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Power outage recovery

After the power comes back, devices do not always start in the right order. Follow this guide so internet, NAS, and streaming come back safely.

Right after power returns

  1. Do not panic if nothing works for the first 15 minutes — equipment is still booting.
  2. Check that mains power is actually stable (lights in the room are normal, not flickering).
  3. If power is still unstable, leave everything off until it is steady.

Step 1 — Router first (UniFi Dream Machine SE)

  1. Confirm the Dream Machine SE has power.
  2. If it has a switch, turn it on.
  3. Wait 5 minutes before expecting Wi‑Fi.
  4. On a phone, check that the home Wi‑Fi network appears.

No Wi‑Fi after 10 minutes? See When internet is broken.

Step 2 — NAS second (TrueNAS)

  1. Press the power button on the Ugreen DXP 8800 NAS if it did not auto-start.
  2. Wait 10–15 minutes. The NAS runs disks and many apps — it is slower than a phone.
  3. Optional check: on PC browser, open dsm.saxobroko.com.

Important: Do not run disk format or pool import wizards unless you know exactly why. Unexpected prompts → stop and ask for help.

Step 3 — Windows PC third

  1. Turn on the Windows 11 PC.
  2. Log in and open a browser.
  3. Test google.com, then dash.saxobroko.com.

Drive A: may be missing until NAS and network are fully up. Wait 15 minutes, then see Turn everything on troubleshooting.

Step 4 — Test homelab services

Wait until Step 1–3 are done, then check:

Service URL
Dashboard dash.saxobroko.com
Movies / TV stream.saxobroko.com
Music music.saxobroko.com
Passwords vault.saxobroko.com

Log in through Authentik if prompted — normal after outage.

Step 5 — External access (phone on mobile data)

If everything works on Wi‑Fi but not on mobile data while you are in Australia:

  1. Wait 5 more minutes (tunnel reconnects after NAS boot).
  2. If still broken: Restart cloudflared.

Timeline (typical)

Time after power Expect
0–5 min Router booting, Wi‑Fi may appear
5–15 min NAS booting, local sites may work
15–30 min Jellyfin, dash, tunnel usually stable
30+ min still broken Work through When internet is broken and cloudflared restart

What NOT to do after an outage

Avoid Why
Force-off NAS while disks are active Can harm the storage pool
Click "import foreign pool" or format Can wipe data
Reset the UniFi router to factory Loses Wi‑Fi and network config
Delete Docker apps on TrueNAS Breaks Jellyfin and tunnel

If the outage was long (hours)

  • Fridge / food — unrelated to tech, but prioritise safety.
  • NAS: should recover automatically; pool health is monitored — technical docs: Backups and pool health.
  • ISP: NBN may need longer to resync — check ISP status on mobile data.

Checklist

  • Power stable at the wall
  • Router on 5+ minutes, Wi‑Fi visible
  • NAS on 10+ minutes, dsm loads
  • PC on, browser works
  • Jellyfin tested on Wi‑Fi
  • cloudflared restarted if outside access still dead (in AU)