Tag: Firmware

Note that this somewhat elaborate procedure is needed if you are running fun_plug. If you do not have fun_plug installed, or it is no running, you can should use the simpler instructions provided by Conceptronic with the firmware file.

Checking the firmware version

You can tell which firmware version you are running by using a web browser:

• browse to the CH3SNAS using an IP address (default is http://192.168.0.20) or a network name (maybe http://CH3SNAS)
• If this brings you to a web page you created yourself, you are likely running fun_plug and have the lighttpd HTTP server running on port 80 and need to use port 81 to reach the configuration screen (e.g. using http://192.168.0.20:81). If you don’t know what funplug is, you are not using it and you can ignore this comment.
• login as admin
• Then go to: ”Configuration” >> ”Tools” >> ”Firmware”

This should get you to the screen shown in the picture.

Downloading firmware versions

An overview of the current stable version, any more recent beta (or “Release Candidate”) versions, or older versions can be found here.
The page contains links to sites where the firmware can be downloaded. After downloading the required version you will need to unzip or unrar it.

Installation if you don’t use funplug

If you are not running fun_plug, you can simplify things by following the instructions in the PDF readme file supplied with the downloaded firmware rather than following the fancier instructions below which assume you may be running various special servers and running with special settings.
So, in the following, we assume that you are running fun_plug.

Temporarily reactivate Telnet

If you are running funplug, it is likely that you enabled ssh (Secure Shell) and disabled telnet for security reasons. After the reboot, all modifications to /etc/passwd and /etc/group are gone, which is why we need to temporarily reactivate telnet to ensure that we can login after the upgrade:

• run ssh (e.g. using PuTTY)
• activate the telnet daemon so you can easily login later:

  cd /ffp/start
  ls -al telnetd.sh
  chmod a+x telnetd.sh
  ls -al telnetd.sh

  This means that on the next reboot telnet should be enabled.

Notes on CH3SNAS Firmware 1.05 regarding the fan

If you are upgrading from a pre-1.0.5 firmware version to version 1.0.5 or later, you may decide to replace the special fan control script “fanctl” from Fonz (see the fan control tutorial) with the standard fan control feature built into the Conceptronic firmware.

Which option is better? The firmware version 1.0.5 has a very simple fan control algorithm. The fan only runs when the internal temperature is 43°C or higher. This is a bit high. Furthermore, the fan speed does not depend on the temperature: the fan is either on or off. Fonz’ solution instead increases the fan speed as the temperature rises. This avoids the fan repeatedly turning on and off when the fan needs to spin, but doesn’t need to run at full speed.

If you decide to try the firmware’s solution, you can deactivate Fonz’ control program using:

cd /ffp/start
sh fanctl.sh status
ls -al fanctl.sh
chmod a-x fanctl.sh
ls -al fanctl.sh

The 2nd line reports whether the fanctl utility is running. The chmod a-x causes the special fan script to be disabled on the next reboot.

Temporarily disable funplug

Rename the file fun_plug to fun_plug.bak to deactivate ffp on the next boot. You can easily do this using e.g. Windows Explorer or using the command shell:

cd /mnt/HD_a2
ls fun_plug*
mv fun_plug fun_plug.bak
ls fun_plug*

Saving settings

Write down any special configurations you have set up in the system.

The main place to look is in the ”Advanced” tab of the Configuration web page. Write down a reminder to set any particular settings such as ”’users”’ who have access, ”’groups”’ you may have created, ”’ftp access”’ you may have given to groups, etc. If you forget to reconfigure these, you will find out later when e.g. an ftp account doesn’t work. Unfortunately there is no simple way to save these settings and later reload them: you will, for example, have to reenter or define new passwords.

The other setting worth saving is any non-default IP address or network name of your CH3SNAS.

Installing new firmware

Update the firmware via the web interface (see picture above). During the update, you will get a progress bar. Then, after confirmation, the CH3SNAS will reboot.

Next reset the CH3SNAS firmware settings to the factory defaults (the new firmware may interpret settings stored in Flash memory differently that the previous version). This step is mandatory to ensure correct operation!

• Open the configuration page
• Goto: Tools >> System >> Restore To Factory Default Settings

This will cause another reboot during which the IP address, group/user information, user privileges will be lost. Your browser may not find the device again if you use a non-default name. Try the default “http://CH3SNAS/” or using Conceptronic’s “Easy Search Utility” to find your NAS in the network.

Basic configuration

At this point, the administrator password is empty, so you can log onto the Config web page as admin with an empty password. Then you need to run Setup >> Run Wizard to get the basic settings correct again. These include

• the admin password
• timezone and daylight savings time setting
• IP address (if set to static)
• the network workgroup
• the network name of the CH3SNAS

This will lead to a restart after which you will also be able to see the CH3SNAS under its original name on the network and the stored data should be accessible.

Fun_plug

At this point you cannot access the CH3SNAS via either telnet or ssh because an out-of-the-box CH3SNAS does not enable either daemon:

• rename fun_plug.bak back to fun_plug using SAMBA (e.g. using Windows Exporer)
• reboot the CH3SNAS (e.g. using the Configuration page: Tools >> System >> Restart).
  Note that before the reboot, your Config page is on port 80. It may be on port 81 after the reboot. From this point on telnet should work again.
• Login with telnet and set the root password again using this procedure. This ends with running store-passwd.sh to save the password information.
• deactivate telnet again (first be sure ssh is running!) using an ssh session on PuTTY:

  cd /ffp/start
  ls -al telnetd.sh
  chmod a-x telnetd.sh
  ls -al telnetd.sh
  sh telnetd.sh stop

  The final line stops the telnet daemon, so from this point on you (only) have access via the much more secure ssh.

User settings

You can now redefine any required user- and group settings (e.g. for ftp users).

Note that after updating the firmware, the NAS will spend a few hours reindexing the hard disks (searching for movies and audio-files) for the itunes and UPnP-services. You can stop this activity by deactivating the respective services.