How to log connection problems

[sr20]

Looks like a lot of people are unsure how to make a telnet log of a connection attempt.

Attaching a telnet log in txt format is the best way to post about connection problems as it gives much more detail than an event log or general description ever can. It saves a lot of fking about bouncing Q&A's back and for.

Here's a guide on how to do it. This will work on all modded firmwares. Remember to remove your MAC from the log file before posting it!

Before you start, download and install putty (h**p://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/putty.exe)

Method 1 is preferred in all cases, method 2 looks worse than it is lol.


Method 1) Using MAX232

Remove power from the modemConnect your MAX232 adapter to the modem header and the PC. This guide assumes you're using COM1.

Open Putty. Click the logging section of the settings panel. Select the following options:

Session logging: All session output
Click 'browse' and browse to your desktop folder.
Filename: putty.txt
'Always overwrite it'
Untick 'flush log file frequently'

Click back onto the 'session' section of the settings panel:

Connection type: Serial
Serial line: COM1
Speed: 115200
Close window on exit: Never

Click 'open', then plug the power into the modem.
You should see the boot process and connection attempt appear.

Wait for about 20s after the connection has reached the failure point, then close putty and it'll save the txt log as putty.txt on your desktop.


Method 2) Using ethernet or USB (USB requires that USB drivers are correctly installed)

Remove power from the modem.

Set manual NIC IP 192.168.100.10.

Open Putty. Click the 'session' section of the settings panel:

Connection type: Telnet
Host Name: 192.168.100.1
Port: 23
Close window on exit: Never

Power up the modem. Wait 15 seconds, then click 'open' in putty.
Enter username and password, press enter.

Ignore any crap coming up in the window, it may look like you can't type but you can. May help if you just don't look at the screen

Type this, pressing enter at the end of each line:

cd doc
up_dis

cd /
cd n/b
auto_console 1
write

Note: The lines above are correct for modems based on the BCM3349 (A250/A255/A256/SB5101/Webstar 2100). If you're using a BCM3348 modem (A200/SB5100) the line 'cd n/b' changes to 'cd n/c'.

This tells the modem to halt at the console. Close putty and reboot modem using power cable.

When you reboot it, it won't try to connect at first, so you have time to set putty to log all console output to txt before connecting.


Open Putty. Click the logging section of the settings panel. Select the following options:

Session logging: All session output
Click 'browse' and browse to your desktop folder.
Filename: putty.txt
'Always overwrite it'
Untick 'flush log file frequently'

Click back onto the 'session' section of the settings panel:

Connection type: Telnet
Host Name: 192.168.100.1
Port: 23
Close window on exit: Never


Click 'open', enter username and password and press enter. Type 'run' and press enter. The modem will try to connect.

Wait for about 20s after the connection has reached the failure point, then close putty and it'll save the txt log as putty.txt on your desktop.

Once you've finished you'll need to set auto_console back to 0 in telnet, or you'll have to type 'run' every time you reboot modem.

sr20

[fnr3master]

great post, will help a lot of people both with problems and those trying to help them. also it will help understand the terms in the log and wot they mean so people can learn them over time.

should make this a sticky along with a list of wot the most common logs contain.

eg.Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out. = wotever it is.

just the basic meanings