GerardNL
06-09-2006, 10:32
REMARK: THIS IS A DRAFT VERSION. PLEASE COMMENT AND CORRECT ME WHERE NEEDED.
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Thanks due to the comments below, this document has been edited a few times. Please keep these comments comming
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It took me a while to find out how to upgrade the firmware on our router. Maybe it was all obvious to others, but for a WL-700gE newbie, these steps may help.
Please note that during the upgrade you may not be able to use your router for a little while. So before you upgrade your router, read the text below and download the manuals or software in advance.
1. First of all, check the current firmware version on your router.
Follow these steps:
a. Open a new browser window and go to http://192.168.1.1 (or whatever IP address your router is running on)
b. Logon to your router
c. Click on "Configuration"
d. Click on "Advanced Settings" (top of the screen)
e. Click on "System Setup" (right bottom of the screen)
f. Click on "Firmware Upgrade" (right bottom of the screen)
The screen that is now appearing is showing the model of your router and the firmware version.
When I wrote this how-to (16 September 2006) the most recent version was 1.0.4.6
2. Now check on the ASUS web site to see if there is a more current version.
Go to: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?model=WL-700gE&SLanguage=en-us
Click on the tab labelled "Drivers" and a list of current and recent Firmware versions appears.
Look at the version and descriptions. If you are already running the most current version, then there is nothing to do, but if there is a more current version, download it.
ASUS also offer the complete source code for the router in this list, but if you are not planning on writing your own router OS, skip those files. The file you want to download is less then 20MB!
This is the link to the 1.0.4.6 version on the ASUS website:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/WL700gE_1046.zip
Now you need to be a little patient. I have never gotten a fast download speed from the ASUS site, so downloading the 20MB may take 30 min or so.
Once you have the zip file on your hard drive, you'll need to extract the only file from this zip file. This file is most likely called something like "WL700gE_1.x.y.z.nas" (where x, y and z are the version of firmware). Save this file somewhere and remember the location since you'll need it in a minute.
3. Now return to the firmware page.
If you don't have this window open anymore, then follow the same steps as in "1" in this how-to.
Click on the "Browse" button and select the file you have downloaded earlier and press then press the button "Upgrade".
You now get a warning/confirmation pop-up, select "Yes" and the upgrade starts.
Wait for about 5 minutes while the firmware is upgraded.
After 5 minutes the job should be done and now you are ready to hard-reset your router.
Take a pen and press the black reset button on the back of your router for about 10 seconds
The router is now resetting and new firmware is being loaded. Wait until the "ready" light is on.
Now you have the new OS, you'll need to configure the router again. The easiest thing to do is follow the steps from the easy install guide by using the EZSetup Wizard software.
If you don't have the guide anymore, you can download it from:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/e_pdf_quick_qe2393.zip
The most current version of the utilities you need for the setup can be downloaded from:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/Utility_1700.zip
Once you have set up your router, return to the firmware upgrade page from step "1" and you can see if the router is now running the new firmware version.
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There is also a different way to upgrade your router. This one is also very usefull if your router doesn't work anymore after an earlier upgrade. The original was written by DaNawq, but usefull for this section as well, so it will not get lost.
The step below can be followed if your router is still working properly or is not responding anymore.
1. Before you do anything to your router, first give your desktop computer a static IP address like 192.168.1.50. This is needed to be able to do the steps below. (From experience: Stop all the background programs like anti-virus of wirewall if the below steps don't work. Worse case, you need a clean Windows install)
2. Now unplug the power cord of your router for about 10-20 seconds
3. Hold the orange EZSetup-button while plugging power on
4. Once the blue Ready LED is blinking unhold immediately EZSetup button.
5. Wait 10 seconds
6. Start the Firmware-Restore tool on your desktop computer to upload a working firmware (do not start it before any of the earlier steps).
7. Press the Browse button to select a firmware file. E.g. "WL700gE_1.0.4.2.nas" and then press "Upload"
8. Now a box will appear where you can see the router is being found and the firmware being uploaded. Once finished, the window will automatically close
9. Do NOT turn off the router now, but wait for 1 or 2 minutes and you will notice that your router is still working even if in previous step the window automatically closed. The blue IDE LED will blink showing that your manchine is still processing some stuff and after a while the blue Ready LED and also the blue AIR LED will shine.
10. Do NOT !!!!! NOT Press the Reset button !!!!! If you would do this, the router will become useless (untill you repeat step 1 again)
11. Wait for the router to boot. After about a minute or so, the "Ready" light will come on.
12. Now you can press the EZSetup-button for a few seconds until the start button starts blinking to configure the router with the EZ Setup Wizard software.
