This post was moved over from an old blog of mine that I’ve since taken down.
Several years ago I purchased an APC AP9630 Network Management Card 2 (AP9630 NMC) for a Smart-UPS of mine. The manual was not clear how to change the mode of the card to enable DHCP without using a serial cable. (Who even has a laptop with an old serial port?!)
It turns out there are two reset modes for the card:
- Pressing the reset button for 5-7 seconds resets only the password.
- Pressing the reset button for 20 seconds will restore the card to factory default settings and switch it to DHCP mode.
This should also work on the AP9631.
Hopefully, this will get indexed and save some people some time in figuring it out…
Chris Parker
Founder at WhatIsMyIPAddress.com
Entrepreneur | Online Privacy, Safety & CyberSecurity | Host, Easy Prey Podcast
Latest posts by Chris Parker (see all)
- Common Privacy Risks in the Digital Age - June 13, 2024
- Beware of Credit Card Skimmers - December 12, 2022
- What to Do If Your Social Media Has Been Hacked - May 16, 2022
Thank you.
Just saved me from ordering a console cable..
Manuals had me believing that I needed the 2.5mm console cable and was looking at ordering one.
Your post saved me weeks of time and some money.
Thank you
Thanks for the info. A shame APC couldn’t make this as easy to find. I’ve never had much success at using the console on these cards and couldn’t believe this was the only way to reset them. It didn’t same me weeks of time like the other guy but it saved me a lot of frustration, I’m sure.
Thank you!
Thanks a ton. Saved me a ton of trouble
Thanks!
Chris,
Thank you, that works.
Thanks for the info. It saved me a lot of time.
Thanks! Saved me also lot of time.
Default Login after reset
user: apc
password: apc
What is IP after reset ?
The IP address assigned to the network adapter would be based on the rules from your DHCP server. There are a number of tools that will scan for devices on the network and identify the manufacturer — allowing you to easily find it.
Hi Chris.
I’ve attempted holding the reset button for more than 20 seconds a few times now. Absolutely nothing is happening. When I check the status on the front LCD of my UPS, the IP is the same. Is there some kind of feedback (blinking lights, etc.) which lets me know the reset is complete? Am I supposed to do this with the ethernet cable plugged in or not? Do I need to power cycle the device?
Justen,
I would try with the network cable disconnected.
If I recall correctly you should see the lights change on the port at the 20-second mark.
You should not need to power cycle the UPS.
yup, hold down until you see the lights go out (about 30 sec or so up to a minute or so, then release button and immediately press the button again and hold it until the light start twinkling. That should reset card. Good Luck
You sir are a lifesaver!!!
That is sweet! Thanks. It worked as the reset pin is pressed, mine green LED started to blink and waited for 20 seconds or so, it started blink yellow. Found the device through my router, the “APC IP Configuration Utility” did not find my smart APC on the network. Everything is all good.
Lifesaver. Thanks!
Aside from you website, nearly every page and post suggested this can only be done via a console cable.
I knew that had to be BS… else they would not add a Reset button.. but the trick is. how long do you push it for!
i did something to mine. it gets an address but the webserver is not running and ftp is not running. i have been doing a reset it with the ethernet plugged in. i will try it with ethernet unplugged. i first tried with the card not inserted in the unit and just holding it. i guess the backup button does not allow to reset the memory without the card installed.
James,
I’m pretty sure that the card needs to be installed and the UPS powered up.
you just made my day
thanks a lot
This worked great. I try serial but no luck. I held min in for 30 sec until see turn amber then click it again then it flash green amber real fast clicked one more time then it reset for me. After that just went in menus change to what type address i wanted so i can long in.
Brillant !!!
I get the card to reset and I get a new IP address. But when I use the new IP to connect to the web interface it does not work.
My ups doesn’t have the display, so how can I make sure the network is reset and what would be the default ip in case if it is not picking from dhcp
10001 thank yous
I think I did the factory reset well (flashing LED green to amber), however the DHCP is only 2 minutes long. Using Wireshark, I can see BOOT requests from the APC and Wireshark marks them as Malformed. So I can’t reconfigure the unit. Any suggestions anyone?
VICTORY IS MINE! So for some reason DHCP wouldn’t work (lease was always 2 minutes and towards the end it was pingable for 5 pings and then timed out). Using the Device IP Configuration Tool I was able to assign it an IP address using the Off Network tab. It discovered the MAC address and I assigned the IP (it took me 2 tries though). All other options didn’t work…
Thanks, mate.
Just tested on a Smart-UPS 750 (model SMT750) with NMC 2 card (model AP9630). I had messed around with soldering wires to console cable jack on the NMC board, and interfacing to a USB-RS232 adapter cable, etc, etc all to reset the IP that had been set by previous owner. This was so much easier. I timed it and pressing the reset button 20 seconds was spot on. At that point the right side light switches to amber and eventually switches back to typical green. At this point I plugged in a network cable to my router offering DHCP. I pressed the reset button again (less than 1 second), and let it boot up. After about 30 seconds I used the front panel of the UPS to navigate to the status section, where it showed me the current IP address. I was happy to find it on my router’s DHCP range. I browsed to that address and used apc/apc to log in to the web console. Next I’ll use that web console to set a static IP in range I can access so that I can easily connect in the future.
This post was super helpful. Thank you!
Thank you. Not in any official APC documentation…
Thank you.
So how it worked for me with AP9631:
1. Unplugged the LAN cable and waited for both leds to go off
2. Pressed the reset button with a clip and held it for ~ 30. You can verify pressing the correct “spot” by link led begin blinkind. Hold till the link changes color from green to orange.
3. Plugged the LAN cable and pressed the reset button once more – the link led started flashing green/amber
4. The card obtained an IP address from the DHCP server.
5. The default username/pass: apc/apc
You are the best. Thank you
I don’t know what I am doing wrong, because at one point in my life I got this working. I have an apc connected via serial com3 and I see the User Name and Password Prompt. I seem to have forgotten what I made this account, apc / apc does not work. I can’t format or just reset the password no matter what I try.
When I do press the reset button once, the status lights seem to just flash then power off. they will not come back on for quite some time, if ever. If I hold the reset button it will flash a slow amber for eternity. Nothing is resetting this