apcupsd COMMLOST using pcnet

DominikHoffmann · Apr 24, 2023, 2:49 AM

This is how my apcupsd (APC UPS Daemon) is configured:

My UPS, with its AP9617 SmartSlot Network Management Card, is configured for the IP address 192.168.1.30. I can ping it and telnet to it. I can use the Web GUI:

Status reads like this:

Running: apcaccess -h 0.0.0.0:3551 

APC      : 001,018,0475
DATE     : 2023-04-23 22:00:20 -0400  
HOSTNAME : pfSense.localdomain
VERSION  : 3.14.14 (31 May 2016) freebsd
UPSNAME  : Network Rack Smart-UPS
CABLE    : Ethernet Link
DRIVER   : PCNET UPS Driver
UPSMODE  : Stand Alone
STARTTIME: 2023-04-23 21:59:24 -0400  
STATUS   : COMMLOST 
MBATTCHG : 5 Percent
MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes
MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
NUMXFERS : 0
TONBATT  : 0 Seconds
CUMONBATT: 0 Seconds
XOFFBATT : N/A
STATFLAG : 0x05000100
END APC  : 2023-04-23 22:25:19 -0400

Should the username in the Device string of the Settings be the Device Manager user ID instead of that of the Administrator?

Would I have to do something here

?

DominikHoffmann · Apr 25, 2023, 6:58 AM

I have since updated the firmware of the Network Management Card (NMC) to Version 3.9.3.

Parenthetically, I have to remark that the procedures APC has implemented for password reset and firmware updates on mine (an AP9617) are convoluted. I had to directly ftp the firmware files to the NMC. To do that I had to install ftp on my Mac running macOS Ventura via HomeBrew. Before I had any access to the NMC, I had to get a non-standard serial cable to connect to the UPS’s serial port, reset the login credentials by poking a wire in a reset hole, and then setting user ID and password from a serial terminal.

Alas, status is still “COMMLOST.”

DominikHoffmann · Apr 25, 2023, 1:24 PM

Okay. I got it working. After the rigamarole of updating the NMC’s firmware (through manual ftp, because the Windows-based utility automating the process left the UPS in an inconsistent state) what was left was to set the admin user’s passphrase. The web GUI of the updated UPS has (to my knowledge) no way of doing that, anymore. So, I telnetted into the NMC and set it through the terminal interface.

Lo and behold, it is working now:

Running: apcaccess -h 0.0.0.0:3551 

APC      : 001,050,1156
DATE     : 2023-04-25 03:37:24 -0400  
HOSTNAME : pfSense.localdomain
VERSION  : 3.14.14 (31 May 2016) freebsd
UPSNAME  : Network Rack Smart-UPS
CABLE    : Ethernet Link
DRIVER   : PCNET UPS Driver
UPSMODE  : Stand Alone
STARTTIME: 2023-04-25 03:37:23 -0400  
MODEL    : Smart-UPS 1500 RM
STATUS   : ONLINE 
LINEV    : 118.0 Volts
LOADPCT  : 5.2 Percent
BCHARGE  : 100.0 Percent
TIMELEFT : 184.0 Minutes
MBATTCHG : 5 Percent
MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes
MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
MAXLINEV : 118.0 Volts
MINLINEV : 115.2 Volts
OUTPUTV  : 118.0 Volts
SENSE    : High
DWAKE    : 0 Seconds
DSHUTD   : 90 Seconds
DLOWBATT : 2 Minutes
LOTRANS  : 106.0 Volts
HITRANS  : 127.0 Volts
RETPCT   : 0.0 Percent
ITEMP    : 21.6 C
ALARMDEL : 5 Seconds
BATTV    : 27.7 Volts
LINEFREQ : 60.2 Hz
LASTXFER : Automatic or explicit self test
NUMXFERS : 0
TONBATT  : 0 Seconds
CUMONBATT: 0 Seconds
XOFFBATT : N/A
SELFTEST : NO
STESTI   : 336
STATFLAG : 0x05000008
REG1     : 0x00
REG2     : 0x00
REG3     : 0x00
MANDATE  : 11/05/08
SERIALNO : AS0845120238
BATTDATE : 09/20/18
NOMOUTV  : 120 Volts
NOMBATTV : 24.0 Volts
EXTBATTS : 0
FIRMWARE : 667.18.D
END APC  : 2023-04-25 09:19:36 -0400

jhamann · Apr 27, 2023, 10:22 PM

@dominikhoffmann

In the UI: Configuration -> Shutdown -> User / Password
I was also just looking for that and found this thread where someone mentioned it: https://forums.unraid.net/topic/57115-apc-ups-with-network-card-help-resolved/page/2/

DominikHoffmann · Sep 1, 2024, 11:25 AM

The key was getting the NMC to the latest firmware.

chopperpl · Sep 1, 2024, 11:25 AM

@DominikHoffmann
Actually, the key is to read config documentation of the NMC. As mentioned above, in your NMC web gui you need to go to Configuration>Shutdown and select which user will be used on pfsense to establish connectivity. Then, you need to setup the passphrase, which is different from the password you set for that particular user in NMC. Make sure the passphrase is at least 15 characters long as mentioned in config doc. Then you go back to APCUPSD in pfsense and select pcnet driver and then under device ipadd:(user selected in above step):(auth passphrase chosen in above step) You don't have to specify default port unless you have changed that.
BTW, this worked on APC NMC2 card with firmware 07.1(ID17). This is the one labeled with SchneiderElectric instead of APC and mine is from 2016/2015.
Good Luck