Synology DS212+ Bios Flashing

[Blackpool]

Hello, I have a DS212+ brand new and unused (stored 8 years) and when I installed it I upgraded the DSM. That is when the problems started. The 212 kept disconnecting from the network every 30 mins or so and Synology Assistant (SA) and Web Assistant (WA) took repeated attempts to find it. So I did a Mode 2 hard reset to reset the firmware and prompt fresh installation. The amber light flashed (GOOD) but whilst the 212 pinged all port were closed so WA timed out (BAD). Someone then suggested Bios battery might be depleted (8 years of storage) so I changed that. That wiped the IP from it too, so SA and WA could not even find it. 

 

Hence I think I need to flash the bios (which I know how to do) but complete newbie to Linux and Synology but have some programming experience. And confident I can do it but I first need the bios file (!)

 

1. Will that be in a .pat file ?
2. How do I extract it using windows or other application?
3. Do I need to modify it? read somewhere the .pat bios can have extra headers or need filling?
4. Which DSM / Bios files do you think I need? The original (which DSM version will that be?) or newer?
5. How do I obtain any older DSM .pat file?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Blackpool

[WiteWulf]

Hi @Blackpool, you're a bit confused between BIOS and firmware, so let me try to explain...

 

BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is a small hardware/software component on older equipment (replaced by UEFI on modern computers) that gets the hardware in a state to boot the OS from storage when it first powers on. The BIOS usually contains software that allows you to configure IO (serial, parallel, USB, SATA, SCSI, IDE, etc.), memory, power and such like. While Synology devices have a BIOS, it's not user accessible and isn't usually upgradeable.

 

The Synology devices also have a firmware, DSM, that is installed on the device. If you've done a Mode 2 reset this has been removed from your device, along with all configuration and data (https://kb.synology.com/en-uk/DSM/tutorial/How_to_reset_my_Synology_NAS_7). You'd want to get the latest available .pat file for the DS212 and install it using Synology Assistant from another machine on the network. FYI, Synology stopped support for the 212 at 6.2.4 (https://archive.synology.com/download/Os/DSM/6.2.4-25556). The .pat file does not contain BIOS files, it's just the custom Linux OS Synology uses for its firmware.

 

Having said all that, and having read through your lengthy thread on synoforum (https://www.synoforum.com/threads/complete-newbie-help-needed.9515/page-4) it looks to me like your 212 is dead 😬 To be honest, the symptoms you were describing (intermittent network connectivity) sounds like a hardware issue anyways.

 

Honestly, it's a pretty basic (and unsupported, now) piece of kit. Treat yourself to some new hardware and install xpenology on it  

[Blackpool]

Thanks WiteWulf.

 

My thread on synoforums suggested (at the end) that other users (themselves technicians/programmers) experienced almost identical symptoms and found the bios was corrupted after a DSM upgrade or hard reset. Those other users simply replaced the corrupted bios file with a bios.rom file in a synology packet. I was just trying to do that. £7 CH341 programmer v. £300 new machine? Easy decision to make.

 

I will not be buying Synology ever again, the 'blue light of death' is well documented on every forum and I think it disgraceful that a manufacturer (Synology) does not sell spares and does not repair units. Rather if anything goes wrong out of warranty (namely after 3 years) the unit is dead and you are expected to buy another Synology product to replace it. Name one other manufacturer that has that business model?