Router suddenly can't connect to My Cloud EX2 Ultra

So I don’t have to keep typing “My Cloud EX2 Ultra”, here on in I’ll call it “EX2”.

I came home from work on Friday and after dinner, the wife and I decided to watch a show on my EX2 and nothing happens. I go to my computer to login to the EX2 and my browser can’t find the EX2 Dashboard. I logged-in to my router (Asus RT-AC88U) and it doesn’t show the EX2. So naturally, I rebooted the router, the computer, and the EX2 (unplugged/plugged-in to force a reboot) and still nothing.

I noticed that my router had a newer firmware version, so I downgraded the firmware to the last known version that worked with the EX2. But that didn’t help - still nothing.

I checked the LED lights on the EX2 and they’re both solid blue. I even thought of trying to isolate the problem by connecting the EX2 directly to the PC to see if the problem is the EX2 or the router but, I don’t know how to connect it directly to my PC.

So, I’m asking for some help here. Any ideas? Suggestions? Experts willing to go step-by-step with me?

Not just movies and videos. I do have some important files I’d rather not lose. Thanks in advance.
Oh, and I’m still using OS 3 on my EX2.

Thanks dswv42 - I’ll give it a try and I’ll let you know how I make out.
I’m just really hoping the EX2 didn’t die.

Hello again dswv42,

Ok, so here’s what happened when I connected the EX2 directly to my PC with the Ethernet cable…
nothing. I ran arp -a both before and after connecting the EX2 and the same three static IP addresses showed up both times. Just in case it mattered, I rebooted after connecting.

So now I’m confused about the status of the EX2 because like you, I thought all should be well if the LED’s where blue.

Anything else you think I should try?

Also, not sure if it makes a difference but, I’m not running W10 - I’m still using 64bit W7.

I just thought of something… I have a DNS-321 NAS that I had trouble accessing from my computer and it turns out the problem was: It has a CR2032 battery hidden under the circuit board. The problem was solved once the battery was replaced. Does the EX2 maybe have such a battery onboard?

The top light above the cable is flashing green and the bottom one is solid green.
Don’t know if you saw the previous post because I was editing it while you responded.
(it was about the battery)

I tried connecting directly to the PC again without success.

Upon closer examination (meaning I put my reading glasses on - LOL), there are only 2 of the 3 LEDs lit blue. Shouldn’t all 3 be blue? The Power LED and drive 1 are solid blue. Drive 2 is not lit at all. So, does that mean drive 2 is dead? If so, could that be why I’m not able to access the EX2?

I was also thinking about 4 second and 40 second resets.

So here is a thought: Anything change in the network recently?
How are your static IP addresses assigned: From the router or the NAS?

I recommend assigning IP’s from the Router - - -that way, if something weird happens. . . you “should” be able to find the NAS somewhere in the Routers address pool. If you assign from the NAS. . .and suddenly something on the router changes. . .you might have a problem (and you would be on the path to resets)

When you say you ran arp -a; you got three static addresses. . .are they all on the same subnet? If the PC and the NAS are on different subnets . . .you might run into issues.

Sorry guys, I was away from the computer for a while. You know… Life and things… right?

Anyway, yes I did do the 4 second reset but not the 40 second reset. Yes to the light turning red when cable is disconnected.

I’m going to remove the drives and check them on my PC with Ext2explorer to see if the drives are working OK. I doubt that both drives are bad but, I just want to rule that option out.

I’m kind of baffled here. I was thinking maybe a lightning strike but my router sees everything else on my network, all my other network devices are OK, the EX2’s RJ-45 port seems to be working OK. I’m still wondering about the onboard battery, wondering if I should try replacing it before calling the EX2 dead?

Any other ideas?

Thanks guys for sticking in there with me.

This is a shot in the dark, but have you tried a new network cable?

Yes and No.
Yes, from the EX2 to PC when I tried the direct connect.
No, not from the EX2 to the router.

Just for grins and giggles, I will try another cable from the EX2 to the router.

Also, I just connected each drive to the PC and was able to view the data on them both.
ext2explorer didn’t work but Linux Reader by DiskInternals Research did work. So, I guess that rules out the bad drives.

OK, now I’m wondering… If the drives are good, since I can read both of them, and one of the blue lights on the EX2 is out for drive 2… is it just a bad LED or is there something wrong with the EX2?

Ohhh! – I’m Sooo Confused!!! LOL

I’ll let you know how I make out with the cable swap to the router.

Hey dswv42,

Good News / Bad News!

The good news is, I found the problem, and the EX2 is up and running just hunky-dory!
The bad news is it’s my router.

I have 8 ports on the back of my router. I have devices plugged into ports 1-5 with the EX2 being plugged into port 5. Well as it turns out, half of the ports don’t work now (Lightning??). So ports 5-8 aren’t working. That’s why everything else was working just fine but not the EX2. I’m just not sure why I couldn’t connect when I tried to connect directly to my PC. Maybe it was just user error.

So, thanks to your suggestion to try a new cable because that’s how I discovered the answer. Also, say thanks to your gut because it was right on. Nothing wrong with the EX2.

Well at least now I know what’s wrong. It only cost me a weekend that I’ll never get back and now a new router :frowning:

Once again, I thank you for all the help. Have a great life and as Mr Spock has said on many occasions… “Live Long and Prosper!”