Introduction

All Alta equipment has a failsafe mechanism which allows for a quick method for troubleshooting, getting to a prior version of firmware, and is a prerequisite for any potential RMAs.

Please note that this process is most commonly referred to by staff as “Power on Reset” or “PoR” for short, because this industry needs more acronyms!

Requirements

In order to perform a successful Power on Reset, the following criteria must be met:

1. An active internet connection
2. A functional and properly configured DHCP server
3. A reliable power supply
4. Two working hands

The Procedure

1. Locate the reset button
   • On most APs, the reset button is on the back side of the unit, where the heatsink is located
   • On switches, the reset button is located on the front of the unit with the Ethernet interfaces
   • On routers, the reset button is on the front of the unit with the Ethernet interfaces
2. Unplug power to the unit and wait at least 10 seconds
3. Press and hold the reset button
4. Plug power back in while holding the reset button
5. Once the Alta logo illuminates, release the reset button
   • If the Alta logo does not illuminate within 10 seconds, please try again from the top. If the logo still will not illuminate, please contact our technical support team
6. Leave the unit plugged in, you will see a variety of colors and/or patterns while the process completes
7. For APs, switches, and routers, the process is complete once the Alta logo LED is solid white
   1. The Control appliance process is complete once the LED is “breathing” a turquoise color
8. Go to the management platform of your choice
   • If you are using a local controller, you will need to supply the controller’s DDNS hostname to the device, via its local web page (go to http://192.168.1.x, etc. on the device’s IP address)
   • If you are using the cloud controller, the device should appear with a purple Set Up button
9. Click the Set Up button
   • If you’re presented with a dialog noting that the device appears to be factory default, confirm that dialog
10. You’re done!

What’s Going On During This Process

By powering the device with the reset button pressed, you signal to the bootloader to boot to the failsafe portion of the flash memory.

This boot option will:

1. Boot to a built-in recovery image
2. Pull a DHCP lease
3. Synchronizes time via NTP
4. Reach out to our servers to download a firmware binary
5. Applies the firmware
6. Factory defaults the system*
7. Reboots
    

* - Note that the settings are preserved in the controller and will be sent back to the device once fully managed. If you feel that a configuration change broke the management communication, this is a great opportunity to revert that change prior to clicking the purple Set Up button.
 

I see a red LED during this process

Below is a list of the most common causes of encountering a red LED during a Power on Reset. 

1. No ethernet link, which should be apparent upon visual inspection
2. Failure to acquire DHCP lease
3. Failure to reach Internet
4. Failure to obtain time synchronization
5. Failure to download firmware from server