Dell VEP/VMWare Edge/Velo Cloud SD-WAN/VeraCloud VEP1400/VEP1400-X firewall units

Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.
ccie4526

ccie4526

Active Member
Jan 25, 2021
242
161
43
Ok, holding down the outer (S1) button managed to reset the bios password, apparently.

Trying again with the DiagOS install.
 
ccie4526

ccie4526

Active Member
Jan 25, 2021
242
161
43
Code: 
Installing grub for diag-os
ERROR: grub-install failed on: /dev/mmcblk0
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible.
grub-install: warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
grub-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.
Removing /tmp/tmp.vQkZjg
Failure: Unable to install image: /diag-installer-x86_64-dellemc_vep1400_c3538-r0-3.43.3.81-27-2022-12-08.bin
This should be not reachable unless something wrong is there!!!!!
This is driving me nuts. I can't get DiagOS to complete an installation, failing over and over on this. I've gone in multiple times, and added the --force to the grub-install, but it still keeps erroring out. Won't install on eMMC, USB, or even the onboard SSD. System keeps dropping back to the UEFI shell.

Even dropped back to an older version of DiagOS installer, same issues.

WTF already?
 
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
ccie4526 said:
Interesting situation. Just picked up a brand new Edge 640c. Trying to get into BIOS. It's asking for the password, and the usual default password of servicetag followed by ! is not working. And of course the install of the DiagOS is borking with the same problem I had with my 680. Bleh.
Click to expand...
So what exactly is a 640C? I saw that on eBay (#167817802291). The service tag was nonexistent on the Dell website and the part number isn't searchable either. It's got to be something custom. I said I wasn't going to buy any more, but I got the beat-up 640 for $39 (#317378405491). I've got mine updated and Proxmox installed, but not without lots of reboots and button-pressing. Make sure that you boot the DiagOS install as UEFI. I also had trouble updating the BIOS from .10 to .21. Multiple network interface issues. I had to go .10 to .20 to .21. Did I mention that I fried a perfectly good 640 by accidently grabbing the end of a 48V POE adapter with the same plug. I think one or more of the fancy programmable regulators died. The memory and drives survived. The beater got some new cosmetics.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: abq
R

rory

New Member
May 28, 2021
24
9
3
The grub-install error being reported is because you are booting the DiagOS image in legacy BIOS mode. Reset the system and enter the BIOS, then go to the boot override (last tab on the right) and scroll down past the default device to the option to boot from the device in UEFI mode. The DiagOS will install correctly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sic0048, abq, ccie4526 and 2 others
R

rory

New Member
May 28, 2021
24
9
3
Oh, and for what it is worth the 640C is the version with a cellular modem instead of the bluetooth/wifi card. Apparently not! See below.
 
Last edited:
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
rory said:
Oh, and for what it is worth the 640C is the version with a cellular modem instead of the bluetooth/wifi card.
Click to expand...
Is that what you've got? My units all came with WLE600VX modules. There's no Bluetooth. Most modules handle Bluetooth with a separate USB connection. My 640/680 units have USB traces heading to the mini-PCIe connector, but there are components missing along the path. I got cheap samples of these guys when they came out. It would be clever to install in place of the wireless module. However, I prefer to stuff the Z-Wave dongle in a USB port on an access point on the ceiling.
 
ccie4526

ccie4526

Active Member
Jan 25, 2021
242
161
43
rory said:
The grub-install error being reported is because you are booting the DiagOS image in legacy BIOS mode. Reset the system and enter the BIOS, then go to the boot override (last tab on the right) and scroll down past the default device to the option to boot from the device in UEFI mode. The DiagOS will install correctly.
Click to expand...
OMFG. This is golden knowledge. Yeah, I'm old school, this UEFI crap is just out there. ;)

This time I not only went into BIOS and told it to boot as UEFI, I even reimaged the USB as UEFI only.
IMG_1144.jpg

rory said:
Oh, and for what it is worth the 640C is the version with a cellular modem instead of the bluetooth/wifi card.
Click to expand...
What caught my eye with this one is that the label on the unit was essentially all in Chinese, and the included documentation was fully in Chinese as well.
IMG_1143.jpg

Was thinking that might have been the "C" on the 640C. But yeah, Dell US does not recognize the service tag or express code for this unit at all. Didn't have that issue with any of my other units.

Many thanks @rory. DiagOS is now installed and I'm doing the 2.6 firmware updates now.

Edit to add: Interesting, this unit does NOT have the SIM card electronics. Maybe not cellular?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rory
ccie4526

ccie4526

Active Member
Jan 25, 2021
242
161
43
rory said:
Open it up and post a picture of the top of the motherboard....
Click to expand...
Already had it open so I could get to the reset buttons to the right of the NIC block. :)

IMG_1145.jpg

Red circle is where the SIM slot would normally be.
 
R

rory

New Member
May 28, 2021
24
9
3
Hmm. That looks just like a 640 WiFi to me. Does it have 32GB DRAM and 240GB SSD?
 
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
rory said:
Hmm. That looks just like a 640 WiFi to me. Does it have 32GB DRAM and 240GB SSD?
Click to expand...
I actually asked the eBay seller if there was any mention of Wi-Fi or LTE in the bundled 640C paperwork. He said no. Maybe he couldn't read Chinese? There have been (are) several 640N (no Wi-Fi) models on eBay. Are there different Wi-Fi standards in China?
 
