Home Assistant Blue: First setup, fallen off network and not coming back

Andy_Allsopp · March 19, 2021, 1:21am

OK. End of play, I fear.

@cogneato very generously lent their time to support me through various diagnostics, finding a fix for resetting the network back to default

# rm -r /mnt/overlay/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections
# reboot

We did that and still saw no change in Blue. Also tried a custom HA command to do this:
ha network update default --ipv4-method auto
which again didn’t resolve the lack of eth0 connection or its ability to ask for (or find) an IP.

We tried resetting the network on Blue and going headless direct into the router, and still no joy. Router’s admin page couldn’t detect any new connected devices

We tried resetting Blue’s network again, rejoining the mesh tower, and setting the mesh to bridge mode (triggering near civil war from the kids whilst it restarted) and still no joy. Thought at this point was perhaps double NAT issue, though felt wrong as router couldn’t see it when directly connected.

At each step, the Xbox (nearest device that could use the HDMI output) would connect fine on the same cable and port.

After the reset, “Wired connection 1” was verified removed in favour of HassOS default.

This showed ‘it was still trying to get the IP configuration’ but after 4 hours it still hadn’t got there. Cables were changed. Each time I reconnected, Blue’s console would say the connection was reestablished at 1gbps, but it never picked up an IP.

Assuming it could be a DHCP issue (though static addresses didn’t solve it) we checked there was an active DHCP server (the vodafone router, previously the Velop until bridge mode arrived) by checking the xbox on the same RJ45 port. Xbox worked fine. Lots of room in the address pool. LAN port seemed to be seated correctly. Green lights flashing. 1gbps established when reconnecting cable. Still no IP.

ha network info showed no ipv4 address for eth0. Ping to 8.8.8.8 failed. Ping to 192.168.1.1 failed. Ping to the xbox failed. Always said:

ping: sendto: Network is unreachable

System had been up for almost 5 hours and was still getting an IP configuration.

We looked at help! eth0 not work. - ODROID, finding a lot of similarity, so opted to open the case, flip the SPI switch and run petitboot to test.

Petitboot tried and failed to load, dropping us to shell. Ping to the router at 192.168.1.1 (verified on the Xbox with the same cable) failed with the same network is unreachable warning.

We ran

ifconfig eth0 up
udhcpcd

with the former echoing nothing, and the latter not being found. Ping still failed on every address we tried (including 127.0.0.1).

We called it a day long after anyone else would call it a night. Flipped the switch back and reassembled the case. Really appreciate the time the community gave to trying to solve this. It hasn’t worked out this time, and our feeling is that with Petitboot failing to load, and the petitboot shell showing network unavailable when I’m plugged on a known good cable to a known good port on a known good device, that this Blue is RMA.

TLDR: Home Assistant Blue: First setup, fallen off network and never coming back

I’m reaching out to odroid.co.uk for an RMA process. Blue costs around 260USD in the UK, and this one is not as described:

Easy to use - Getting started is as easy as plugging in the network and power cables and opening up the Home Assistant mobile app to get started.

Reliable

Resilient

xAPPO · March 19, 2021, 3:10am

Can I commend you Andy with your perseverance on this issue and the credible, analytical and patient path you have taken. What I would say is that I have a Blue and it was simply a plug and play setup although I do not have a Velop network interacting.

I hope your replacement unit works ‘out of the box’ and we can put this down to a rogue unit as I appreciate less familiar customers would be very disappointed with such circumstances, at least I would.

PS Actually just to add that as their first branded hardware product I’m disappointed HA or NabuCasa don’t have a dedicated topic area for Blue as they have chosen a name that is very difficult to search on. Search on the HA community being a lamentable offering anyway.

Andy_Allsopp · March 19, 2021, 4:37am

I owe it all to the community, @xAPPO. My knowledge of *nix O/S is very limited and without these forums I’d have probably just cried myself to sleep. Thanks to the good folk on here, I’ve clawed my way up a very steep learning curve, and they’ve been patient enough to lower ropes, pull me up, and guide me onto the right path. If that path looks well considered, its their doing, not mine

It hasn’t worked out this time, but that’s life. I’m hopeful that the replacement works, as it seems pretty rare that these units have failed. Its a bit of a kicker, because I already knew I had no *nix knowledge, and that’s why I thought a turn key solution on a supported platform with everything pre-installed would be the easy way. Its a good opportunity to learn, but it wasn’t what I set out to do.

