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Mark_Faucette's avatar
Mark_Faucette
Follower
Jul 18, 2022

Reinstall original firmware on R6700v3 router

I made the mistake of installing ExpressVPN on my R6700v3 router.  I need to neuter the router and reinstall the original firmware.

I downloaded the firmware from Netgear, but all I got was a chk file which I have no idea how to use.

I'm on an Apple Mac running Mac OS X 12.4 (Monterey)

2 Replies

  • plemans's avatar
    plemans
    Guru - Experienced User
    Jul 18, 2022

    You'd have to check on the expressvpn site on how to get back to stock firmware. 

    Some 3rd party firmwares have specific methods to get back to stock and not following them can brick your unit. 

    So check on their site/forum on how to go back to stock

  • michaelkenward's avatar
    michaelkenward
    Guru - Experienced User
    Jul 19, 2022
    Mark_Faucette wrote:

    I downloaded the firmware from Netgear, but all I got was a chk file which I have no idea how to use.

     

    As plemans says, if you installed third party firmware on a device, consult the people who wrote it.

     

    More generally, here is what you do with firmware files.

     

    How do I manually upgrade firmware to my NETGEAR router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

     

    The instructions should also have been in the zip file that contains the firmware.