Guardian OS units

[KB3NZQ]

If you have a Null modem cable you can console the server and manage it that way also if you ever need to get to the OS CLI you can do it via SSH or Serial just enter osshell baud rate is 115200

Originally Posted by SaFeHeX

It sounds like your Snap is fully operational but you are just having problems accessing it.

When the "DOS" style screen shows to say the keyboard has been locked out, wait for a good couple of minutes after that for it to properly finish booting, before you try to access it via your browser.

I don't have an 18000 myself but i beleive they must be fairly similar in operation to the Snaps that i do have.

When i first got my own, i had similar problems accessing them as you describe BUT it was my own fault and lack of knowledge that was the problem.

One of the major problems i found in trying to access my first snap was that my firewall was blocking any access attempts without me realising.

Part of the confusion was like you describe, the snap application on a PC could find the snap server and all looked good and normal as you would expect but using the IP address in a browser to try and log into the snap failed.

I actually gave up with mine for a while too and it just sat there for a rainy day. That rainy day came when i was tinkering with some other servers i had and i thought i would give some more time to the snap and finally try and get it to do something other than power up.

The first thing i suggest is completely disable your firewall (i was running zone alarm) before attempting to connect. It's essential that NetBios can get full access, particularly while you figure things out.

Also like i said above, make sure that the Snap has fully finished booting. It's not uncommon for it to be a good 5 minutes or so depending on the model, the drive capacities etc, and how much "repair" the system may have to make to any corrupted filing system from hard shutdowns and the like.

I suspect your snap is probably fine, the fact that you are getting to the keyboard lockout screen is a good sign that it is booting with GOS and it's not completely dead. Give it a good few minutes after that before trying any browser access.

Make sure you know the exact IP address it's using and make sure you are using the correct subnet mask. The Snap IP address must be suitable and compatible with the rest of your network connections and PC's along with a suitable subnet.
IIRC i think i had to use it's IP address in the browser as it wouldn't let me in with it's SNAPxxxxxx name. If the subnet is wrong or the IP address in not compatible with the rest of your network then you're fighting a loosing battle before you start.

I am no expert on all this BUT i do feel your frustration as i've been there myself at first.

Be patient and perservere, try to tackle everything step by step and rule out as many things as possible. My biggest problem, i suspect was the firewall issue. I was convinced the firwall wasn't causing a problem but i was so wrong.

Everything else on my network i could get working but not the snap. It was quite bizzare and frustrating.

I got there in the end, maybe by pure fluke i don't know but don't give up on it. They really are very good units if you can just get past the teething troubles and the learning curve.

As i'm no expert, i'm sure there are many good folk here who can give you much better advice than i have and who may be able to help you with suggestions down the line as you try different things.

My own Snaps are not running at the moment, because i'm in the process of re-arranging my network setup and various other things when i get time but they do work and are fully useable when i actually switch them on. I'm glad i didn't give up on them and i hope you give it another good try too.

Goodluck and ask the good folk here for help as you go, after reading the manual and trying various things.