Sudden Polisy Pro issues - Please Help!

[StangManD]

For starters, this unit has been "in production" running my home automation for 5 or more years with no changes to networking or anything that would cause any connectivity issues.  I can ping the device IP just fine but I cannot get to it any other way suddenly.

This all started by the unit erroring out from the UD app and my Echos with voice commands saying it was offline or unavailable.  So I was able to ping the IP, get into the local portal just fine via the IoX launcher, backed the unit up for good measure (IoX Backup), then pressed the button on the face twice to do a safe reboot.  Once it came back up, everything reconnected and was fine for about 5 min.  Then the app started complaining again and this time, I could not get into the interface from the IoX launcher.  This has ALWAYS worked.  So I rebooted it again, no help.  I then waited a good 10min and pulled the power cord and plugged it back in... same thing.  On the face, when it's rebooting it has left light solid, right two blink together for a while then go out and it's just the left light.  When it's done booting, the left light is solid, no other lights are on or blinking.  Still after a power cycle this is where I am.  I've had this thing up and running for years with no issues, don't know what happened or what I need to do here to get it working again.  Also, I can still ping the IP of the box, so that is fine but that isn't helping much as I can't get to it via the IoX launcher or app.  I'm fairly certain it's just not working at this point as I can usually tell when it's poling the Insteon devices (lights dim ever so slightly when they are communicating... and it's not doing this anymore when the box boots up which tells me it's probably not actually booting up correctly or completely)  Please help!  Thank you!

[DennisC]

If you clear Java cache and download a new Launcher, and enter the IP address and port manually in to the Launcher does it work then?

If not, suggest you open support ticket with UD.

[StangManD]

Thanks DennisC, really appreciate it.

 

I ended up creating a support ticket after documenting the boot cycle (lights/beeps) and I think I'm in real trouble here.  I don't think it's actually booting.  I have no idea what happened to it to get here.  Whole rack is on a UPS, all equipment has been "power happy" for 3.5+ years with no power bumps or anything.

 

So after a good solid power cycle and staring at it for 30min while I watch lights/beeps to document for this ticket... I don't think it's booting.

 

This is what happens when I power it up (plug the power cable in):

• All 3 lights come on for about 1-2 seconds
• Just the left most light remains on - and that's it.

 

No beeps at all, no more blinking, no nothing.  Just that sequence above when first applying power to the unit and that's it.

Wondering if a factory reset is in order?  As much as that makes me cringe, I'm HOPING my IoX backup helps me out when I get it back up and running.

 

Do you think that's my only chance at this point?  Seems that this thing has somehow become corrupt... again, no good reason why but sometimes these things happen.

[StangManD]

Additionally, I followed your instructions and cleared Java cache and re-installed a new launcher and tried to access via the correct IP/port/address with no luck.

[StangManD]

Another update... what I see (status lights on the box) when I power it on is accurate.  It's silent and I only see the one light change noted previously.  What I DO see suggests that something else is likely going on behind the scenes and perhaps I might be lucky enough to get bailed out of this without a factory reset?

 

With pings, I can see this on my network when I plug power into the unit:

• 35-40 seconds after power is applied, it pulls an IP from DHCP and is on the network with an IP (pingable)
• It begins querying DNS for pkg.isy.io every ~30 seconds repeatedly and constantly

 

All I can do is ping it... SSH is disallowed on the unit as it refuses the connection and I cleared my Java cache, reinstalled the IoX launcher fresh and tried to manually connect following the Wiki instructions with no luck.

 

Thanks, I think this is about all of the troubleshooting / investigation I can do at this time without further ideas or direction.  My gut is to factory reset it and give the IoX backup a shot... but I'll wait for a response in the meantime if anyone can help.  Thank you very much in advance!

[tazman]

You can try replacing the power supply if you have something laying around because it sounds like the unit is not fully booting.

[StangManD]

We have an electronics store near by, I can swing over there and find something of the same spec and hopefully same connector to try... good suggestion, thank you.  I have not yet tested the power supply or tried a different one.

[Goose66]

Sounds like an SSD card problem. Hope not, but I went through something similar. IIRC, UD had to send me a new module.

