Issues with XSurf500

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Don't Panic. Please wash hands.
  • I still have an issue, where if I haven't used the A500 in a while I am able to connect to the network without issue. But if I need to reboot for any reason I can no longer communicate with anything from the A500. I have to wait, it is as if there is some timeout issue.


    However, I have new problem. I was using the Mount iComp script to connect my NAS but something has changed. When I run the command I see a dialog box labelled "IconX" and shows the following info.

    network: Unknown command

    Must be in a command file

    Must be in a command file

    Must be in a command file


    Then I receive the message "Network could not be Started"


    I get this now regardless of the connection status. I can be connected and still get this message. I thought maybe my Startup script was changed but restoring it did not help. I also ran the AmiTCP installer again. Same issue. Thoughts?

  • Must be in a command file

    That is not a common error message of the shell, which I would have expected from an IconX message. Still, I have a feeling that your system is suffering from something else than network problems - this sounds more like a flaky PSU or bits being flipped on your CF card, causing funny errors like this.

  • Bits flipped? These are two separate issues I can say that for sure. The interesting thing about the connectivity is that when it works it stays working until the next reboot, soft or hard. I thought maybe a MAC address issue on the switch but no amount of resetting anything helps. I just simply need to turn off the Amiga and wait....quite sometime. Oh and although I can't PING out (to anything LAN or internet) from the A500 I can ping it's interface, and I can ping it's interface from anywhere on the network. Bizarre! I don't see that being a PS issue.


    As for the Mount iComp script issue, I restored my SYS: volume from a backup and that seems to have fixed it. But what went wrong?? What was missing?

  • As already mentioned in the other thread, your description does point to a software- rather than a hardware issue, especially now that you have fixed it by restoring your boot partition.


    Please re-read my posting: The type and age of your CF card may matter (as that seems to have lost/corrupted data on your SYS: partition), and the PSU matters - maybe more than anything else. If you don't specify these, we can't isolate the fault.

  • Sorry yes, it is a SanDisk Ultra 16GB CompactFlash Memory Card Speed Up to 50MB/s- SDCFHS-016G-G46 - Less than a year old. I used the ACA500+ OS3.1 wizard to install originally.


    The power supply is the original Amiga 500 which unfortunately I do not have in front of me at the moment. I know it's a revision 5 board if that means anything. I will post the model number later today.

  • If the Sandisk CF card is genuine, it should be OK. I have to follow the general recommandation and not buy them online, but in large retail stores, where the probability of fake cards is lower.


    The PSU being original is good, but I still would like to know the exact type, and of course the date when it was re-capped.

  • Power supply: P/NO:312503-01

    DSP-A500


    I do not see any dates, nor am I aware of it ever being recapped.


    BTW - an update on the Mount iComp script, I discovered that the Iconx executable was different on "C" then my backup folder. I believe it was updated when I recently installed WHDLoad. It changes the Iconx file to a newer version which appears to not work with Mount iComp script. Probably others too. I replaced it with the original and the script runs now.

  • Just a note, I noticed today when looking at the ACA500+ configuration, the tab where it shows that I have an X Surf500 installed, the MAC address is showing all 0s. Is it supposed to be showing the real MAC address here? Because 00:00:00:00:00:00 is not a valid MAC address and that could be an issue. I am currently reloading my config from scratch to eliminate any software issues here.

  • The plot thickens. I power cycled my A500 and left the Ethernet cable unplugged. And voila! When I look at the screen above I have a MAC address now. I was able to boot in and connect to the network. However this was just an anomaly this time around. As I now have 0s again after another reboot. Cable connected or not. So I am now convinced there is something with either the XSurf-500 or the ACA500+ itself. When the MAC is populated I can use it, when it is not, no go.


    Please advise, thank you.

  • Reading the MAC address from the EEPROM is something that the Ethernet chip does on it's own on a reset. So the best guess I currently have is that the reset line bounces on power-up (which may be the case if the power supply or the reset-capacitor near the NE555 on the A500 is on the edge).


    If you see the "all 0s", what happens if you just do a keyboard reset and go into the tab-screen again?

  • That produces similar results. Hard or soft (keyboard) resets don't make much difference here. I tried all sorts of tests yesterday but couldn't find any consistencies. I can tell you that if power is left off long enough it USUALLY works the first time but not always. The opposite is the same when I am using it for a while, it usually does not populate the MAC but sometimes it does.

  • I'd like to see if PSU makes a difference here. You wrote that your original PSU never got a new cap on the 5V rail, so it may have high ripple or a flaky startup-slope. Do you have a different power supply to test with? Please note that I only recommend original COmmodore PSUs, as the two "new" PSUs on the market are far from being suitrable for the Amiga (despite different advertising).

  • The last reply was more than 365 days ago, this thread is most likely obsolete. It is recommended to create a new thread instead.