CBS250-24G-4G

[sylvain.benoit]

i all,

I'm facing a CISCO smart switch that seems to reboot and reboot.....

Sometimes it works for a few minutes (max) before rebooting. I suspect a power problem but it's been installed for only 4 months, in a cold place (not too cold) and protected by a UPC (APC-BR900G-FR). This switch is a 250-24T-4G (18 ports used, no SFP) and there is no PoE.

Do any of you know how to confirm it is a hardware issue or not?

Today I can see 3 cases :

#1 - I've made a mistake in a configuration, is it possible to perform a "reset as factory" ?

#2 - This is a HW issue, do you know if the CISCO support is efficient ? (product purchased in october, under guarantee).

#3 - This is a software issue, I'm not confident to update firmware on a product that reboot spuriously. (The worst case)

Could you help me to identify what is the next step for me to select the right case ?

Thank you

[marce1000]

 - Check logs on the device when that happens.

 M.

[sylvain.benoit]

How to do that when the led is (still) blinking (under the reset button). I fail to connect on the http portal also.

Today I've tried a factory reset (hold 15 sec the reset button). But nothing better ....

regards

[sylvain.benoit]

Hello,

I've output from the shell :

It can occurs in the first minute or after 2 or 3 minutes. I think I've no time to update the firmware, I don't want to take the risk of a spurious reboot when flash is partially writting....

What do you think ? Should I request a RMA from Cisco for their support fix the issue ?

It is under guarantee.

regards

[Richard Burts · Accepted solution]

If this switch is under guarantee then I suggest that you open a case with Cisco support. They may be able to determine whether this is a hardware issue (and if so will arrange RMA) or is a software issue (in which case they can advise you about software changes).

[sylvain.benoit]

Now I will try to find the easiest way to open a case .....

Thank you

[Richard Burts]

I am glad that my suggestion was helpful. Gook luck with getting your issue resolved.  Thank you for marking this question as solved. This will help other participants in the community to identify discussions which have helpful information. This community is an excellent place to ask questions and to learn about networking. I hope to see you continue to be active in the community.

[sylvain.benoit]

Not possible to open a ticket.

The warranty is ok but not the support. This is the second switch (the first one had the same problem and replaced by the second one). The only thing Cisco can do is to replace it by another one. So I've no real solution.

I'm very disappointed about service provided by Cisco.

I've buy the CBS250-24T-4G personnaly for home office and my CEH trainning. 

Thank you to the Community participants but a forum can't replace a professionnal support.

[Richard Burts]

I am sorry (and somewhat surprised) to hear that this is your experience. I do not have experience with this part of the Cisco product line. With the Cisco switches that I do have experience with if you are under warranty on a switch you can open a support ticket. Apparently with this product line that is not the case. That is unfortunate.

It is difficult to determine whether the Fatal Error shown in your output is a hardware issue or a software issue. My guess is that it is a software issue. And in that case I wonder if there is a different version of software for this switch that you could try?

[sylvain.benoit]

I will return the product to my seller. I don't know how this problem will be solved, I hope they will not replace the product again. I hope they will investigate and fix the issue (there is a lot of CSB/SG250 users with the same problem as I can read in differents groups on internet). I prefer they keep the product some weeks instead to replace it quickly. I can wait, I've another switches also to do my work.

But, for me, the Cisco's image brand is not very good now. 

https://community.cisco.com/t5/small-business-switches/sg250-08hp-boot-loop/td-p/4032251/page/2 

Regards,

Wait and see now .....

[Richard Burts]

Am I correct in understanding that your warranty/guarantee is with the seller and not with Cisco? In that case perhaps more of your disappointment should be with the seller and less with Cisco?

I am guessing that this is a software problem and not hardware. It is more simple for a vendor to treat a hardware issue: replace the device. So many vendors default to treating problems as hardware issues. But when it is a software issue it is not something that they can solve on their own. Then they need to get the manufacturer involved in producing a solution. I suggest that you ask your seller what they can do about what appears to be a software issue.

[sylvain.benoit]

For me it's not clear.

The warranty is provided by the manufacterer (Cisco) but it seems on this product range (Cisco Small Business) customer can't open a ticket/case. I must discuss with the distributor and the distributor could (I hope) open a ticket/case. 

I agree with you, I've returned my switch to the distributor last week and I've discussed with him in order he tries to request a support investigation/fix from Cisco and not a replacement of the product.

This is already a replacement (with the same problem as the first one). The first product failed in November 2021. Since then I have been trying to get a CBS250 that works well....

What a waste of time !

Regards,

Sylvain

[Richard Burts]

Sylvain

I read through this discussion again and have a couple of questions. You mention that this switch was installed for 4 months. During the 4 months have there been any other symptoms of problems? Have there been any changes about the switch? Especially any maintenance or any upgrade of the code?

And I am wondering about the first of these switches which developed problems. How long did you use that switch before it developed problems? Were there any symptoms of problems before the failure when you had to return the switch? Were there any changes about that switch? And did it have exactly the same issue? Or was its issue different in any way?

[sylvain.benoit]

Hello Richard,

The first switch has worked some months. During this period it rebooted but I didn't pay attention to it. Most of the time it was available so I continued to work. But at the end of the year it rebooted every 5 minutes. At this moment I've contacted the first seller (on Amazon) and Amazon policy is to refund not to repair.

I've purchased the second one (same reference) to a local distributor. In my mind a product can be defect without all products failed for the same thing. But "in case of", I've decided to find a local distributor and to be able to discuss with him.

The second switch reboots in loop since the first day.

I've never update the firmware on the first one nor the second.

>>"Have there been any changes about the switch? Especially any maintenance or any upgrade of the code?" ==> no

>>"How long did you use that switch before it developed problems?" ==> I think 3 months

>> "Were there any symptoms of problems before the failure when you had to return the switch?" ==> I think yes but not often.

>> "Were there any changes about that switch?" ==> yes reboot frequency accelerate (once a week at the beginning to every 5 minutes at the end)

>> "And did it have exactly the same issue? " ==> I don't know. On the first one I've not connected the shell to get the stderr.

Regards

[Richard Burts]

Thanks for answering my questions. I can understand why Amazon would rather refund than repair. So in a case like this I believe that it is better to deal with a local distributor who might be more motivated to try to find a solution.

It is interesting that this unit failed from the beginning. This suggests that the unit may be defective and that perhaps replacement is an appropriate first step.