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From BBHN to AREDN

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w7rej
From BBHN to AREDN

What steps are needed to flash Ubiquiti nodes that are already running BBHN? Are they flashed as factory or as sysupgrade? I searched the forums and the site and can't find anything the specifically addresses this.

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
Hello Robert,

Hello Robert,

If you are on BBHN 3.1.0, you can easily upgrade to the AREDN 3.15.1.0Beta2 that is currently out.

The steps are:

  1. Go to the menu at the top of this page and choose SOFTWARE then DOWNLOAD
  2. On the downloads page, click the link for EXPERIMENTAL BUILDS (this will list the beta images)
  3. Download the patch file named "BBHN V3.1.0 OTA Support (Release 2)" to your PC.
  4. Download the appropriate SYSUPGRADE file for your specific type of device (ie.  Ubiquiti NanoStation M2, TP-Link CPE510, etc).
  5. On your BBHN node, go to the Setup page (and login)
  6. On your BBHN node, click the ADMINISTRATION link.
  7. In the Firmware Update section, browse to the OTA patch downloaded in step #3 and upload the patch.
  8. Click the ADMINISTRATION link AGAIN to reload the page.
  9. You will now see an additional checkbox under the firmware update section labeled:  Keep Settings.
  10. Make sure that the "Keep Settings" checkbox is CHECKED.
  11. In the Firmware Update section, browse to the SYSUPGRADE file for your device that was downloaded in step #4 and upload the firmware.
  12. Your device will load the new firmware and reboot a couple of time.  This takes a few minutes.

At this point, your node will be running AREDN 3.15.1.0b2.

Let us know if you need further assistance and thanks for your post!

 

73, Darryl

K5DLQ

w7rej
RE: From BBHN to AREDN

I see the stable release is 3.0.2 so since the BBHN version on my nodes is 3.1.0, I would have to go to the AREDN 3.15.1.0Beta2?

Since we have these nodes in production now it might be best to wait till the beta is ready for production. I can at least install the patch to get the "Keep Settings" feature.

Thanks and 73

Bob, W7REJ

 

KG6JEI
Hello Bob,

Hello Bob,

Seeing as you are on BBHN 3.1.0 and you want to wait for stable and wanting to be respectful of your time than yes i would recommend waiting for 3.15.1.0 to fully leave beta for your production nodes.

BBHN 3.1.0 is really just our AREDN 3.0.2 build without a more flexible color scheme for pages that we have in 3.0.2 to allow for better viewing in daylight conditions. You can actually go to this version without the keep settings checkbox checked though for this single feature it is probably not worth flashing the node since you would have to do it in person.

The "Keep Settings" (were calling it "Over The Air Upgrade (OTA Upgrade)" feature will only work going to version 3.15.1.0 and newer as it takes code in both the upgrade image (sysupgrade file) and the older image(current node) to do and we are adding it as part of 3.15.1.0.

With all that in mind you may want to wait on installing the patch as well as its still part of the 'beta' routine as well and could get another edit before we release and install it on your node (can be done remotely) once the build goes production.

 

w7rej
Reply

Hi Conrad,

Sounds like a plan. BTW, I'd like to thank Darryl, K5DLQ, for his remarks and also for his posting in a separate thread, from a press release, about our mesh initiative here in Pima County, AZ. More and more hams are starting to come on board. there are even plans in the works to establish major mountain/hilltop nodes to the south in our Santa Cruz valley that will eventually link all the way to Nogales, AZ. Certainly the time is upon us to move to AREDN.

Thanks and 73,

Bob, W7REJ

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
Glad to help Bob.

Glad to help Bob.

In the interim, if you have test nodes available, go ahead and try the process so that you will be comfortable with it once we release 3.15.1.0.

Good luck in your deployment!

