USB Port A yields consistent failures...

[Mark MacAllister]

I just bought a refurbished 2Tb and have been 99% happy with it. Yes, it takes some getting used to and it definitely is not for the technical novice, but I have been happily ripping CDs, listening to online radio and so on with very little trouble.

Well, that "very little trouble" is true *as long as I don't plug the included WiFi antenna into the USB A port.* When I first took the device out of the shipping box, I plugged the antenna into USB-A and had all sorts of problems, the worst being the "Read-Only HDD" error and the dreaded "flashing red/green" error. Thankfully both occurred before I started ripping CDs and I was able to wiggle out from under them.

Just for fun I moved the antenna to USB-C and everything has been perfect. However, whenever I experiment by moving things back to USB-A, the whole thing goes right back in the crapper again.

So my question is this: is this problem a function of (1) I should not be using USB-A for the WiFi under any circumstances, (2) there is perhaps a flaw in the device itself, and/or (c) I should be running on Ethernet in any event.

Again, let me stress that using the WiFi antenna in USB-C yields flawless results. I have not yet run a backup or anything else that requires USB-C, but I expect that it will work OK.

Any feedback appreciated!

Mark

[Daniel Taylor]

Although it's nice that you are able to use the WiFi dongle in USB-C, it should be able to work in USB-A, as well.  Something is not right.  It could be a hardware fault of some sort, or it could be that somehow the software on the SD card has become corrupted (or the actual SD card itself).  Tomorrow morning there may be some others posting with additional suggestions.  But seeing as how the unit is newly purchased (from Brennan?), I'd suggest sending them an email to thebrennanb2 @ gmail . com (no spaces) and inquire about either sending the unit back or possibly having them send you a replacement SD card.  Be sure and mention whether the card is the internal type or the type that can be accessed from the outside on the right of the case.

[Rob Harriman]

@Mark

It certainly sounds like you either have a faulty USB drive or as Daniel says an issue with your SD card.  My guess is the former since everything else seems to be working.

Firstly, when you say you bought a refurbished B2, can I ask if this was supplied direct from Brennan or from a third party?  This will obviously affect how you might have to go about getting it fixed.

Secondly have you updated your machine to the latest version of the software?  This is always recommended to ensure optimal performance. Look at the latest software page of the B2 web site.

If this does not resolve your problem, unlikely if this is a hardware fault with USB-A, then depending upon the results you see you'll probably have to deal direct with your supplier to get a resolution.

To answer your 3 specific questions in turn:

1) As per the B2 web site, USB-A is the normal recommended port for the wi-fi. USB-C is for bluetooth and import / export functions in normal running

2) Agreed - It sounds like a flaw with USB-A and not the wifi antenna.

3) Whether to run via Ethernet connection is a personal decision for the user depending on their specific preferences / circumstances. It is not required if the wi-fi is functional, but is always an available option. 

Rob

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

I think you need to test USB A with another USB device - try formatting a spare (empty or you do not care what is on it) USB stick in USB A and see what happens.

Also note that the USB ports are not a Direct connection to the B2' Pi motherboard - they come off connectors with extension wires inside the B2. It may be worth taking the back off the B2 and having a look to see if

BOTH the B2's USB connecting cables are well seated onto the Pi boards USB connectors (one may bee loose - not pushed in all the way). and there are no obvious broken cables.

Fred 

[PMB]

Hi Mark,

Please try to test USB A with a memory stick as Fred suggests and let us know what happens. The Bluetooth dongle should also work in USB A.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Mark MacAllister]

First, thanks so much for the many helpful responses. It turns out that an external CD drive arrived yesterday, so I connected that to the USB-A on the Brennan and went to work. I am in the process of ripping my sixth CD right now using the external drive on USB-A and it seems to be working with no problems at all. The WiFi antenna on USB-C is working as well. So, in short, I don't think there's a problem with the USB-A connection as the external CD works without problems. Once I am done ripping this set (9 CDs) I will do the FLAC conversion and then re-try the WiFi antenna in USB-A and then will report back here. If the WiFi antenna fails again in USB-A, I would start to wonder about the SD card as every other combination of hardware and USB ports seems to work fine.

Thanks again!

[PMB]

Hi Mark,

OK, let us know how it goes.

Paul

Brennan Support.