FVS336Gv2 firmware upgrade from version 3.x to version 4.x

[kenshipp]

My company has a FVS336Gv2 firewall running an old firmware version, 3.0.7-24. I've downloaded the reference manuals, and I have one dated July 2013 that's 203 pages and another from December 2014 that's 691 pages. The older one seems to be applicable to our existing firewall configuration. The newer guide shows many settings that are not applicable to our firewall. My question is, will upgrading the firmware to a newer version cause our firewall to more closely resemble the content of the later reference guide?

If so, now I have a major concern with upgrading. The release notes for the 4.x firmware versions show the following backward compatibility issue:

"Upgrading from 3.x.x-x (platform 1.0 base) to 4.x.x.x (platform 2.0 base) or downgrading from 4.x.x.x to 3.x.x.x requires factory reset of the configuration."

What does this mean exactly? Will I lose all of my existing settings? Will I be able to import a configuration file in order to reconfigure it, or is the difference between versions 3 and 4 so drastic as to render the version 3 configuration file incompatible with the version 4 settings, so that I'll have to set it back up completely from scratch?

Thanks!

[DaneA]

Hi @kenshipp,

---

@kenshipp wrote:

will upgrading the firmware to a newer version cause our firewall to more closely resemble the content of the later reference guide?

---

Yes.

@kenshipp wrote:

If so, now I have a major concern with upgrading. The release notes for the 4.x firmware versions show the following backward compatibility issue:

"Upgrading from 3.x.x-x (platform 1.0 base) to 4.x.x.x (platform 2.0 base) or downgrading from 4.x.x.x to 3.x.x.x requires factory reset of the configuration."

What does this mean exactly? Will I lose all of my existing settings? Will I be able to import a configuration file in order to reconfigure it, or is the difference between versions 3 and 4 so drastic as to render the version 3 configuration file incompatible with the version 4 settings, so that I'll have to set it back up completely from scratch?

---

It means that you will need to reset the FVS336Gv2 back to its factory defaults settings. All of the current configuration will be all wiped out and you will need to reconfigure it from scratch.  A factory reset after updating to the latest firmware gives you a clean setup on the latest firmware version. As well as some enhancements and bug fixes of the latest firmware version cannot be obtained without a factory reset.

Welcome to the community! 

Regards,

DaneA

NETGEAR Community Team

[floogy]

Can I directly upgrade from 3.1.1-08 to the latest 4.3.3-6 firmware, omitting the intermediate firmware release steps?

[adit]

Yes, but you still need to default the unit and manually reprogram it.

[DaneA]

Hi floogy,

As a follow-up to adit's response unto you, I just want to inform you that importing a configuration file from 3.1.1-08 to the latest 4.3.3-6 firmware might not work.  It would be best that you save screenshots of each setting configured on the FVS336Gv2 as your reference.

Regards,

DaneA
NETGEAR Community Team

[floogy]

Hello, Thank you. So I might try to import the saved 3.1.1-08 config into the resetted 4.3.3-6 firmware? If that fails, I still could reset to factory defaults by pressing the reset button? Or is it possible to harm the router that way, that I turn it into a paper weight or brick?
I saved screenshots by firefox scrapbook add-on anyway. I'm just wondering, if I can flawlessy and safely try to load the config anyway, because it's very much work to reconfigure the firewall manually, screen for screen, and just start over with resetting and manually configuration if the config import fails. Or would that be a bad idea, and I have to reset and manually reconfigure it anyway?

TIA

kind regards
floogy

[adit]

Do like I said otherwise you will have issues.