Router looses configuration + Power On problems

**Amelie** · 13-09-2007, 11:54

See my configuration at the bottom.

I switch off my router frequently for security reasons and
low power consumption.
After powering on again, the router often shows up
with factory settings.

I recently upgraded to Oleg's firmware 1.9.2.7-7g from
-7d or -7e (don't remember exactly).
I use the WEB interface for maintainance.

I wonder if this firmware- or HW-specific.

There is some other strange behaviour, which occured already
with previous firmware versions:
1. On first power-on (after some hours of disconnection from
power supply) the router often is not initialized correctly:
It does not respond to requests and the power LED is off (although
the LAN LEDs are on)

2. Doing a very quick Power On-Off-On switching (to solve the preceeding
problem) the result is undetermined:
- Sometimes the router starts rebooting continuously
- sometimes it is reset to factory defaults

In summary, the router is quite unusable for sporadic internet connection.
I hope i'll find a solution here.

Thanks in advance,
Amelie

--------- My configuration ---------------------------
(might be unusual, since most features are disabled.
The router is mostly switched of):
- Asus WL500gx (aka Asus WL500G Deluxe)
- Oleg firmware 1.9.2.7-7g
- ADSL connection as PPPoE.
- Some strict FW rules
- Most features disabled, e.g. Radio off, PnP off, FTP off, access from WAN off
- I use the WEB interface for maintainance

**mistraller** · 13-09-2007, 19:45

Any hardware connected on USB?

**Amelie** · 14-09-2007, 12:34

No, i have no HW connected on USB.

But your guess may point to the right direction.
The reason might be insufficient power supply caused
be powerconsumptive devices (e.g. connected on USB).

I use the Asus router since Oct 2005, and since that time
i had problems after power on. I held my ADSL-Modem
responsible, connected at WAN port.
There was also a post about generally poor Asus power supplies.

My workaround until now was to power on again.
But since i use Oleg's firmware 1.9.2.7-7g that does
not work anymore: After switching on, my router configuration
is gone.

The 'non deterministic' behaviour of my router suggests
something like electrical characteristics beeing the cause.

I will investigate a little into disconnected ADSL-Modem
and a stabilized power supply

Thanks so far,
Amelie

**mistraller** · 14-09-2007, 19:46

Originally Posted by Amelie

No, i have no HW connected on USB.

But your guess may point to the right direction.
The reason might be insufficient power supply caused
be powerconsumptive devices (e.g. connected on USB).

I use the Asus router since Oct 2005, and since that time
i had problems after power on. I held my ADSL-Modem
responsible, connected at WAN port.
There was also a post about generally poor Asus power supplies.

My workaround until now was to power on again.
But since i use Oleg's firmware 1.9.2.7-7g that does
not work anymore: After switching on, my router configuration
is gone.

The 'non deterministic' behaviour of my router suggests
something like electrical characteristics beeing the cause.

I will investigate a little into disconnected ADSL-Modem
and a stabilized power supply

Thanks so far,
Amelie

Well, I have webcam, usb harddisk connected to usb, on standard power supply. But of course there could be differences in powersupplies. I have two wl500gx running, different supply.
Is the problem still there if you flash asus firmware?
And, are you sure your config is correctly stored? Maybe play around with backup/restore settings

**Amelie** · 15-09-2007, 00:31

> Is the problem still there if you flash asus firmware?

I have done a 'System Setup - Firmware Upgrade - Upload' to version 1.9.2.7-7g via the web interface several times. But i am not familiar with things like NVRAM and filesystem. Nor am i with system commands like 'flashfs enable/commit/save'. I just hope, the web interface works as expected.

> And, are you sure your config is correctly stored?

I am sure, they are not :-)

> Maybe play around with backup/restore settings

I thought i did.

I adjusted the settings via web interface. After second loss of router settings i did a 'System Setup - Setting Management - Save as...' to file via the web interface.
Now for weeks weeks, every morning, if the settings are gone again, i am glad to 'System Setup - Setting Management - Upload' only, instead of manually adjust the whole router settings again.

After i have checked the power supply, i will check
1. openWrt
2. other router HW

**mistraller** · 17-09-2007, 22:30

Originally Posted by Amelie

> Is the problem still there if you flash asus firmware?

I have done a 'System Setup - Firmware Upgrade - Upload' to version 1.9.2.7-7g via the web interface several times. But i am not familiar with things like NVRAM and filesystem. Nor am i with system commands like 'flashfs enable/commit/save'. I just hope, the web interface works as expected.

> And, are you sure your config is correctly stored?

I am sure, they are not :-)

> Maybe play around with backup/restore settings

I thought i did.

I adjusted the settings via web interface. After second loss of router settings i did a 'System Setup - Setting Management - Save as...' to file via the web interface.
Now for weeks weeks, every morning, if the settings are gone again, i am glad to 'System Setup - Setting Management - Upload' only, instead of manually adjust the whole router settings again.

After i have checked the power supply, i will check
1. openWrt
2. other router HW

Well, if you can fix the problem by uploading the settings again, then your settings ARE stored in memory, but not applied during boot.
flashfs is not needed if you use only webinterface. Can you post your system log?

**Amelie** · 19-09-2007, 19:17

> flashfs is not needed if you use only webinterface.

That is something i expected too. Anyhow, as an experiment i did 'flashfs commit' to days ago, because the symptoms were like a missing commit statement in a database. Since then I did some 10 startups and the router kept his settings!
It is some kind of progress. But i still have to start the router twice, because after first power-on the router does not respond to requests.

> Can you post your system log?

a) reset-to-factory-defaults-state: Unfortunately, i didn't make a copy of the log. And now i can't reproduce that state anymore.

b) not-responding-to-requests-after-first-power-on-state: I can't access the routers log via web interface nor telnet. And the external syslog-server does not receive any UDP log messages during that state.

I attached a log from a second power on. The log is a snippet from my external syslog-server receiving log messages from my router. It was recorded some days before i executed the 'flashfs commit'

The only suspicious entries i see, are about 'bogus logical sector size'. These kind of entries were there for one year at least. I already posted them into the forum, but got no answer.

Don't spend to much time with the log, because 'reset-to-factory-defaults-state' as the main problem is 'solved'. The second problem (not-responding-to-requests-after-first-power-on-state) still remains, but i think i can live with it, as i already did for years.

Many thanks for your help,
Amelie

BTW.
Is there any english doc about your solar inverter monitoring mentioned at your footer?