Set Sophos Firewall USB setup delay correctly
During firewall provisioning or zero-touch configuration, SFOS must detect that the connected USB drive is ready. usb-setup-delay controls this waiting period. The supported range is 1 to 15 seconds, with a 3-second default.
This setting is not general USB tuning. It does not repair a faulty drive, an unsupported file system or an invalid provisioning file. It is also unrelated to reimaging SFOS with a bootable USB drive. Reimaging boots an installer from USB, whereas usb-setup-delay affects readiness detection during provisioning.
⚠️ Change only for a reproducible fault: First record the current value, appliance model, SFOS build, USB drive and symptom. A higher value is useful only when the provisioning drive is demonstrably ready too late.
Check the current value and set it deliberately
Run the commands in 4. Device Console. Because Sophos presents the syntax as a short command tree, first open completion on the installed build:
system usb-setup-delay ?
SFOS 22 lists show for displaying and set for changing the value. Save the status before the change:
system usb-setup-delay show
Then set a value from 1 to 15 seconds. Enter the placeholder without square brackets:
system usb-setup-delay set <seconds>
A controlled first test increases the value only as far as necessary, for example from 3 to 5 seconds. Check the displayed value immediately afterwards. Values of 0, values above 15 and invented units are not part of the documented SFOS 22 syntax.
Test provisioning and isolate the cause
Repeat the test with the same USB drive, provisioning file and port. A successful show command only proves the stored waiting period, not that the file was read or the configuration applied correctly.
Acceptance therefore includes the provisioning result, expected management address, interface and routing values, and an independent management path. In HA, also identify the node being provisioned. A broad test on both nodes is not a substitute for a documented target appliance.
If the USB drive remains undetected at 15 seconds, stop tuning the delay. Check the drive, port, file system, file name and contents, model support, console output and provisioning logs. Values outside the supported range cannot fix a physical or content problem.
Rollback
If the additional wait provides no benefit, restore the recorded value. On a system without a previous customization, this is the 3-second default:
system usb-setup-delay set 3
system usb-setup-delay show
Repeat the same provisioning test or at least document the resulting status. Rollback is complete only when the expected value is displayed and the next planned provisioning run is not affected by an unintended delay.