[Soekris] net5501 Hardware Issues

[Nick Webb]

Hi All,

Here are some additional details with the help of other list members.

I have a net5501 that only powers up correctly about 25% of the time.  I 
have two other net5501's that work fine with the same power supply, 
setup, etc.  I sent this defective unit back for repair once already and 
it's still broken.  I explained the issue with a letter when I sent it 
in for repair, so I'm not sure why it was not tested and either replaced 
or fixed.  There were some notes about it being repaired, but the 
problem still exists.

This net5501 is stock, booting from a CF card with the basic 1.5A power 
supply (also tried with a 2A power supply).

Some empirical data:

 > >>Tried booting multiple times, waiting 5-10 seconds between 
power-off/on with a 12V, 2.0A power supply (normal one is 12V 1.5A):
 > >>
 > >>1st run was fine
 > >>2nd run Error light lit and power light indefinitely
 > >>3rd run fine
 > >>4th run fine
 > >>5th run all lights lit indefinitely (power, error, disk)
 > >>6th run fine
 > >

 >
 > This time around I'll wait at least 30 seconds, with the 1.5A power 
supply.
 >
 > 1st -- OK
 > 2nd -- Error (error light on, disk light off, power light on).
 > 3rd -- Error (same as above)
 > 4th -- OK
 > 5th -- OK
 > 6th -- Error (all lights on)
 >
 > So it seems my chances of this thing going down due to a power outage
 > and actually coming back online itself are very slim.

Any ideas on how to correct this situation or should I just return it to 
Soekris again and demand a replacement?  It's a critical issue as I 
can't drive across the state just to unplug/replug a router every time 
the power goes out....

Thanks!
Nick