Darryl

AE6XE
AE6XE's picture
Backbone established across major mountain/hilltops

Bob,

We also have equipment beginning to be installed and big plans for a major backbone system along the coast from the Mexico boarder approaching to the Bay Area.   We have over 20 peaks identified with existing access to the sites and capable/interested individuals.  Let's separately touch base to share plans and explore opportunities to connect up at some point.  Andre, K6AH, is leading this coordination and I believe has had some dialog with folks in Phoenix area in your neighborhood.

Joe AE6XE

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
By the way, on a different

By the way, on a different topic, i just committed a change to AREDN (future release) to to make service links open in a new window.

w7rej
Got it

Joe,

 

I'll keep in touch and update as things progress.

w6bi
w6bi's picture
service links open in a new window.

+1

k3la
Problems

I followed the above to update a bbhn 3.1 to aredn and I can not load anything. if I scan the ip addresses and 192.168.1.1 appears. I had first loaded the patch and the save appeared and was checked. This was on a Bullet M%. What now? Barney K3LA

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
Hi Chester!  Welcome to AREDN

Hi Barney!  Welcome to AREDN!

Let me make sure of the exact steps that you took.  Is this correct?

  1. Existing Ubiquiti Bullet M5 running BBHN 3.1.0
  2. Installed the "BBHN V3.1.0 OTA Support Final" patch via the admin page on BBHN and "Upload Firmware"
  3. Clicked (not refresh/reload) the Administration menu on BBHN
  4. Verified that you can now see the "Save Settings" checkbox.
  5. Installed the AREDN 3.15.1.0 (sysupgrade) image WITH the "Save Settings" checkbox CHECKED.
  6. Wait 2-3 mins for the upgrade to occur
  7. Unplug your CAT5 network cable from your PC
  8. Close your browser (Firefox/Chrome/Edge/IE)
  9. Reopen browser
  10. Plug in CAT5 to your PC.
  11. Navigate your browser to:   http://localnode:8080

Is that what you did?  If not, can you elaborate?

Darryl

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
also, make sure that you load
also, make sure that you load 3.15.1.0 after the OTA patch, and not 3.16.1.0b2
AFTER you are on 3.15.1.0, you can upgrade to 3.16.1.0b2
k3la
I know I followed up to 6. I
I know I followed up to 6. I then got a message that it could not connect. I will double check though. I do not that I have downloaded version 3.16. I am not sure that shut the browser down though. Barney K3LA
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
ok.  We have not updated the
ok.  We have not updated the OTA patch to go directly to 3.16.1.x yet since 3.16.1.0 is not out of beta, so, I suspect that may be the likely cause.
The node is probably in "pre-config" mode.  On your PC, do you see a wifi called "MESH"?  If so, connect to it, then browse to http://localhost:8080 and configure it.

keep us posted...
 
k3la
Response
I checked and I was trying to install version 3.15 not 3.16. I have shut off the browser and have tried two browsers and the same result. A message saying that it cannot connect. Other observations. I ran a port scanning program and a port 192.168.1.1 appeared on my wired connection and the wired adapter took on the address of 192.168.1.18. Also when I ran ipconfig it shows a coonection on the local wireed connection of local.mesh.

I do not have 5 ghz on my wifi. Can I use another Bullet m5 which has bbhn programed in it to connect? Again thanks for your help. Barney K3LA
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
On your PC, do you see a wifi
On your PC, do you see a wifi called "MESH"?  If so, connect to it, then browse to http://localhost:8080 and configure it.
Alternatively, see if anything shows up if you browse to http://192.168.1.1:8080
k3la
Next to try
I do not see a wifi called mesh although I do not believe that the wifi in my laptop does 5ghz. I tried to go to 192.168.1.1:8080 and it tries to connect but then says it times out. What can I try next? I hooked up the other M5 programmed with bbhn and in scanning wifi it found a  MeshNode on channel 36. Barney K3LA
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
Sorry.  I intended "MeshNode"
Sorry.  I intended "MeshNode".  That indicates that the node is in "pre-configuration" state.
If you can ping 192.168.1.1, use your browser and go to:   http://192.168.1.1:8080
You should see it and can set it up from there (ie. assign password, set channel, bandwidth, and DISTANCE value)

