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Broadband-Hamnet™ Forum :: Problems & Answers |
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Subject :updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 03:54:07
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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I am using a WRT54g v2.0
I am trying to update the firmware, however, every time I go to update it, I get a message that says"the uploaded file is not recognized." This happens with ANY firmware .bin file, including MESH 0.4.2.
I am familiar with the tftp method using the Linksys tftp.exe and from the Windows command line and am unable to get either to work. As I watch the pings as the router boots, it never goes to a TTL=128, which usually means the router is listening briefly for a file, as soon as the router is powered on, after a couple seconds, it goes straight to responding to pings with TTL=64. A hard reset does nothing, it doesn't even respond to a hard reset. I have done a 30/30/30 reset to no avail, the router keeps booting like normal, and I can access the MESH 0.4.1 GUI. How can I get it to take another firmware, be it Linksys, DDWRT or the latest MESH??
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 04:44:10
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| KD5MFW |
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Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:02:11
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What firmware is in the router now? That will determine the upgrade path.
-Glenn
KD5MFW |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 04:49:33
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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0.4.1 |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 04:51:25
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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is there a package I need to remove so as to make the router wait briefly before booting fully? |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 05:32:59
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| KD5MFW |
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Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:02:11
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No other package to load. Load the .trx version of 0.4.2.
Use the .trx files to update a node already running a version of HSMM-MESH firmware.
The .bin files are required for loading routers running Linksys factory firmware. Linksys had more than one load format so that is why there are multiple .bin files to move from Linksys to HSMM-MESH fw.
Once you are running HSMM-MESH fw you can always use the .trx fw for all models. The fw is the same, it is just the loader checking at the start that gets mixed up.
-Glenn
KD5MFW |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 05:59:55
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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it appears to have taken the 0.4.2 trx file ok...
now, how can I get it to take Linksys again since the pinging sequence doesn't indicate a bootloader is listening for a tftp connection? At least not on the 172.27.0.1 IP... |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 06:25:50
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| KD5MFW |
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Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:02:11
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The tftp method of access does work, but it requires considerable patience - considerable. The more advanced the topics you wish to experiment with, the more of a challenge you are taking on. I have flashed hundreds of the WRT54g routers, including all the models that will run HSMM-MESH firmware and have successfully used used tftp to get into them - as a last resort, before having to resort to using the JTAG port to pump code in. So it does work, most would not consider it "easy".
None of the developers has enough lab gear to trace and explain all possible failure modes. I have had some very odd results on a few of the used units I have worked with. Without an in circuit emulator and a full JTAG development system, some problems are near impossible to trace. There is no telling what sorts of problems a unit that has had bad power or an over voltage surge, might have. Very few users have these sorts of problems, but I mention this in an effort to cover all cases. Intermittent hardware problems are a black hole for time.
The documentation is here:
This works, but it is an advanced technique and I have had to sometimes try it many times to get the timing just right for it to work. Good luck.
-Glenn
KD5MFW |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 07:37:45
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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thanks...
I found on another forum how to edit the boot wait time so after I figured that out, tftp worked ok.
I also tried it just for grins and just renamed the .bin file to .trx and it worked fine that way too. Looks like either of those would work ... |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 07:48:55
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| KD5MFW |
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Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:02:11
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Good work. Glad you had some success. This is all good info. We can all hope fw changes go smoothly for everyone, but that is no always the case. This is good info to have on the forum pages for anyone else that runs into problems. The same tricks might fix their problem or give them an idea of another test to try. Thanks for adding to the support info with your comments. We have a few more helpful tricks to use.
-Glenn KD5MFW |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 07:58:18
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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Just FYI, here is how to edit the boot wait time. This should make it MUCH easier to to tftp as it gives it some time before it finishes booting. You don't have that 0.45768395 second window that you have to try to hit to tftp :) (yes, I am exaggerating, but you know what I mean...)
Anyway:
First, you need to SSH into the router. I use putty. If you have the program in your Windows path, you can use a command line in Windows if you want. Just remember, the SSH port is 2222.
Login to the router with user 'root' and your password.
Then issue the following commands:
nvram set boot_wait=on
nvram set boot_time=10
nvram commit && reboot |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 08:23:26
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| KD5MFW |
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Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:02:11
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Thanks for posting the specifics. Now we have this info in one nice sequence here in the forums. Briefly, one can set up a computer to down load new firmware using the "tftp" utility. This is tried, very briefly, when the WRT54G boots. They do not want to delay the normal boot for long, so don't give tftp much time to try to connect before continuing on to the normal boot. That is at the root of why I mentioned most would not consider tftp boot to be "easy". The default window to attempt a fw download is real short and I have missed it many times, before getting both the down load computer and the router both synced closely enough to allow the tftp down load to work. Making the wait time longer makes the tftp much easier to do. Once you get back with a good firmware load, you might want to put the bootwait back to the quick default. The WRT54G can normally reboot in about 35 to 45 seconds. If you add another 10 seconds for boot wait it is not a killer, but most would notice the node booting more slowly than some.
All good info. If these techniques do not work, there is still the JTAG port but that is a whole article in itself with some hardware to build.
Alas some of the used units I have collected, seem to have insidious intermittent hardware problems. They are not completely dead, but even after fooling with them for hours, they crap out at unexpected times. If you have bad hardware, software techniques can't fix them. -Glenn KD5MFW |
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Subject :Re:updating/uploading firmware..
2011-08-31- 09:21:48
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| KB8QWN |
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Joined: 2011-08-31- 08:47:37
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you should be able to do the [nvram set boot_wait=off] once you get a good flash... |
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