Issue with wAP AC RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD – Netinstall doesn't load .npk package

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Ciao a tutti mi chiamo Fabrizio,
sono nuovo del forum e sto muovendo i primi passi nel mondo MikroTik. Sto cercando di configurare una rete domestica con diversi dispositivi MikroTik, e in particolare ho incontrato un problema con un access point wAP AC (modello RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD) che sto tentando di ripristinare via Netinstall.

Ecco la situazione nel dettaglio:

Ho scaricato il file routeros-7.19-arm.npk (provato anche con versioni 6.x).

Utilizzo Netinstall64 su Windows 10 (senza privilegi amministrativi).

Il PC ha IP statico 192.168.88.2/24, il firewall è disattivato.

Quando tengo premuto il tasto reset e accendo il dispositivo, il wAP appare in Netinstall con stato “ready”.

Appena lo seleziono, però, il pacchetto .npk scompare dalla colonna sotto, impedendomi di procedere con l’installazione.

Ho provato alimentazione via POE e anche con un alimentatore 12V esterno, cambiato cavi, porte, versione Netinstall, ma nulla cambia.

In modalità normale, il wAP non viene rilevato da Winbox né via MAC né IP. Se provo a pingarlo risponde solo saltuariamente (1 su 4 pacchetti circa).

Qualcuno ha avuto un problema simile o ha suggerimenti su come procedere?
Grazie mille per l’aiuto e la pazienza!



Hi everyone,
My name is Fabrizio, I’m new to the forum and just starting out with MikroTik devices. I’m working on setting up a home network and ran into a problem while trying to recover a wAP AC unit (model RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD) using Netinstall.

Here’s what’s happening:

I downloaded the routeros-7.19-arm.npk package (also tried with 6.x versions).

I’m using Netinstall64 on Windows 10 (without admin privileges).

The PC has a static IP set to 192.168.88.2/24, and the firewall is disabled.

When I hold the reset button and power on the device, the wAP appears in Netinstall with a “ready” status.

As soon as I select it, however, the .npk package disappears from the right column, and I can’t proceed with the installation.

I’ve tried powering via POE and also using a 12V external power supply, switched cables, ports, Netinstall versions – no change.

In normal mode, the wAP isn’t detected by Winbox via MAC or IP. If I ping it, I get only 1 reply out of 4 packets.

Has anyone faced a similar issue or have any suggestions on how to proceed?
Thanks a lot for your help and patience!

2

https://mikrotik.com/product/RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD

Product code RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD
Architecture > MIPSBE

BUT:

I downloaded the routeros-7.19-> arm> .npk package (also tried with 6.x versions).

:open_mouth:

I would try with the routeros-7.19-mipsbe.npk package. :wink:

3

Grazie a @jaclaz
Un ringraziamento speciale a jaclaz che mi ha indicato la soluzione corretta: il file da usare con il mio wAP ac (RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD) non è quello per ARM, ma per MIPSBE.
Dopo aver usato Netinstall con il pacchetto giusto, il dispositivo è stato rilevato correttamente e reinstallato.
Grazie
Thanks to jaclaz!
A special thanks to jaclaz who pointed me to the correct solution: the file for my wAP ac (RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD) is not the ARM one, but the MIPSBE package.
After using Netinstall with the correct file, the device was properly detected and reinstalled.
Thanks

4

Yep :slight_smile: , thank goodness netinstall has some mechanisms to identify the hardware/architecture and only shows update files (.npk) that are suitable for the connected device.
Probably an added warning like “Netinstall cannot find any suitable update file, check the architecture of this device and verify that a suitable update file is available” would help the less expert/attentive users.
BUT (for next time) DO NOT trust netinstall or any other software and double and triple check to be using the “right” file, when similar mechanisms fail and a “wrong” file is pushed on the device, there could be catastrophic effects :open_mouth: :
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/rb5009-cannot-enter-the-system-after-restart/183645/1
(this is a peculiar case, still …)

5

Hi @jaclaz , one last question: I’m trying to connect my wAP to the RB3011 on port 10, which should provide PoE, but the output doesn’t deliver the correct voltage even when forcing it with poe-out=forced-on. I measured the voltage with a multimeter directly on the pins and I’m only getting about 5V, which is much lower than the expected 24V. Do you have any suggestions or ideas on what might be going on?

