NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Mac user Unable to see WNR2500’s wireless network nor update router’s firmware (N450)
I have a Mac, and my router firmware version is this:
V1.0.0.24NA
This describes my problem exactly:
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27187
unable-to-see-wnr2500’s-wireless-network-nor-update-router’s-firmware-(fix-1)
Others seem to have similar problems:
1. Wifi had been working fine
2. Sudden loss of wifi service
3. Unplug/reconnect no help
4. Router can connect directly to the internet. Wireless router able to pick up wifi signals from neighbors and connect, but my SSID does not appear (and so naturally I cannot connect to it).
5. I went to the NETGEAR Genie, and it says that my device is working (green check), giving familiar SSID and password, Wireless AP On, Broadcast Name On, green check box, etc.
6. In Genie, it says "A new firmware upgrade is available. Click here to get it."
7. I try, but Genie generates an error telling me file is wrong, check again (“This firmware file is incorrect! Please get the firmware file again and make sure it is the correct firmware for this product”. ) So I do, but get the same error. (4x!)
8. I then download the firmware update file directly, and use Genie to browse to that file, and select upload. Same error message.
9. KB above describes the problem and gives a tool, but says: "Note: There is no Mac nor Linux fix tool so you must use a Windows OS to apply this fix."
10. I contacted Netgear support, but they told me, "We know just what this problem is, but you are out of service and have to buy a service contract of x months before we will fix it." I said, "You mean, if I had a PC, I could fix it myself for free, but because I have a Mac, even though you know what to do, you won't tell me? There's not even a url you could direct me to?" It was the most outrageous, absurd, horribly bad customer service experience I could imagine.
11. So I looked around the KB but I can't find a manual solution, just that tool for PC owners. The screenshots in that url above show various .txt files but do not show their contents, so I don't know what actions the repair tool is taking. I'm not a computer guru but if the directions are authoritative and clear I would give them a go.
Does anybody know what steps the tool is taking? How to solve the problem?
It is so frustrating to see that Netgear has identified the problem but will provide the answer to PC users for free but others have to pay.
Original poster here - thank you, clear and detailed answer, I really appreciate your putting the time into that.
I think I will go the route (sorry) of getting a new router. A tech friend I spoke to after posting my comment said that on top of the firmware problem I should be wary of the "radio" signal having conked out, which no update of the router firmware itself could improve on. Otherwise, I think I would have liked trying to make the fix, if only to see that it could be done. It made no sense that the fix could only pertain to one operating system. And the alternative was "brick" anyway so why not play around? But I needed the connection anyway so I had to make the call that way.
Again, thank you for the response, that was a very nice thing to have done.
2 Replies
You can download the zip and look at the txt files. The short story is that the tool updates a partition on the router's flash that contains data specific to the Qualcomm chip on the router. Read on if you want to understand the gory details and a possible way to install the fix without a Windows machine.
The fix involves transferring a few files, namely two scripts and a binary file. All the real work is done on the router itself.
The first script that is transferred over and runs on the router is update-caldata-script.txt file. All it does it transfers another file, art.sh, to the router and runs it. art.sh is where the real work happens.
The majority of the art.sh deals with determining the router's MAC addresses. Then it transfers the binary file, wnr2500-art, over to the router and updates the flash with it. This binary file doesn't have the router's MAC addresses, so the script finishes by writing the MAC addresses back into the flash and reboots the router. That's the end of the fix.
What makes the fix only work on Windows is the Netgear Debugging Utility, which appears to be a debugging tool for communicating with the router. As far as this fix is concerned, it's only used to facilitate the transfer of files to the router. You don't really need this tool. You can actually telnet into the router yourself, copy the art.sh file over and run it manually. You will need to start up a TFTP server on your Mac to allow the router to fetch the files. If you have some familarity with UNIX (OSX is really UNIX under the shiny GUI), then doing this should not be too hard. But if you are a non-techie, it may prove to be too daunting of a task.
You will have to decide whether it's worth your trouble or easier to buy a new router. If you are willing to do it, I may be able to help, but so long as you are willing to accept any consequences, such as bricking your router. This chances of this happening should be low but it always pays to prepare for the worst.
Original poster here - thank you, clear and detailed answer, I really appreciate your putting the time into that.
I think I will go the route (sorry) of getting a new router. A tech friend I spoke to after posting my comment said that on top of the firmware problem I should be wary of the "radio" signal having conked out, which no update of the router firmware itself could improve on. Otherwise, I think I would have liked trying to make the fix, if only to see that it could be done. It made no sense that the fix could only pertain to one operating system. And the alternative was "brick" anyway so why not play around? But I needed the connection anyway so I had to make the call that way.
Again, thank you for the response, that was a very nice thing to have done.