[StangManD]

Hope not as well... is there even a SSD card in the Polisy Pro?  I know there isn't one accessible from the exterior of the unit.  Do you mean there's a slot and card on the inside of the unit?

[Goose66]

There’s an SSD (not SD card) on the board. Don’t remember the actual interface protocol(s). NVMe? PCIe? eSATA?

Edited Saturday at 03:42 PM by Goose66

[StangManD]

Ah... yes, when it becomes corrupt (certain light arrangement) you have to plug the little ROM flash board they send into the pin header if I remember correctly and it re-flashes it.  Yes, that actually happened to me a few years back but that was a specific light combo after some beeping during boot... where the BIOS becomes corrupt I believe.  Is that what you recall or something different?

 

Mine is not doing that scenario this time unfortunately (as I have that little flash board they sent on-hand).  That issue and solution is outlined in the Wiki.  This is a whole different situation that I am not finding any documentation on.

[Goose66]

Right. That’s exactly what it was. I also have that USB interface board for loading the flash module. I didn’t remember all the details.

Edited Saturday at 03:56 PM by Goose66

[StangManD]

Yep, I kind of figured, that one is well documented... the light combo tells them exactly what needs to be done.  Not sure what happened to mine but this one is unfortunately different... I'm going to test the power brick for kicks before I run up and buy some other one just to rule that out... not sure.

[Guy Lavoie]

31 minutes ago, Goose66 said:

There’s an SSD (not SD card) on the board. Don’t remember the actual interface protocol(s). NVMe? PCIe? eSATA?

The slots in the Polisy are mini PCIe

[StangManD]

The power supply is outputting 12.34v and there's no reason to believe the current (1.5A) isn't there... the light ON the power supply itself is green and the unit doesn't seem to have any sort of "dimming lights" signs or anything else with a shortage of current.  I don't think it's power either.

[StangManD]

Support says either send it in for repair to them or I can try re-flashing a fresh image onto the mSATA drive in the unit.  Then I would just update via admin console and then restore my IoX backup.

 

Seeing how I have the new eISY on (pre)order, I don't think timing would be good for me to send it in and I'm not afraid to try to reflash the drive from an iso.  I'll give it a whirl when my mSATA adapter shows up tomorrow and report back in case anyone is following or runs into something similar.

[StangManD]

So it must have been a corrupt eMMC for some reason.  Not sure how that happened, but re flashing the drive with a fresh image did the trick.

 

I restored my IoX backup, restored my PG3 backup and everything in that regard seems to be working

 

Now I have a new problem.  I don't see ANY of my Insteon devices.  I see all of my programs and they all have errors that there are unknown nodes/devices attached so they won't work.  Under tools - Diagnostics - PLM Status/Info = it is there and communicating just fine.

 

So during the IoX restore process, it said:

"This action will replace all settings on ISY, reboot ISY, and close your browser.  If the restored settings do not match the settings in your INSTEON Devices, please run "File->Restore Devices" in your next browser session."

That's all good, so I'm at the point where none of the devices are showing up at all under the Main tab.  My next move is to follow the directions but I hesitate because of the message I get when I select that option.  It says:

"This action will reprogram all of your INSTEON Devices using the settings stored in ISY.  This will take 10 seconds to 2 minutes per device depending on the complexity of your network.  If you have battery powered devices, make sure they are in Programming Mode BEFORE you proceed."

 

So my issue is, I am told that as long as I don't factory reset the PLM (which I didn't - not even sure how to do that on the USB PLM if I wanted to), the links will all be there and match my system, etc. and will be fine.  Well I'm okay with "Restoring" the links by reading the PLM because it's device table and links should all still be connected to all of my devices.  What I fear is the warning message is going to reprogram all of my Insteon devices with settings from the ISY.  Presumably right now, there are NO settings for the devices in ISY because it's not seeing any of them.

 

Am I wrong to fear this message that it's basically going to overwrite what's in my PLM even though the PLM has the info ISY needs?  I feel like I'm literally aiming at my foot with a loaded gun with that message.

 

Please advise, I've asked support but have been waiting most the day for a response at this point and I'd like to get the show back on the road with my automation.

 

Thank you in advance!