O

oneplane

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2021
917
548
93
I can't tell what the IC is because the photo is too blurry, but I can say that the connector for the slot on the backside is SD, not SIM.
 
ccie4526

ccie4526

Active Member
Jan 25, 2021
242
161
43
So I went ahead and opened up the 680 that I pulled out of service (ESXI with pfsense VM) and replaced with that 640C (pfsense dedicated), and no extra IC there, but the solder pads are there... so it's not something entirely new on that 640C unit.


IMG_1146.jpg
 
S

sic0048

Active Member
Dec 24, 2018
235
169
43
nmpu said:
I got the beat-up 640 for $39 (#317378405491).
Click to expand...
I saw that listing and almost pulled the trigger, but I have too many other "projects" going on right now and I really don't need the extra power the 640 would provide over my 620 right now. I'm glad it went to a good home however!
 
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
sic0048 said:
I saw that listing and almost pulled the trigger, but I have too many other "projects" going on right now and I really don't need the extra power the 640 would provide over my 620 right now. I'm glad it went to a good home however!
Click to expand...
It was listed as 'used', but with disclaimers for 'parts'. I asked for a photo of the bottom label, but no response. There's currently a few other cheap 'parts' listings. At least with 'used', refund is possible. I wouldn't try to force a return on something listed as 'parts' unless it had already been tinkered with. The 16GB ECC SODIMM and 240GB SATA SSD have some potential value, but not for me. The reality is that these devices are getting old.

I recently got three complete 9/10 series 1U Supermicro servers off Facebook for $80. There were three Samsung 860 Pro 1TB drives and 56GB ECC RAM in the bundle. The seller had multiple items unattended on his front porch. Payment went in the letter box. People get stuff for free and just don't care.
 
  • Like
Reactions: blunden
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
I've only tested this on a 640 and 680, but it should be the same for 620.

Add the following to get Debian 13 (latest Proxmox) to show interface names which match the case labels:
Code: 
/etc/udev/rules.d/00-edge6x0-net-by-pci.rules

NAME:="sfp1", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:05:00.1", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="sfp2", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:05:00.0", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge1", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:02:00.2", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge2", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:02:00.3", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge3", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:02:00.0", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge4", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:02:00.1", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge5", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:07:00.1", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="ge6", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:07:00.0", ACTION=="add"
NAME:="wifi", SUBSYSTEM=="net", KERNELS=="0000:04:00.0", ACTION=="add"

Add the following to suppress altnames:
Code: 
/etc/systemd/network/00-no-altnames.link

[Match]
OriginalName=*

[Link]
AlternativeNamesPolicy=

Important! Run update-initramfs -u to register changes.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Seismic5502, sic0048 and blunden
F

frantathefranta

Show me cool BGP things
Jun 16, 2023
32
16
8
franta.us
Just bought a 640N and having an issue installing DiagOS. I'm having the same issue as the comment here. However I've switched to UEFI and it doesn't get fixed. I think the issue I'm running up against is that I'm missing a bit in the I2C bus and it prevents GRUB from installing. The command that the script calls (i2cdetect -y 1 | grep 31) always fails on my box. I also see this on boot (which doesn't look super good, but the box boots and everything):

Code: 
BIOS initializations...

CPGC Memtest Channel 0 ...................... PASS

CPGC Memtest Channel 1 ...................... PASS

POST:
  RTC coin battery weak or missing

POST SPD test ............................... PASS

POST Lower DRAM Memory test .........
POST ECC Test ............................... PASS

....  Perf cnt (curr,fixed): 0x22652C5730,0x5E9639F074

POST Lower DRAM Memory test ................. PASS
POST Lower DRAM ECC check ................... PASS
smbusOneRead failed to setup the address at offset 0, error: SMB rcvd interrupt
Failed to get board infomation
smbusOneRead failed to setup the address at offset 14, error: SMB rcvd interrupt
Error! Failed to read CPLD register for BIOS SPI flash select.
DxE POST

POST Upper DRAM Memory test
  Short memory cell test

POST Upper DRAM Memory test ................. PASS
HDD Access .................................. PASS
USB device detected
Temperature test ............................ PASS
EEPROM test ................................. PASS
        Ethernet Controller [8086:15C3] not found, expect:   3: 0: 0 ... FAIL
        Ethernet Controller [8086:15C3] not found, expect:   3: 0: 1 ... FAIL
POST PCI test ..................................... FAIL
POST NVRAM check ............................ PASS
POST overall test results ......................... FAIL
I have replaced the coin battery but doesn't seem like that has helped. Is this box DoA or is there anything else to try?
 
N

nmpu

Active Member
Sep 22, 2023
246
116
43
Bradenton, Florida, USA
Just to clarify, in the boot menu you may see both UEFI and non-UEFI options for the USB stick containing the DiagOS install. You need to choose the UEFI USB. Of course, in order to see any UEFI boot option, UEFI has to be enabled elsewhere in the BIOS.

I wouldn't panic yet. I don't think anyone has ever confirmed a defective device. I just updated a 640 (Wi-Fi-- not N) which logged i2c retries to the NIC until everything was updated.

What BIOS version came installed? Does the unit reboot if you remain in BIOS for 5 minutes?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom