash's memory space?

    I initially deleted those ones:
    • 420AAKY2ITS-WK11-r76589-2017-07-27-12-53-49.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • 420AAKY2ITS-WK11-r76589-2017-05-01-23-14-13.conf (last modified on July 2017)
    • 415AAKY0-2016-10-25-19-03-07.conf (last modified on October 2016)
    when the USG was running from 4.25 Patch 1 Firmware from its Running partition...I didn't expect to see other configuration files popping up after that update (so after the USG60 rebooted from its Standby - that became new Running - with new ZyOS 4.30 Firmware).

    So the proper way to do a complete cleaning at flash level with regard to unused/older/not more necessary configuration files is to perform the deletion on each partition, one time on the Running and one time on the Standby that become new Running after a reboot (in other words: this cleaning will require a reboot from Running into Standby...at least one time...and eventually a reboot from Running to Standby another time more to verify files are the same on both Firmware partitions...this exactly before one start an update procedure or just for normal flash memory maintenance).

    Is it right or I misunderstood your explanation?
  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    @parnassus
    Yes, each firmware partition (running and standby)has their own configuration files.
    If you delete the configurations on partition 1, then you upgrade the firmware on partition 1,  the USG will not keep the configuration files you removed last time.
    Charlie
  • Zyxel_Charlie
    Zyxel_Charlie Posts: 1,034  Zyxel Employee
    First Anniversary Friend Collector First Answer First Comment
    @judoboy

    When you see this symptom, had you tried to reboot the AP and re-upgrade the firmware? Will the symptom disappear afterward?

    Charlie

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