Title: SonicWall's Temporary Solution for Reboot Loop Issues
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Chapter 1: SonicWall's Reboot Loop Dilemma
SonicWall has introduced a short-term solution for next-generation firewalls running SonicOS 7.0 that are stuck in a reboot cycle. This announcement comes after a surge of customer complaints that began to surface yesterday evening. These Gen7 firewalls represent SonicWall’s latest technology, offering features such as encrypted traffic analysis, malware detection, and cloud application security.
The range of Gen7 firewalls includes the TZ series aimed at small businesses, the NSa series for mid-sized companies, the NSsp series for large enterprises and data centers, as well as the NSv series, which consists of virtual firewalls. In a statement, SonicWall noted, “If you've noticed your firewall has been stuck in a reboot loop since 9:30 p.m. EST on January 20, 2022, you’re not alone.” Reports from administrators indicate that this issue is widespread, affecting all devices within the Gen7 series.
To mitigate the problem, SonicWall has advised administrators to halt incremental updates to the IDP, GAV, and SPY signature databases through the internal Diag menu until a proper update can be released. Here’s how to prevent the affected SonicWall firewalls from continuously rebooting:
- Disconnect the WAN cable (especially if you're facing login issues).
- Access the firewall from the LAN side.
- Navigate to the Diag page by entering the firewall's LAN IP in your browser, followed by /sonicui/7/m/mgmt/settings/diag. (For example: 192.168.168.168/sonicui/7/m/mgmt/settings/diag)
- Click on internal settings to reach the diag page.
- Look for the option labeled “Enable incremental updates to the IDP, GAV, and SPY signature databases” in the menu.
- Disable (uncheck) this setting and select ACCEPT to apply the changes.
- Once completed, reconnect the WAN cable and restart the firewall.
If these steps resolve the issue, monitor the firewall closely. If problems persist, reach out to the support team for further assistance.
While SonicWall has not disclosed the root cause of the reboot loop, administrators suspect it could relate to “security service licensing” issues, potentially linked to connectivity problems when the WAN cable is connected.
Earlier this month, SonicWall admitted that the Y2K22 glitch has influenced some of its Email Security and firewall products, leading to issues with message log updates and spam filtering starting January 1, 2022.
Chapter 2: Troubleshooting and Support
This video titled "Your Internet Access is Blocked Error | How to Fix | Solution" provides viewers with insights into resolving internet access issues, which can be particularly relevant for those experiencing firewall-related problems.
The second video titled "VPN Not Working in Windows 11/10 – Fix VPN Problems [Tutorial]" offers helpful troubleshooting tips for VPN issues, complementing the information provided for SonicWall firewall management.