APC UPS Daemon service help configure

mer

I have a real APC UPS attached via USB, in UPS Cable and UPS Type I have "usb". The device is blank but "not really blank". There was a bug in the page a while ago that would not accept a blank device field but if you simply put a space character in it works.

I don't know if it's been fixed (it was a validation check that tossed the error), but if not, just hit the space bar once and it should be fine.

firefox

It seems that it doesn't work
I get this message
Unknown COMMLOST

Screenshot at 2022-12-15 22-33-38.png

How do I check if pfsense detects the UPS?
That is, if the computer even detects that there is a UPS connected to USB ?

mer

@firefox from the console or web interface, diagnostics, command prompt do "dmesg | grep usb" and check for a line that references your UPS.

On linux I'd use the lsusb command, I'm sure there's an equivalent on FreeBSD but it's escaping me at the moment.

found it. at command prompt "usbconfig list"

firefox

@mer said in APC UPS Daemon service help configure:

dmesg | grep usb

dmesg | grep usb give me this

usbus0: EHCI version 1.0
usbus0 on ehci0
usbus0: 480Mbps High Speed USB v2.0
usbus1: EHCI version 1.0
usbus1 on ehci1
usbus1: 480Mbps High Speed USB v2.0
ugen0.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus0
ugen1.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus1
uhub0: <Intel EHCI root HUB, class 9/0, rev 2.00/1.00, addr 1> on usbus0
uhub1: <Intel EHCI root HUB, class 9/0, rev 2.00/1.00, addr 1> on usbus1
Root mount waiting for: usbus0 usbus1 CAM
Root mount waiting for: usbus0 usbus1 CAM
Root mount waiting for: usbus0 usbus1 CAM
ugen0.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024> at usbus0
uhub2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024, class 9/0, rev 2.00/0.00, addr 2> on usbus0
ugen1.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024> at usbus1
uhub3: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024, class 9/0, rev 2.00/0.00, addr 2> on usbus1
Root mount waiting for: usbus0 usbus1 CAM
ugen1.3: <vendor 0x0665 product 0x5161> at usbus1
ugen1.3: <vendor 0x0665 product 0x5161> at usbus1 (disconnected)
ugen0.3: <vendor 0x0665 product 0x5161> at usbus0

usbconfig list give me this

ugen0.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ugen1.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus1, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ugen0.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ugen1.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x0024> at usbus1, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ugen0.3: <vendor 0x0665 product 0x5161> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=FULL (12Mbps) pwr=ON (100mA)

I disconnected the cable and connected to another connection
What has changed is the last line

ugen0.3: <vendor 0x0665 product 0x5161> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=FULL (12Mbps) pwr=ON (100mA)

Gertjan

@firefox

The device is seen, but 'unknown'.
Wheh I hook up my APC, I see :

dmesg | grep usb :

usbus0 on xhci0
usbus0: 5.0Gbps Super Speed USB v3.0
ugen0.1: <0x8086 XHCI root HUB> at usbus0
uhub0: <0x8086 XHCI root HUB, class 9/0, rev 3.00/1.00, addr 1> on usbus0
ugen0.2: <American Power Conversion Back-UPS XS 700U   FW:924.Z5 .I USB FW:Z5> at usbus0

Nice, my APC says its an APC. I could consider using the APC pfSense package. But I don't.

Solution : use NUT, as it has a list with known supported devices.
When you buy a UPS, always check this list first : https://networkupstools.org/stable-hcl.html

The "yeah, its APC compatible" is only a sales argument. The APC software probably asks for a real APC ( and refuses the clone ).

mer

@firefox I agree with @Gertjan that the software may be looking for APC or other strings.
I wonder if that could be tested by entering /dev/ugen0.3 in the device field?
Otherwise the suggestion to switch to the NUT package is a good one. I've not used it so can't help with configuration.

firefox

@mer
I deleted the apc package
And I installed the nut package

The result is the same
The computer does not recognize the UPS
And I think that's the problem
Maybe if the ups were recognized it would work in both packages

Maybe first need to make pfsense recognize the UPS

dennypage

@firefox said in APC UPS Daemon service help configure:

I deleted the apc package
And I installed the nut package
The result is the same

Just to be sure, did you reboot after installing the NUT package? If not, you may run into a permission issue with the USB device that will prevent access to the UPS.

firefox

@dennypage
yes i reboot

viragomann

@firefox
So did you verify that your UPS is supported by NUT on the compatibility list linked by @Gertjan above?
In cannot find it there.

firefox

@viragomann
When I received the UPS I was told that it is equivalent to APC or Eaton
In the list of supported devices it is written that both work with a usb driver
this is the ups UPS

Anyway
Before I check why the nut or apc package do not recognize the ups
I need to check why pfsense (the pc) does not recognize the UPS

dennypage

@firefox Best guess is that it is not USB HID complaint.

firefox

@dennypage
what is "HID"

fireodo

@firefox said in APC UPS Daemon service help configure:

what is "HID"

Human Interface Device

dennypage

@firefox USB-HID is the standard UPS protocol for USB. It is supported by a wide range of manufacturers.

Here is a link to the NUT usbhid-ups driver page which should give you an idea of how widespread it is.
Here is a link to the APC document describing their implementation.

In short, if it's not HID compliant, neither APCUPSD or NUT using the usbhid-ups driver is going to work with it over usb.

There are a couple of other usb based drivers offered by NUT, but these tend to be more unusual these days. See the NUT hardware compatibility list here for more info. I do see a couple of Advice UPSs on the list--they use the blazer_usb driver. You might give that a try. If that doesn't work, I think you are out of luck.