Good luck
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks due to the comments below, this document has been edited a few times. Please keep these comments comming
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took me a while to find out how to upgrade the firmware on our router. Maybe it was all obvious to others, but for a WL-700gE newbie, these steps may help.
Please note that during the upgrade you may not be able to use your router for a little while. So before you upgrade your router, read the text below and download the manuals or software in advance.
1. First of all, check the current firmware version on your router.
Follow these steps:
a. Open a new browser window and go to http://192.168.1.1 (or whatever IP address your router is running on)
b. Logon to your router
c. Click on "Configuration"
d. Click on "Advanced Settings" (top of the screen)
e. Click on "System Setup" (right bottom of the screen)
f. Click on "Firmware Upgrade" (right bottom of the screen)
The screen that is now appearing is showing the model of your router and the firmware version.
When I wrote this how-to (16 September 2006) the most recent version was 1.0.4.6
2. Now check on the ASUS web site to see if there is a more current version.
Go to: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?model=WL-700gE&SLanguage=en-us
Click on the tab labelled "Drivers" and a list of current and recent Firmware versions appears.
Look at the version and descriptions. If you are already running the most current version, then there is nothing to do, but if there is a more current version, download it.
ASUS also offer the complete source code for the router in this list, but if you are not planning on writing your own router OS, skip those files. The file you want to download is less then 20MB!
This is the link to the 1.0.4.6 version on the ASUS website:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/WL700gE_1046.zip
Now you need to be a little patient. I have never gotten a fast download speed from the ASUS site, so downloading the 20MB may take 30 min or so.
Once you have the zip file on your hard drive, you'll need to extract the only file from this zip file. This file is most likely called something like "WL700gE_1.x.y.z.nas" (where x, y and z are the version of firmware). Save this file somewhere and remember the location since you'll need it in a minute.
3. Now return to the firmware page.
If you don't have this window open anymore, then follow the same steps as in "1" in this how-to.
Click on the "Browse" button and select the file you have downloaded earlier and press then press the button "Upgrade".
You now get a warning/confirmation pop-up, select "Yes" and the upgrade starts.
Wait for about 5 minutes while the firmware is upgraded.
After 5 minutes the job should be done and now you are ready to hard-reset your router.
Take a pen and press the black reset button on the back of your router for about 10 seconds
The router is now resetting and new firmware is being loaded. Wait until the "ready" light is on.
Now you have the new OS, you'll need to configure the router again. The easiest thing to do is follow the steps from the easy install guide by using the EZSetup Wizard software.
If you don't have the guide anymore, you can download it from:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/e_pdf_quick_qe2393.zip
The most current version of the utilities you need for the setup can be downloaded from:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wireless/WL-700g/Utility_1700.zip
Once you have set up your router, return to the firmware upgrade page from step "1" and you can see if the router is now running the new firmware version.
------------------------------------------------------
There is also a different way to upgrade your router. This one is also very usefull if your router doesn't work anymore after an earlier upgrade. The original was written by DaNawq, but usefull for this section as well, so it will not get lost.
The step below can be followed if your router is still working properly or is not responding anymore.
1. Before you do anything to your router, first give your desktop computer a static IP address like 192.168.1.50. This is needed to be able to do the steps below. (From experience: Stop all the background programs like anti-virus of wirewall if the below steps don't work. Worse case, you need a clean Windows install)
2. Now unplug the power cord of your router for about 10-20 seconds
3. Hold the orange EZSetup-button while plugging power on
4. Once the blue Ready LED is blinking unhold immediately EZSetup button.
5. Wait 10 seconds
6. Start the Firmware-Restore tool on your desktop computer to upload a working firmware (do not start it before any of the earlier steps).
7. Press the Browse button to select a firmware file. E.g. "WL700gE_1.0.4.2.nas" and then press "Upload"
8. Now a box will appear where you can see the router is being found and the firmware being uploaded. Once finished, the window will automatically close
9. Do NOT turn off the router now, but wait for 1 or 2 minutes and you will notice that your router is still working even if in previous step the window automatically closed. The blue IDE LED will blink showing that your manchine is still processing some stuff and after a while the blue Ready LED and also the blue AIR LED will shine.
10. Do NOT !!!!! NOT Press the Reset button !!!!! If you would do this, the router will become useless (untill you repeat step 1 again)
11. Wait for the router to boot. After about a minute or so, the "Ready" light will come on.
12. Now you can press the EZSetup-button for a few seconds until the start button starts blinking to configure the router with the EZ Setup Wizard software.
Good luck