Firmware upgrading HOWTO

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16-12-2004, 16:50
Styno

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Firmware updating HOWTO

A lot of users are strugling with their router while trying to upgrade or downgrade their firmware. This HOWTO is all about getting the most pleasure out of your router by updating the firmware by following a few simple steps.

Some basic knowhow:
An Asus firmware is a single file with the extension TRX. This file contains everything the router needs (Linux kernel, applications and configuration files), so don't not change anything unless you absolutely know what you are doing. If you've downloaded a ZIP file from this forum, Oleg's website or Asus website containing a TRX file, you'll have to unpack the ZIP file.

But first the legal stuff: Updating the firmware of your router is done at your own risk, there are NO warranties.
Now comes the fun stuff :) :

While a lot op people think firmware updating is a difficult, tedious and dangerous undertaking, I can assure you it is not. This does not mean you will get a warranty from me that it will not destroy your router, but if done right the chances on this to happen are very, very low. Don't let the red line scare you off.

If you follow the next few steps carefully you will be running a new firmware in just a few minutes:

BEFORE UPDATING:
- Download the firmware you want to install.
- Temporarily disable your firewall, PeerGuardian and other such software that can interfere with the update processes (like Firmware restoration tool/Device discovery).
- Allways use a wired connection to upload the firmware. Do NOT use wireless connection.

UPDATING:
These are the steps needed to perform a firmware update through the webinterface (which is the normal procedure). If you want to downgrade your firmware or upload a special firmware then use the firmware restoration tool, because the webinterface won't allow you to upload older firmware versions:
- Reboot your router (or do a power cycle). This is to ensure the router has enough free memory to complete the process.
- Use the webinterface to upload the correct firmware as shown in this image. Double check if you're uploading the correct firmware before uploading!
- Wait for the upgrade process to finish. If it takes more then 10 minutes to finish then refresh the webinterface (Press F5 in IE).
- Upgrading should be finished.
If - for some reason - this does not work, or you want to upload a special or older firmware then you should try to upload the firmware using the firmware restoration tool. This needs the following steps:
- Disable all but one network interfaces on your PC. This is nessesary because the firmware restoration tool is not very intelligent in finding the correct interface to use for communicating with the router.
- Configure Windows TCP/IP networking to have static IP address 192.168.1.10 as shown in this image.
- Disconnect the power cable.
- Press the reset button on the back of the router.
- Keep pressing the reset button while inserting the power cable again.
- Keep pressing the reset button until the power LED starts flashing every second.
- Start the firmware restoration tool on your PC (You can find this tool on the CD or download it from the Asus website).
- This tool should find the Asus router -> select it.
- Select the correct firmware file you want to upload. Double check again if it's the correct one!
- Press upload.

AFTER UPDATING:

- Once the firmware update process has completed (You may need to logon again), reset the router to factory defaults using the reset button on the back. Push the reset button for 10 seconds while the router is running to achieve that.
- Reconfigure the router using the webinterface. Do not restore your old settings by uploading an old configuration file, especially when there's a big version difference between the old and the new firmware. Your router might become very unstable if you do that!

TROUBLESHOOTING:
Below are some topics for you to read when something went wrong along the way and you are unable to upload a firmware using the firmware restoration utility. Read the topics VERY carefully because they probably contain the option for solving your problem.

- Upgraded to firmware v1.8.x.x or higher now I can not login anymore or Password ?!?!
- No access to the router anymore - what to do? or Firmware upgrade failed (trying to restore) or WL-HDD ready for thrashcan?
- Adding a serial port to the Asus WL-500g
- Repair a dead unit (which does not boot after playing with NVRAM)

Please post here or send me a Private Message if you have additional info or suggestions for this HOWTO.
28-09-2005, 09:53
Styno

Firmware restoration

So upgrading through the webinterface somehow failed and you cannot reach the website anymore? You can use the Firmware restoration tool instead.

You can find this tool:
- On de CD which Asus supplied with your device.
- On the Asus website.

What to do:
1. pull power cable and wait 20 seconds
2. keep button pressed and connect power cable: power led should flash
3. ping 192.168.1.220 should reply else redo steps 1 and 2
4. run Asus Firmware restoration tool, select firmware file (e.g. WLHDD_1.1.2.7_en.trx) and press upload. After some seconds press the Abort button or wait until it says "Upload fails! Please check the connection"
5. from a dos box or linux console run: tftp -i 192.168.1.220 put WLHDD_1.1.2.x_en.trx
6. tftp returns something like: "Transfer successful: 3731456 bytes in 2 seconds, 1865728 bytes/s" if it doesn't redo steps 1-5 (sometimes I needed three or four times before it worked)
7. after ca. 80 seconds your Asus should reboot

Thanks to amun and jockyw2001 for the info.
28-09-2005, 09:54
Styno

If your router has been bricked and you cannot find it in your network using the Firmware Restoration Tool try the following:
Connect your pc to the router (on one of the LAN ports) directly without any other network device connected to the router. Now try again to locate and flash the router using the Firmware Restoration Tool.

Thanks to Fez who brought it to my attention.
28-09-2005, 09:54
Styno

(also for future use)
28-03-2007, 21:05
Tamadite

Upgrading from external USB?

Is there any way of upgrading the firmware when booting from external USB?

The procedure I know is to boot from the router (not external USB), upgrade firmware and copy it to the USB. But is there any other easier way? This is somehow a need when administrating remote routers.
29-03-2007, 14:25
MMCM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamadite

Is there any way of upgrading the firmware when booting from external USB?

The procedure I know is to boot from the router (not external USB), upgrade firmware and copy it to the USB. But is there any other easier way? This is somehow a need when administrating remote routers.

I did this once on my WL-500gx, later I switched to OpenWrt Kamikaze, which has essentially the same problem.

As long as the kernel is the same, you could upgrade the USB disk only, since the root file system is on the USB disk and kernel + modules from flash are only used to chroot to USB. With a rw filesystem on the USB disk, you could do this remote (with rsync?), reboot and run the new firmware.

The bigger problem is what to replace on the USB disk when upgrading to a new firmware.

Before doing this on a remote router, I'd test it locally several times ;-)
30-07-2008, 21:00
miguipda

Hi,

I just encounter the problem with my WL500g Premium which is dead now.
Then I was looking for explanation to how uploading back a firmware and found your explanation.
http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=...updating+HOWTO
But my problem is when you are talking about a button to maintain pressed. I have two buttons. One called EZsetup and one Restore.
Which one must I press ?

Sincerely THX

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styno

So upgrading through the webinterface somehow failed and you cannot reach the website anymore? You can use the Firmware restoration tool instead.
...
What to do:
1. pull power cable and wait 20 seconds
2. keep button pressed and connect power c...