[c-nsp] Router failure - config lost?

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

Garry wrote:
> Hi *
> 
> I've got something of a question that's not necessarily a clear
> technical problem or config problem ... rather just scoping as to
> whether other people have come across this, too ...
> 
> We have a customer who has some 400+ locations. All of these are
> connected to the central office via an MPLS-based network, using aDSL
> lines. Every location has an identical 876-W-G-E-k9 router, with (apart
> from DSL username and IP address) identical config. This network has now
> been in operation for something like 18 months, and is working nicely.
> 
> Now, on average 1-2 locations per month go down, losing DSL
> connectivity, and even a power-cycle and DSL port reset by the
> DSL-provider won't work, at which point we configure a replacement
> router and send it out. We usually get the defective router back for
> analysis, and apart from a hand full of cases in which the routers where
> physically damaged (lightning, spikes on the power supply etc.), most of
> the defective routers have simply lost their configuration file. On one
> occasion, the whole router flash was cleared, removing the IOS. On yet
> another occasion, I think we found the stock config file (the one with
> the large header, "cisco" login etc.) on the router (which I thought was
> really weird).
> 
> In all those cases, we have opted to re-use the router, if for nothing
> else than to see whether it was an actual hardware defect ... to date,
> no router has shown that behavior twice (we track the ser#).
> 
> As for the configs/routers themselves, the locations do not have any
> username/pw to log in to the routers. External access shouldn't be
> possible, as the network itself has no direct Internet connectivity.
> 
> Has anybody else here ever experienced effects like this?
> 

Yes, with the 827-4V   Exact same symptoms, flash wiped, including
the nvram - fortunately someone put a page up somewhere explaining
how to recover a wiped nvram.  Putting the thing
behind a VERY good UPS might help.  You also want to put a surge
suppressor on the telephone line the DSL signal is coming in on.

Beyond that, cheap router, whaddayah expect?  I gave up on the
all-in-one 8xx DSL solutions on DSL ages ago.  Today I send out separate
DSL modems in bridged mode and use ethernet-to-ethernet routers.
If the DSL modem goes tits up it's cheap enough to just overnight
another one out and tell them to throw away the modem.

Ted