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Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Got problems with your B2 or B3? Share and get helped!
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

Hi forum,

Just unpacked the B3, but I can't seem to get the initial connection to it working. For the record, it's a 2TB model without wireless.

For the setup I need to connect to it somehow with a browser, for which I need either to know its IP address and/or make sure it has one at all. However at this point it looks like it doesn't seem to either get or assign IP addresses. Here's what I've tried so far:

1. "Server" mode behind existing router

1.1 Connected B3's LAN port to LAN port on my router. The router is an AVM Fritz!Box 7390 that has a built-in DHCP server, so I figured the B3 should get an IP address from the router via DHCP as per the manual, p. 19. The WAN port remains empty. This is identical to scenario 3 in the manual, p. 10.
1.2 Powered on B3, waited a minute or so for the front LED to turn blue, LED on LAN port shows connection.
1.3 The router has a list of the connected DHCP clients. The B3 doesn't appear, so it apparently didn't get or didn't query an IP address via DHCP from the router. Without an IP address there is no way of connecting to it.

Dang, that didn't work. Powered down the B3 via the power button.
Looked on the B3 for a sticker with the MAC address so I can hardcode it into my DHCP server. Well, just about any manufacturer puts the MAC address on their devices, but Excito doesn't. Note: this is a premium-priced product, so a sticker with the two or three MAC addresses for the various interfaces might be a nice little customer-friendly add-on for the next production run.

2. Standalone B3, client via DHCP

OK, so the B3's DHCP client doesn't seem to be working. But supposedly the B3 is capable of acting as a router itself. So let's have the B3 assign me an IP address so that I can connect to it and change it to fit my network setting.

2.1 Connected B3's LAN port to ethernet socket on my laptop. WAN port empty. The laptop runs XP, the network card was configured to get the IP address and DHCP server automatically (configuration as per the B3 manual, p. 23-24).
2.2 Powered on B3, waited for LED to turn blue. LED on LAN port and on laptop's ethernet socket show connection.
2.3 Windows notices that a cable is connected, starts querying for IP address, doesn't get it. After a while I get "limited connectivity" warning. No IP address, no connection to B3.

Dang, that didn't work. Powered down the B3 via the power button.

3. Standalone B3, client via hardcoded IP address

OK, so the B3's DHCP server doesn't work either. But supposedly the B3, when it doesn't get an IP address via DHCP, should fall back to 192.168.10.1 as per the B3 manual, p. 19! So we could just use this hardcoded address instead, couldn't we?

3.1 Connected B3's LAN port to ethernet socket on my laptop. WAN port empty. Reconfigured laptop's ethernet card to IP address 192.168.10.5 (shouldn't matter as long as it's in the same subnet), subnet mask 255.255.255.0 (assuming that the B3 uses a /24 by default just like everybody else), no standard gateway, no DNS server.
3.2 Powered on B3, waited for LED to turn blue. LED on LAN port and on laptop's ethernet socket show connection.
3.3 Windows notices a cable is connected.
3.4 Fired up the browser, tried to open http://192.168.10.1. No connection
3.5 Tried to add 192.168.10.1 to the standard gateway and DNS fields in various combinations - technically it shouldn't be necessary as we're in the same subnet (so no gateway needed) and connect using the raw IP address (so no DNS needed), but hey, maybe it needs it for some reason.
3.6 Fired up the browser, tried to open http://192.168.10.1, http://b3, http://b3.local etc. No connection.

Dang! That didn't work either!
So for all practical purposes I have a brand-new B3-shaped brick with a blue LED,

At this point I'm out of ideas, unless someone can enlighten me how to get it a useful IP address. Or is this already a case for customer service?
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

Seems like you've tried almost everything I could come up with here. Obviously the B3 isn't booting up correctly. I'd suggest downloading the usb install image from http://www.excito.com/bubba/support/download.html and trying to reinstall the B3. Supposing this is just a software fault and nothing is wrong with the hardware in your B3 it might work.

