Cannot install USB applications on Asus RT-N56U

[Naveen]

Asus RT-N56U
Firmwares: 3.0.0.4.376.3754 and 3.0.0.4.376.3879

I have been using Asus RT-N56U for about 2 years now. Download Master has been working fine for me all this time (except the occasional unmounts and remounts). Today morning the 32 GB flash drive I connected (in ext2 format) showed unmounted. So as usual I deleted and created a new ext2 partition on my Windows PC and plugged it back. Then I noticed that the "External USB disk status" area of the Network Map screen is blank.

The router detected and I started installing Download Master (even though the above info screen is still the same). When it reached about 17%, it suddenly showed "Installation completed", with the orange link to Launch Download Master. Clicking on this link says "Download Master disabled".

I tried formatting again, in various types like FAT32, NTFS, EXT3, EXT2 but the result was always the same. I tried upgrading firmware from 3754 to 3879 and still the same. I tried hard resetting by pressing holding the reset button and no luck. I even changed the USB flash drive to a USB hard drive I have (which used to be attached to the router until I bought the flash drive) and still the same.

Another thing I noticed is that, currently the router cannot unmount any drive by itself; not just after trying to install Download Master. Say I take a fresh USB drive, attach it to the router. It will mount the drive. Now I click "Safely Remove disk" and a popup will say "Failed to unmount the disk". This happens all the time with all kinds of partitions (FAT32, EXT, NTFS).

What is happening here? Everything was perfect until today. Now I can't install Download Master.

Here is the system log when the flash drive (in FAT32) is plugged in:

May 29 10:23:57 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     SanDisk  Cruzer Blade     1.27 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 62530624 512-byte hardware sectors (32016 MB)
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Assuming drive cache: write through
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Assuming drive cache: write through
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI removable disk
May 29 10:23:57 kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
May 29 10:23:58 disk monitor: unmount partition
May 29 10:23:58 syslog: USB partition unmounted from /tmp/mnt/NAS
May 29 10:23:58 disk monitor: scan partition
May 29 10:23:58 disk monitor: re-mount partition
May 29 10:23:58 disk monitor: done
May 29 10:24:00 rc_service: hotplug 441:notify_rc restart_nasapps
May 29 10:24:00 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
May 29 10:24:00 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
May 29 10:24:03 Samba Server: daemon is started

Here is the log when I try to install Download Master

May 29 10:25:19 rc_service: httpd 297:notify_rc start_apps_install downloadmaster sda1

When I try to unmount the drive, I get the "failed to unmount the disk" error popup. But the system log doesn't have any additions to it.

Now when I simply unplug the flash drive from router, this is what I get

May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61088) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61089) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61090) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61091) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61092) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61093) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61094) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61095) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61096) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61097) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61098) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61099) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61100) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61101) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61102) failed
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device
May 29 10:32:08 kernel: FAT: Directory bread(block 61103) failed
May 29 10:32:08 hotplug[2320]: USB partition unmounted from /tmp/mnt/NAS
May 29 10:32:08 rc_service: hotplug 2320:notify_rc restart_nasapps
May 29 10:32:08 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
May 29 10:32:08 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped
May 29 10:32:09 rc_service: hotplug 2323:notify_rc restart_nasapps
May 29 10:32:09 rc_service: waitting "restart_nasapps" via hotplug ...
May 29 10:32:10 FTP Server: daemon is stoped
May 29 10:32:10 Samba Server: smb daemon is stoped

 

[Naveen]

After multiple hard resets, my issue has been solved

 

[bbunge]

Did you happen too check free NVRAM space? If you are using a current firmware it could fill and cause issues.