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Solved
Manually updating router firmware over ethernet cable - CMD/TFTP2
Hey! I'm at my wits end here so I hope you folks can help me.
I was activating my new router with the Nighthawk mobile app - a stupid move, I now realize - when the firmware update was interrupted by the app logging me out.
The router's power light now blinks green repeatedly, and no internet signal is produced. When I attempt to factory reset the router, it never blinks orange or white but instead blinks green. When I plug my laptop into the LAN port, it instead switches blinks between the power light and the USB light, despite nothing in the USB port.
It's clear the firmware update interruption has bricked the router.
I've followed guides to reinstall the firmware manually, such as attempting to use TFTP2 and the TFTP command in Windows 10. I've set the ethernet to router connection i.p. to 192.168.1.1. I'm able to get responses from this i.p. in Windows cmd. However, using TFTP2 with this i.p address, the default password, and the firmware .img file leads to "unable to get responses from the server." Trying to use TFTP within Window's cmd leads to "can't read from local file" despite trying to read the .img file from desktop.
Netgear's customer service told me to just get a refund. Sadly, I don't think returning the router is an option.
Anyone think they can figure out what I can do? Please and thanks!
> The router's power light now blinks green repeatedly, [...]
You appear to be a candidate for the TFTP recovery scheme. See, for
example:https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1622096#M102004
> [...] I've set the ethernet to router connection i.p. to 192.168.1.1.
> [...]What, exactly, did you do where? A "connection" does not have an IP
address; a network interface has one. The router's default LAN IP
address is "192.168.1.1". The IP address of your computer's Ethernet
interface should be similar to, but different from, that. The usual
suggestion is "192.168.1.10". If you set the _computer's_ interface to
the same address as the router, then you'd be doomed.> [...] I'm able to get responses from this i.p. in Windows cmd. [...]
What kind of "responses", when you do what? As usual, showing actual
actions (commands) with their actual results (error messages, LED
indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague descriptions or
interpretations. Especially when using a command-line program,
copy+paste is your friend.> [...] Trying to use TFTP within Window's cmd leads to "can't read from
> local file" despite trying to read the .img file from desktop. [...]Again, I can't see your actual command, but if you put the ".img"
file on your Desktop, then you need to point the TFTP program at your
Desktop folder (directory).On Windows, I'd expect your Command Prompt shell program to start up
in your (user-specific) home directory, perhaps something like
"C:\Users\fred" (for a user named "fred"). By default, the Command
Prompt program displays this directory path in its command prompt string
("C:\Users\fred>").
Your Desktop folder would then be "C:\Users\fred\Desktop". To get
there:cd Desktop
I'd expect the command prompt string to change accordingly.
After you've done that, the following command should show you your
firmware image file:dir *.img
If so, then the TFTP program (with the command which I'm guessing
that you were using) should find the file.And, if you've set the computer's (Ethernet interface's) IP address
properly (not ".1"), then you might have more success. Or, at least, a
different error message.> [...] Sadly, I don't think returning the router is an option.
It got you off the phone. I'm sure that that was considered a
success.
1 Reply
> The router's power light now blinks green repeatedly, [...]
You appear to be a candidate for the TFTP recovery scheme. See, for
example:https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1622096#M102004
> [...] I've set the ethernet to router connection i.p. to 192.168.1.1.
> [...]What, exactly, did you do where? A "connection" does not have an IP
address; a network interface has one. The router's default LAN IP
address is "192.168.1.1". The IP address of your computer's Ethernet
interface should be similar to, but different from, that. The usual
suggestion is "192.168.1.10". If you set the _computer's_ interface to
the same address as the router, then you'd be doomed.> [...] I'm able to get responses from this i.p. in Windows cmd. [...]
What kind of "responses", when you do what? As usual, showing actual
actions (commands) with their actual results (error messages, LED
indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague descriptions or
interpretations. Especially when using a command-line program,
copy+paste is your friend.> [...] Trying to use TFTP within Window's cmd leads to "can't read from
> local file" despite trying to read the .img file from desktop. [...]Again, I can't see your actual command, but if you put the ".img"
file on your Desktop, then you need to point the TFTP program at your
Desktop folder (directory).On Windows, I'd expect your Command Prompt shell program to start up
in your (user-specific) home directory, perhaps something like
"C:\Users\fred" (for a user named "fred"). By default, the Command
Prompt program displays this directory path in its command prompt string
("C:\Users\fred>").
Your Desktop folder would then be "C:\Users\fred\Desktop". To get
there:cd Desktop
I'd expect the command prompt string to change accordingly.
After you've done that, the following command should show you your
firmware image file:dir *.img
If so, then the TFTP program (with the command which I'm guessing
that you were using) should find the file.And, if you've set the computer's (Ethernet interface's) IP address
properly (not ".1"), then you might have more success. Or, at least, a
different error message.> [...] Sadly, I don't think returning the router is an option.
It got you off the phone. I'm sure that that was considered a
success.