And a sticker with MAC address would be a good idea in cases like this. But it would be kinda ugly if you ask me, I like the all black look :D

/Daniel
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

DanielM wrote:Seems like you've tried almost everything I could come up with here. Obviously the B3 isn't booting up correctly. I'd suggest downloading the usb install image from http://www.excito.com/bubba/support/download.html and trying to reinstall the B3. Supposing this is just a software fault and nothing is wrong with the hardware in your B3 it might work.
Thanks. Downloading the USB install image as we speak.
Did I mention that I'm on a 256 kBit/s connection in a developing country? :lol:
And a sticker with MAC address would be a good idea in cases like this. But it would be kinda ugly if you ask me, I like the all black look :D
Hm... Make it a black sticker with white lettering the size of the Made in Sweden label and put it on the back? :)
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

rxmd wrote:Hm... Make it a black sticker with white lettering the size of the Made in Sweden label and put it on the back? :)
Might work. Note though that a MAC address is not by far as cool as being made in Sweden :D

/Daniel
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

DanielM wrote:Note though that a MAC address is not by far as cool as being made in Sweden :D
On that we agree. Technically the MAC address is made in Sweden, too, though. Or at least assigned.

I probably have the only B3 within 2500 km or so. It would be a shame if it didn't work. :)
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

rxmd wrote:I probably have the only B3 within 2500 km or so. It would be a shame if it didn't work. :)
Ok. Now I'm curious. Where is that?

/Daniel
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

DanielM wrote:
rxmd wrote:I probably have the only B3 within 2500 km or so. It would be a shame if it didn't work. :)
Ok. Now I'm curious. Where is that?
Here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.8 ... 25&t=h&z=9
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

That is cool! I have to admit I had to zoom out some steps to have any idea in which part of the world I was :lol:

Anyways, tell us when you've tried the usb image how it worked. I understand if you don't want to send your B3 back to Sweden...

/Daniel
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

DanielM wrote:Anyways, tell us when you've tried the usb image how it worked. I understand if you don't want to send your B3 back to Sweden...
I'll keep you updated. I'll try to avoid the send-back-to-Sweden option for as long as I can :)
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

OK, so after reformatting it using the boot image it seems to be working. Something must have been wrong with the configuration out of the box. Glad the hardware is OK.

For the record, I had a bit of trouble getting an USB stick to work - I have four or five here, but initially none of them worked, including some with SYSLINUX on them that are bootable on a PC. Ordering an USB stick from Sweden is not really an option from here, so I was a bit lost. I finally succeeded after reformatting one using HP DriveKey (the standard trick for creating a bootable USB key with a partition table under Windows). Unpacking the usb image to this stick gets me a booting B3.
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

rxmd wrote:OK, so after reformatting it using the boot image it seems to be working. Something must have been wrong with the configuration out of the box. Glad the hardware is OK.
Good to hear! I guess some 1's turned into 0's on the long journey from Sweden...

And yes, I've heard other people having problems finding usb sticks that work with the bubbas, apparently they have quite narrow wishes of which sticks are good and which aren't.

/Daniel
rxmd
Posts: 22
Joined: 14 Jun 2011, 10:32

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by rxmd »

DanielM wrote:And yes, I've heard other people having problems finding usb sticks that work with the bubbas, apparently they have quite narrow wishes of which sticks are good and which aren't.
The main caveat seems to be that the stick needs to be partitioned. Most USB sticks aren't, out of the box anyway, so the box won't boot. So you need to repartition and reformat them. It's the same as with making bootable USB sticks for PCs, for installing Linux or whatever.

For users on Windows, reformatting them with DriveKey is pretty much a standard trick. If you're on Linux, I guess the simplest is to take an image of a known good partitioned stick and "dd" it to another. I guess that's what you're doing for your own USB sticks.
Binkem
Posts: 388
Joined: 10 Jul 2008, 02:26

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by Binkem »

Maybe someone could share this knowledge on the wiki?
6feet5
Posts: 269
Joined: 13 Apr 2007, 17:32
Location: Gnesta, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by 6feet5 »

Binkem wrote:Maybe someone could share this knowledge on the wiki?
Yes, and please make a note that it doesn't matter what size of USB stick you use as long at is larger than the original image file.

It seems to me a common misconception (not necessarily on this forum) is that the USB stick must be of exact same size as the original source. This is not the case, it only needs to be larger. Yes, it will look like you are loosing size, but this is only "imaginary" for the current partition table. Once your done with the image, remove it and you can once again use the full size (to restore it to original state, use dd to back it up before writing the restore image).

/Johan
DanielM
Posts: 637
Joined: 28 Mar 2008, 06:37
Location: Sweden

Re: Can't connect to new B3. Bricked out of the box?

Post by DanielM »

Does anybody here know the exact characteristics of a stick that works? I mean, what is it that makes the difference?

/Daniel
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