Firmware update failed - router not working now

[bjtjaden]

I attempted to upgrade our Nighthawk R7000P router firmware to version 1.3.1.64 but the upgrade failed. Now the router doesn’t work and the power led light is blinking Amber. What can I do to fix the situation? The router was working just fine until I tried the firmware update. Any ideas are welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[bjtjaden · Accepted solution]

Router now working.  My mistake - in the TFTP command I was using 192.168.1.10 instead of 192.1668.1.1.  Many thanks to all for your expert assistance!

[antinode]

> [...] the power led light is blinking Amber. [...]

   You may be a candidate for the TFTP recovery scheme.  See, for
example:

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

[michaelkenward]

Try this:

How to upload firmware to a NETGEAR router using Windows TFTP | Answer | NETGEAR Support

[bjtjaden]

I have tried your solution but when I do the actaul TFTP command - I get the error message:  "Timeout occurred - Connect request failed".  I can ping 192.168.1.10 successfully but the TFTP command doesn't seem to be working.  Any ideas?  Many thanks!

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

@bjtjaden 

Both @antinode  and @michaelkenward have provided excellent information.

Please post the TFTP command you are running.  Please complete with the information applicable to your environment.

tftp -i [router IP] put [firmware filename].[file format].

Besides proper execution, TFTP reflash also depends on timing.  There is only an extremely brief window of opportunity after the router has been statrted when the TFTP command must be executed.  If you miss this, you have to start over.

To familiarize yourself with this "window" open a command promt and type

>ping [IP Address of Router] -t

then press enter

What you will see... 

A continious list of ping requests to the router...   they should show fail

Now restart the router, paying attention to the winodw.  fail, fail, fail....  reply, reply, reply...  fail, fail, fail..

It is during that brief moment (reply) when you must press enter and execute the TFTP command.  It might be helpful to have 2 command prompt windows open...  having the second one with the command poised to "go" when you press enter.

Let us know if this helps.

[michaelkenward]

---

@bjtjaden wrote:

I have tried your solution but when I do the actaul TFTP command - I get the error message:  "Timeout occurred - Connect request failed". 

---

Is that the actual error message?

As @shadowsports says the exact details are important.

One common issue is that people do not put the firmware that they are trying to write to the router in a directory where TFTP can see it.

In the folder where you are running things like "ping", do a "dir".

dir:

If you don't see the firmware, then it won't work unless you feed the path into the "put" command that @shadowsports described.

In other words, the [firmware filename].[file format]

can also include the path to get at the firmware:

[path]\[firmware filename].[file format]

but it is easiest simply to copy the firmware to the folder you are working in.

Windows will usually put you in the current user directory:

C:\Users\[username]>

[bjtjaden · Accepted solution]

Router now working.  My mistake - in the TFTP command I was using 192.168.1.10 instead of 192.1668.1.1.  Many thanks to all for your expert assistance!

[michaelkenward]

That's good.

192.168.1.1

is the default for most Netgear routers.

It uses 192.168.0.1 for DSL modem/routers.

[shadowsports]

@bjtjaden 

Figured that, which is why I asked for the IP information above.  I knew it would likely point you in the right direction.

Cheers! 

[Tiscoj]

I have tried everything nothing will communicated with the router firmware 1.0.9.88 update hung my router and nothing I do will help. 

[michaelkenward]

---

@Tiscoj wrote:

I have tried everything nothing will communicated with the router firmware 1.0.9.88 update hung my router and nothing I do will help. 

---

While I did suggest that you look at this conversation, it wasn't meant to divert you to here.

Stick with your original discussion:

Re: how to recover from failed firmware update - NETGEAR Communities

But do so with more information.

I'm afraid that "I have tried everything" tells us nothing. You may have a very different idea of what "everything" entails.