Any luck dealing with SuperMicro support?

[cjbraun5151]

We recently purchased a SuperMicro 2028R-E1CR24L server for a vSphere / Horizion View build we need done by the end of the summer. After installing FreeNAS and beginning our configuration, we encountered an issue where the server would no longer boot. Troubleshooting revealed that there was a problem with the MoBo so it was RMAed and sent back to SuperMicro. Two and a half weeks later, I attempt to get a status on the RMA. No one in the RMA dept. answers their phone or email, and I finally get a response by going through their sales dept. that they are "still testing". I have no estimate on how long this will take and once again cannot get another response from them.

Has anyone else had such terrible experience with SuperMicro support? Any suggestions? Does anyone have a direct contact to someone they worked with at SuperMicro? I'm thinking about just purchasing another motherboard so we can continue our project, but I can't even get an ETA out of them on the original motherboard.

 

[Ericloewe]

I have no RMA experience, but support for an IPMI/BMC problem was good (less than 24 hours). Supermicro Europe, of course.

 

[Z300M]

We recently purchased a SuperMicro 2028R-E1CR24L server for a vSphere / Horizion View build we need done by the end of the summer. After installing FreeNAS and beginning our configuration, we encountered an issue where the server would no longer boot. Troubleshooting revealed that there was a problem with the MoBo so it was RMAed and sent back to SuperMicro. Two and a half weeks later, I attempt to get a status on the RMA. No one in the RMA dept. answers their phone or email, and I finally get a response by going through their sales dept. that they are "still testing". I have no estimate on how long this will take and once again cannot get another response from them.

Has anyone else had such terrible experience with SuperMicro support? Any suggestions? Does anyone have a direct contact to someone they worked with at SuperMicro? I'm thinking about just purchasing another motherboard so we can continue our project, but I can't even get an ETA out of them on the original motherboard.

I've contacted Supermicro support (USA) three times and got prompt (within 24hrs) replies -- different people each time.

Edit: It would be more accurate to say that I contacted Supermicro in English @ supermicro.com -- but the responses suggested that English was not their mother tongue: they were probably in Taiwan or China.

 

[DrKK]

I called with a technical question once. The guy on the other end said he had no idea, but he would find someone who did, and they would call me back. And they did in about six hours.

I've been hardcore pro-Supermicro for a couple of years; no complaints yet. I am making all of my FreeNAS builds with SuperMicro motherboards without any hesitation unless something changes.

 

[cyberjock]

I did an RMA with them in 2013. Took about 2 weeks iirc from the day I mailed them the bad board to getting the new one back.

 

[cjbraun5151]

Thanks for the responses. I chose Supermicro based on everyone's recommendations on this forum, but I'm having regrets now. Still no response from anyone at Supermicro after repeated calls and emails. I'm thinking about just purchasing another vendor's product to replace it and try to get a refund on the SuperMicro. Anyone have any other suggestions for a roughly comparable box?

 

[cjbraun5151]

Update: After I received no response from SuperMicro's RMA dept. to my repeaterd status inquiries, I ordered a second motherboard so i could continue my project. This motherboard also didn't work, it would power on, but I could get nothing to display on the monitor. I sent it back for RMA as well. Two weeks later, I finally received the original replacement motherboard from SuperMicro. It also would not boot, this one would power on for a few seconds, beep, and then restart, repeating the boot loop.

I'm seeking a refund from my vendor and trying to find a similar barebones system from another manufacturer. I hope no one else ever has as much trouble with SuperMicro as I have.

 

[Ericloewe]

Could the problem lie elsewhere? Three bad motherboards sounds unlikely.

 

[cjbraun5151]

I agree, I also think it's unlikely. That's why I've attempted booting each motherboard with nothing but a power supply and monitor connected and I get the same results. The original motherboard worked long enough for us to install FreeNAS on it and begin configurations, so I don't think it is a hardware incompatibility issue. I suppose it could still be something else, but I surely can't figure out what.

 

[Ericloewe]

Well, it could be the CPU, if it's the same one. RAM would probably log an error in IPMI, though.

 

[sfcredfox]

Could the problem lie elsewhere? Three bad motherboards sounds unlikely.

Doesn't that sound like a seat issue with memory/CPU or bad power input?

I'd also check to make sure nothing is grounded out. Three boards bad, highly unlikely IMO...

 

[Nick2253]

Three DOA motherboards in a row would make you the unluckiest guy I've ever heard of.

What components are in common between the motherboard tests? It sounds like CPU, RAM, and PSU. My guess is that your PSU might be your problem (in my experience, a PSU is responsible for over 90% of PC/Server hardware issues). It could also be that your CPU is bad. Do you have another CPU to test?

Bad RAM will generally still allow a system to boot, but that's not a guarantee. Try it with different memory to be sure.

At this point, I would wipe the slate clean, and assume that all of the original products are bad. Buy a new CPU/RAM/PSU (or salvage from a working system) for future tests. If you're budget conscious, there are a lot of cheap CPUs that will at least let you do a power on test.

 

[cjbraun5151]

I have two Xeon 2620 v3 CPUs purchased for this box, along with dozens of sticks of RAM. Tried each CPU in the first socket by itself with just 2 sticks (32GB) of ram in slots one and two. Swapped RAM for each CPU a few times for good measure. I tried booting with each of the two redundant power supplies. In every combination of hardware, I get the same results: server powers on but does not post. Beeps loudly, then powers off and back on again. This behaviour is different from the second motherboard which is different from the behavior of the first motherboard. sfcredfox, you mention bad power input? Not sure exactly how to test that. I'm using a Triplite battery backup and the display is reading a steady 120v.

I don't have any more than the two CPUs, at least not of the same Intel generation (v3). I could start running hardware tests on all sticks of RAM, and I can check if I have a power supply from another server that would fit, but honestly I'm running out of time this summer and need to be back online in two weeks for the start of the school year. This project may have to wait a while, and in the meantime I'll probably have to get a refund on the box.

 

[Nick2253]

If your first mobo went bad, it could have screwed up the CPUs, which is why the other mobos won't boot. Ditto RAM.

If you can check it in a good system, that would at least be a good first step.

Something else that just came to mind is some supermicro motherboards have needed BIOS updates to be able to boot on newer processors. The refurbished unit may be on an old BIOS revision.

You said the behavior is different for each mobo. Can you describe in detail exactly what happens with each?

 

[Darren Myers]

I'd RMA both CPU's and maybe if you can test a few sticks of RAM set them aside as KNOWN GOOD, and of course if you have a known good PSU id use that for testing, i wouldnt put the new/replacement motherboard in the case, i would bench test it openly

 

[DrKK]

This behavior reminds me of what happens when you use a CPU SKU that is not supported by the BIOS version.

 

[cjbraun5151]

DrKK, I would agree except that our first mobo worked fine with the processors until it didn't. I also verified the procs were on the list of supported procs on SuperMicro's website. I'll try testing on the workbench tomorrow with just the mobo and power supply. It sounds like Nick could be correct though, that the first mobo went bad and damaged both processors. I'll also RMA the procs and see how it goes.

 

[Nick2253]

Just because the first mobo was updated to the most recent BIOS version does not mean that the refurb unit you got was updated to the most recent BIOS version. Unfortunately, Supermicro is notoriously tight-lipped about what their BIOS revisions change (they don't post change-logs online), so you have to contact them directly to see if a recent BIOS revision added support for your processor.

 

[cjbraun5151]

Aaaaah... Thanks for the tip, I'll check with S.M. to flash the latest BIOS.