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Jay2x's avatar
Jay2x
Aspirant
Jun 24, 2019
Solved

R7000 bricked during update cannot recover.

I recently tried to upgrade the firmware and power went off. My router is responsive coz I followed https://kb.netgear.com/27477/How-to-resolve-amber-LEDs-or-a-blinking-power-LED-on-NETGEAR-routers

But the power light is blinking still I tried to fix it with firmware but doesn't work. I used the method tftp2 and cmd method nothing seems to work. It's a expensive router... I always get the "unable to get responses from the server."
  • > 15613922886085217141556636394889.jpg

     

       First, find out how to do copy+paste from a Command Prompt window, or
    else how to do a screen grab on Windows.  Your photo cropped off the
    useful part of the file name.

     

    > [...] But after it says "transfer successful: 224 bytes in second(s),
    > 224 bytes/s" nothing happens to the router it just keeps power blinking
    > led.

     

       What I see is, "Transfer successful: 224 bytes in 1 second(s), 224
    bytes/s".  But you were close.

     

       To me, that looks like the TFTP scheme is working, but 224 bytes is
    not even close to the size of a firmware image file.  For a popular
    recent version, for example:

     

    pro3$ unzip -l R7000-V1.0.9.42_10.2.44.zip
    Archive:  R7000-V1.0.9.42_10.2.44.zip
      Length      Date    Time    Name
    ---------  ---------- -----   ----
     32268346  09-10-2018 13:31   R7000-V1.0.9.42_10.2.44.chk
         3121  10-01-2018 12:26   R7000-V1.0.9.42_10.2.44_Release_Notes.html
    ---------                     -------
     32271467                     2 files

       So, a typical correct file ("R7000-V1.0.9.42_10.2.44.chk") has a size
    of roughly 32MB (not 0.2KB).  I don't know what you sent to the router,
    but it seems to have been some small, wrong thing, not the appropriate
    ".chk" file.


    > This is the version that I'm trying to reinstall,
    > R7000-V1.0.8.34_1.2.15 [...]

     

       Why?

     

    > [...] I'm not sure if it can revert to any old firmware. [...]

     

       I'd expect loading any version to be possible, if you can load some
    version.

     

    > [...] I really feel that this is a trash unit, [...]

     

       Perhaps, but so far there's little evidence that you're trying to
    push a real firmware image file at it.

10 Replies

    • antinode's avatar
      antinode
      Guru

      > [...] I tried to fix it with firmware but doesn't work. I used the
      > method tftp2 and cmd method nothing seems to work. [...]

       

         "tried" or "nothing seems to work" is not a useful problem
      description.  It does not say what you did.  It does not say what
      happened when you did it.  As usual, showing actual actions with their
      actual results (error messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful
      than vague descriptions or interpretations.


      > [...] I always get the "unable to get responses from the server."

       

         From what?  When you do what, exactly?

       

         The TFTP recovery scheme is a multi-step procedure which offers
      multiple opportunities for user input, hence user error.

       

         There's no need to download any third-party TFTP client program
      ("tftp2").  On which computer operating system are you trying to do
      this?

       

            https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1622096#M102004

      • Jay2x's avatar
        Jay2x
        Aspirant
        Operating system: windows 10
        I did setup the internet protocol version
        IP 192.168.1.10
        Subnet 255.255.255
        Default gateway 192.168.1.1

        And I just used the cmd method for tftp command it uploads successfully when the power light is white. But after it says "transfer successful: 224 bytes in second(s), 224 bytes/s" nothing happens to the router it just keeps power blinking led.


    • Jay2x's avatar
      Jay2x
      Aspirant
      Unplug all port connections from router except the PC you are using to upload.
      Turn router OFF for 10 seconds.
      Hold down the reset button on the back of router with a paper clip.
      Power ON the router while holding down the reset button.
      Watch the Power LED. It starts with an orange color, and then start flashing.
      Count at least 10 flashing power LED and release the reset button.
      Press Enter to execute the TFTP command. Wait for a few minutes (be patient, do not reboot the router). When the upload is successful, the Power LED will turn solid. The rest of LED’s on the router will also turn ON indicating that the router has booted up properly.



      I do these steps exactly how I read it but on step where it says count atleast ten flashes the power led is not the one flash but it's the whole 6 led flashing. Once I tried to execute after 10 flashes. The power led turns amber..... and I get a "connect request failed" it only becomes successful when I hit power blinker is in white flashing....which I do not think is right.
  • Hello, thank you so much for helping me out with this. I guess you are right it's trying to send the information. I'm not sure if I am sending the files correctly I've attached the screenshots on the PDF.