The Velop was a good distraction, but ultimately plugging it into the router directly and loading petitboot nailed that the basic framework for success wasn’t really there. Can’t fault the team for not finding a fix.

I do agree that a dedicated forum for blue would help. I did look, and as you say, bluepy, bluesound, bluetooth, blueprints, blue iris… It takes me back to my student days when everyone had a poster of Three Colours Blue, Blues Brothers, or Betty Blue on the wall.

Am sure it’ll all be better next time around. Thanks for looking in.

Andy_Allsopp · March 19, 2021, 12:16pm

Post script update.

Spoke with odroid.co.uk. They echoed @cogneato’s observation that earlier versions of HA OS could sometimes ship with no space on the drive due to it having been turned on for testing, and then turned off. @cogneato noted that the newer version of HA OS has fixed that, but odroid asked which O/S Version I’m running (HassOS 4.20 - they installed it, after all) and said that they’d had a unit back this morning with that very issue.

I don’t have the means to update HassOS without a network connection on the N2, so it’ll have to ship back to them for an update.

@cogneato suggested its fixable using some resize commands, which might be my next step to investigate.

Looking at the release notes, its hard to know which version saw that issue resolved. 4.19 fixes an N2 eth0 problem, and 5.12 resolves #1193 which is a fresh install problem to do with partition sizing. Doesn’t sound quite like my issue.

Am I off on a wild goose chase here? Odroid are happy to take it back and perform the upgrade for me, and getting them to plug it into something whilst its there will likely reveal any nasties. Only negative is losing the N2 for a roundtrip across the country, whilst I may be able to fix it from the terminal.

To be fair, I can probably find another shiny blue paperweight if i really need one in the interim.

baz123 · March 20, 2021, 10:18am

I’d send it back. If they preinstall the OS they have a responsibility to ensure it works (Consumer Rights Act - not fit for purpose). Also they are responsible for postage both ways under the act (don’t let them try and tell you otherwise). They are allowed to fix rather than replace.

[edit]
Section (23).

(1) This section applies if the consumer has the right to repair or replacement (see section 19(3) and (4)).
(2) If the consumer requires the trader to repair or replace the goods, the trader must—

(a) do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer, and
(b) bear any necessary costs incurred in doing so (including in particular the cost of any labour, materials or postage).

Note -
Under S(23)(2)(a) required to repair or replace “without significant inconvenience”.

Under S(23)(2)(b) required to bear any necessary costs “including in particular … postage”.

Andy_Allsopp · March 21, 2021, 1:16am

Thanks for this @baz123. That’s a good point about the postage.

I spoke with Keith at odroid.co.uk and I don’t think he was trying to dodge responsibility in any way. He was happy for me to send it back so that they could flash it for me, and emailed me an RMA note. He also reached out afterwards when it occured to him that I only actually need to send the eMMC card back, though he did say this would save us both money, so maybe I’ll point him at Section 23

I already had Blue back in its original packaging ready to go, but having grabbed an antistatic bag, and padded the little card between two sheets of cardboard, I mailed it today first class for £0.85

Am hoping to get it back pretty promptly, but do kind of wish I’d thought to check for for messages before I sent it, as I might have been tempted to mail back the whole thing. That way, Keith could have tested it after the flash, just incase that isn’t it. I doubt its a bad network port, but I’d feel happier knowing its all been verified before I go in for another round.

Its a bit scary that flashing with a stable release (4.20) can totally kill an ethernet connection. I guess HassOS is still tinkerware. Not sure if I’d be happier knowing the board is at fault.

Well, time will tell. I’ve probably dodged a bullet by not having to go to the post office, tbh. My local is a mask-dodging-cough-shuffling-space-invading hell hole of impotent rage. Think Mos Eisley, but with mobility scooters and no band.