6

I think it may depend on the RoS version, but there can be a few (sanity) checks performed on the line even when it is poe-out=forced-on.

I.e. “forced-on” does not really mean “forced-on”, but rather “forced-on IF I can measure a resistance between 3kOhm and 26.5 kOhm AND NO short-circuits”.

So you cannot measure PoE voltage with a multimeter directly on pins, a proper load/device must be connected (and then you can measure the voltage in parallel to the load).

You need sort of extension cord made with RJ45 plug - cable - Rj45 socket/keystone, insert it on the line and then measure on the keystone pins.

BUT 7.18 and 7.19 seemingly introduced something that changed the way PoE out is working (or not-working) , at least on some devices, there is recent report about the issue:
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/poe-devices-stopped-working/182661/1
but at the moment no confirmations, solutions or workarounds AFAIK.

If you don’t really-really need the latest-latest, you may want to try downgrading to 7.17 that is reported in the other thread as having not this kind of issue.

7

Ok, here are the tests I’ve done:

I tested two different RB3011 units, one running RouterOS 6.38.7 and the other with the latest version available.
In both cases, when measuring directly on the cable without load, I get about 10V.
Then I applied an 8 kOhm resistor to the PoE pins (4/5 and 7/8), and the voltage drops to about 4V.

It seems unlikely that both units have damaged PoE ports.
Just to clarify, I’m powering the RB3011 with the original MikroTik 24V 1.2A power adapter.

8

What do you see on the RB3011 with:

/interface ethernet poe monitor [find]

?
Post the output.

9

[admin@MikroTik] > /interface ethernet poe monitor [find]
name: ether10
poe-out-status: powered-on

10

I thought there were more info, according to the wiki:
https://wiki.mikrotik.com/Manual:PoE-Out
maybe the 3011 misses them i.e. it has an injector and not a controller.
The 3011 is reknown for having this issue, see:
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/rb3011-no-more-poe-on-port-eth10/109028/1
but two out of two is really tough luck.

11

I’ve read through the whole PoE section of the manual, and it’s clear I don’t have many alternatives:
I’ll have to go with an external power supply… too bad.
Still, I’ll try to investigate if there’s an integrated component (or something else) that may have been damaged on the port.

Thanks again for the support!

12

Do check the cable-test, see links here:
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/poe-devices-stopped-working/182661/1

From my very limited testing (only on a single old device) it looks like it is not particularly reliable/accurate, since likely the short (or resistance) checking mechanism uses the same methods, maybe it is simply defective, sees a short (even if there isn’t one) and does not provide the full voltage out, only the low “detection” one.

You don’t anyway need a second power supply, the 24V 1.2A should be enough for the 3011+Wap, you could use an Y cable, like (example):
https://oniroview.com/en/products/cavo-splitter-di-alimentazione-dc-1-femmina-2-maschio-5-5-2-1mm-40cm

with a PoE injector like the RBGPOE:
https://mikrotik.com/product/RBGPOE

13

I ran some final tests before giving up, and here’s what I noticed:

Setting the PoE port to auto, if nothing is plugged in, I see “waiting for link”, but as soon as I connect a device, I see “power on” — so the hardware link is detected correctly.

However, after connection, the measured voltage only goes up to about 6V.

I tried using an oscilloscope to understand who’s driving the inductors to generate voltage, but it seems the DragonWell M2401IG chip is top secret — I couldn’t find any datasheets or technical docs online.

So I wasn’t able to determine whether the problem comes from the CPU not providing the correct switching frequency, or if there’s a faulty MOSFET in the power path.

Really a pity… but maybe it’s a known hardware limitation.
Thanks again for all the help and suggestions!

14

Given the frequency with which the 3011 Is reported developing this issue, after having worked just fine as PoE PSE for months or years, my bet would be on the switching transistors or mosfets either aging prematurely or however failing.

15

Please note that these two RB3011 units were powered on for 5 years in a company. One of them was used only on the first 4 ports — port 10 was never connected. The other unit was powered on but never actually used, as it was kept as a backup device, so no ports were ever connected.