 
kg9dw
kg9dw's picture
Let's back up a bit...
Hey Barney -

You've got the bullet connected to the power supply into the POE jack, right?
1. Now plug your laptop into the LAN jack.
2. Turn off your wifi.
3. Now, do an ipconfig at a command/DOS prompt and see what IP address your LAN port has. If it doesn't have one, go into connections and set one. I'd pick 192.168.1.15. 
4. Try to ping 192.168.1.1. If it responds, that's where your node is at. Open a browser and go to 192.168.1.1:8080.
5. If it doesn't respond, try to ping 192.168.1.20. Let us know if that comes back. 

Keep at it, you'll figure it out!
k3la
Response
It appears that the server in the M5 is assigning ip addresses. When I connected my laptop, its wired lan was assigned 192.168.1.18. I also ran a program that scans the network for ip address ranges. I had it scan 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.254. It was showing a Ubiquiti device at 192.168.1.1 and my laptop at 192.168.1.18.I tried pinging 192.168.1.1 and it responded that the request timed out. I then tried to ping other ports including 20 and other ports that I had used on the device under Ubiquiti airos and all the ports responded from 192.168.1.18 that the requested port could not be reached. Next Barney K3LA
KG6JEI
Since this was an upgrade via

Since this was an upgrade via an untested path to a beta version (which are never guaranteed to work) and something may have went wrong I would reset the node by allowing it to boot fully and then press and hold the reset button for 15 seconds and release. It will restart and come back again as if it had just been freshly flashed and you can do the initial configuration again.

k3la
I will try that but a
I will try that but a question and a comment. At what stage in the process will the reset take me to? 
The comment is that I have never downloaded 3.16. I was using 3.15 to flash the unit. I thought 3.15 was not a beta version. 
Again thanks. Barney K3LA
kg9dw
kg9dw's picture
It sure looks like something

It sure looks like something got hung up during the initial configuration process (before you logged in). I'd just run through the tftp process and load it that way. If you're laptop is already on the 192.168.1.x subnet, you're halfway there. 

Here are the instructions. Scroll down to the TFTP section:
http://bloodhound.aredn.org/products/AREDN/wiki/HowTo/FlashUbiquiti 

If you've got tftp on your laptop (you may have to go into Windows options and add it (google that)) you can send the file to the device from the command line:
tftp -i 192.168.1.20 PUT filename

It's easiest to run the command from the same directory that contains the AREDN firmware. 
 

k3la
Next
thanks. I will try later today. Two questions though. 
Does the unit take the 192.168.1.1 as an interim step in the configuration process?
Can the ftp process take place even without monitoring the lights? Not the current unit but one of the other units is a TI model bullet which does not have lights. 
I will let you know what happens. Barney K3LA
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
yes.  it does look like
yes.  it does look like something didn't quite go right. 
*THE EASIEST WAY* to get back to a pre-config/known state is what KG6JEI suggested. 
(The TFTP method is a little more effort, as mentioned).

With the node fully powered up, press and hold the RESET button on the Bullet (or on the bottom of the PoE adapter, if so equipped) for 15 secs.
When you release it, it will reboot to initial "pre-config" state.   You can then connect your PC to the LAN port of the PoE adapter, disconnect any wifi from your PC, open your browser, and go to:   http://localnode.local.mesh:8080

 
k3la
Results
Well as you might expect that worked. Now I can move on the other units. This is a new project here in our county. It is something we have been talking about and we recently got access to tower space at a good location so we are putting up nodes on 2.4 and 5 ghz.Thanks for your help. I will probably be back. Are there going to be any presentations at Dayton. I have not looked is there a good way to see what other pockets of activity exist around the country?
One of our goals is to link the four county hospitals as an additional backup that we are currently doing on 2 meters.
One other question. Now that I have 3.15 working should I update to 3.16 or wait until it is finalizalized?
Enough for now. Thanks for all of your work on this project. 73 Barney K3LA

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