Diagnostic files from your managed switch may be requested by community moderators or NETGEAR employees to help troubleshoot a problem. The diagnostic files available vary depending on the model of switch and can be any of the following:
- Configuration file
- Buffered log
- Tech support file
- Crash logs
- Full memory dump
Before sending files, you should first create a thread on the NETGEAR Community (or contribute to an existing thread that is relevant to your issue). Please do not send files unless instructed to do so by a community moderator or a NETGEAR employee.
Note: Here we demonstrate how to get each of these files on both types of NETGEAR managed switch admin page.
To get the configuration file.
- On the admin page of the switch, go to Maintenance - Save Config - Save Configuration.
- Check the selection box and click Apply.
- Go to Maintenance - Upload / Export - HTTP File Upload / HTTP File Export.
- In the File Type drop-down menu, choose Text Configuration and click Apply.
- When prompted, save the configuration file to your computer.
To get the buffered log file.
- On the admin page of the switch, go to Maintenance - Upload / Export - HTTP File Upload / HTTP File Export.
- In the File Type drop-down menu, choose Buffered Log and click Apply.
- When prompted, save the buffered log file to your computer.
To get the tech support file.
- Log in to the command line interface of the switch and from enable mode run the command show tech-support.
- On the admin page of the switch, go to Maintenance - Upload / Export - HTTP File Upload / HTTP File Export.
- In the File Type drop-down menu, choose Tech Support and click Apply.
- When prompted, save the tech support file to your computer.
To get the crash logs.
- On the admin page of the switch, go to Maintenance - Upload / Export - HTTP File Upload / HTTP File Export.
- In the File Type drop-down menu, choose Crash Logs and click Apply.
- When prompted, save the crash log file to your computer.
To get the full memory dump.
- On the admin page of the switch, go to Maintenance - Troubleshooting - Full Memory Dump.
- Configure the options as needed:
- Protocol: select the protocol used to transfer the core dump file. Possible values:
- None: disable core dump.
- TFTP: send to an external TFTP server.
- NFS: send to an external NFS server.
- USB: send to a directly attached USB disk (FAT32 formatted).
- Server Address: enter the IP address of the server.
- File Path: Type the path to store the core dump file. The path can consist of -, _, / and alphanumeric characters. Up to 64 characters can be entered.
- File Name: type the file name for the core dump file. The path can consist of -, _, / and alphanumeric characters. Up to 15 characters can be entered.
- Hostname: append the switch hostname to the core dump file name.
- Time-stamp: append a time stamp to the core dump file name.
- Switch Register Dump: dump the switch chip register in case of an exception.
- Write Core Test: check this option and click Apply to test the core dump setup. In this case "File Name" value will be used as the destination file name.
- Write Core: check this option and click Apply to create core dump and store it to the configured destination. Execution of this procedure will cause a reload of the switch.
- Save Current Settings: save current configuration.
- Protocol: select the protocol used to transfer the core dump file. Possible values:
- Click Apply. The switch will transfer the memory dump to the configured destination.
Sending your configuration file to the moderators.
Retrieve the requested files and email them to switch_support@netgear.com. Include a link to your post on the forum where you've described the problem. You can do this by highlighting the URL address in your browser address bar and pasting that to the body of your email. Without this, we may not know who the files were from or what problem they refer to. Put a short description of the problem and "Attn:" to the switch forum moderator in the subject line so that they can flag it easily (example: "Throughput drop - Attn: JohnRo"). Include your forum handle so we can track you down just in case the forum link fails.