FAQ (2 of 5): Force Firmware update procedure - Solved 169.254.x.y issues

[madmuso]

This is a reply to http://forums.buffalotech.com/index.php?topic=10184.msg77532#msg77532 which has been closed despite having a huge number of people with issues

This is for
   Knife
   Waterman
   tonydasquid
   zaule
   emixpas
   NickHews
   daveheath
   

And anyone getting
   "Partition Not Found"
OR seeing their NAS pick up a 169.254.x.y IP address unexpectedly

sdaprix and masimoo27 gave us half the answer but I have documented all my steps below...


Like most of the above I Used private link cable with my PC in safe mode etc set to 192.168.11.1 to boot with TFTP and get system into EM mode.  This works but after just a few seconds the NAS changes IP address to one of the Micrspft APIPA addresses.  You can read about supposedly being able to disable this here

http://www.windowstechinfo.com/2013/07/disabling-apipa-automatic-private-ip.html

but it didn't work for me.

I was aware that Windows boxes will do this when there is no DHCP but was well suprised that the Buffalo system picks up an APIPA address (I guess from the PC) even when the PC has been set with a fixed IP.

You can use Navigator 2 to fix the IP address but LSUpdator cannot do it and never completes,  When it gets to Formatting the NAS does a DHCP refresh and gets an APIPA address again. 


This however finally worked for me and I have done it twice just to confirm.

PLEASE note that I had clean disks in my Buffalo at this point but I think it would work with your data disks in - usual caveats though - best thing is to take a backup of those disks!!!  Of course you will want to set the noformat = 1 and not select the Debug Options to overwrite paritions.

My NAS is a LSWX6.0


So I TFTP Kirkwood to get NAS to boot to EM Mode

1)   Connect a Private Cable to make an isolated network between PC and NAS
2)   Set IP Manually to 192.168.11.1, 255.255.255.0 (I did not need safe mode)
3)   Run the TFTP Server Software
4)   Boot the NAS (in my case with new blank disks)
5)   Wait for the E06 Error Lights to come on
6)   Press FUnction for 5 seconds
7)   NAS Boots into EM mode but when you run NAS Navigator 2 you see it has an IP of 169.254.x.y (random)
8)   Refresh NAS Navigator which offers to change the IP - this works IP changes to 192.168.11.150
9)   However within a few mins you can see IP has changed back to 169.254.x.y
10)   Running the Firmware Updater LSUpdater.exe confirms this (as does refreshing NAS Navigator)
11)   So Disconnect NAS from private cable - connect to your home network
12)   Re-IP your PC back to DHCP and connect to your Home Network (or preferably use another PC already on your home network)
13)   On a PC on your home network run LSUpdater.Exe and you will see the NAS has picked up an IP from your home network
14)   Make sure you have set the correct INI settings as per the  FAQ2 post to set the debug mode.
15)   Start the firmware update
16)   After a while the NAS will reboot (message from LSUPdater will be Linkstation has been rebooted please wait)
17)   The reboot will fail again like it did before
18)   Leave the LSUpdater Running with the bars going accross
19)   Repeat Steps 1 to 6 above
20)   On reboot the NAS will display the "updating firmware" code I25
21)   You can reconnect the NAS to you home network whilst this is running (it takes 5 minutes or so)
22)   THe NAS will reboot again (takes quite a while) and the updater software will detect the completed boot "LinkSTation has been updated)
23)   If the UPdater SOftware has timed out there is an option to retry
24)   NAS will have an DHCP IP on your home network and will be detected in NAS Navigator
25)    From here you can open the Settings but it will all be in Japanese
26)   Type admin in the first box and password in the second then click the button underneath
27)   To get back to english find the second drop down menu from the right end - under the ALO of BUFFALO
28)   Cick the down arrow on the bottom right to expand the third set of options
29)   Click the button at the bottom
      You will see ****** (Japanese)
      Select Drop Down List
      Select top item - English      
      In the second drop down select the line ending CP437
30)   Click the bottom left button
31)   Progress Bar goes accross screen
32)   Wait a while - refresh your browser
33)   You are done - in English...!

[joma90]

...... dang thats long, You can just change your pc to a 169.254.x.x , subnet 255.255.0.0 when the linkstation changes to that and do the same from there instead of disconnecting and reconnecting cables and what now.

[olson.p]

...... dang thats long, You can just change your pc to a 169.254.x.x , subnet 255.255.0.0 when the linkstation changes to that and do the same from there instead of disconnecting and reconnecting cables and what now.

This is what worked for me. Getting windows to hold the IP address was a little tricky at first, but it eventually worked.

However, after loading the firmware, the updater lost connection with the LS again and aborted the update. But, I was able to follow these directions from step 19, and the LS completed the update without any need to communicate with the updater again (step 23 unnecessary). Changing the language was a little different than here as menus have changed slightly, but it wasn't too hard to figure out.

So half of this process was still necessary, but at least no disconnecting/reconnecting/moving around.

[dahveedem]

this just worked for me as well

2 months fighting with this on and off and finally I'm restored.

[joma90]

Most of the steps are. true just the disconnecting part in my opinion takes more time to do then anything depending on the accessibility of unit if you get what I mean.

[user112358]

Just wanted to say thank you. I've been working on this on-and-off for about a week. I tried everything in FAQ 1, 2, and 3, as well as a bunch of blog posts. This worked like a charm.