Re: How to install firmware

Stantona · ‎2017-08-18

I did a firmware update which killed my access to the router. How do you install an older version of firmware when I cannot get to the router? Is it possible? Others say install an older version after ruining access to the internet but how do you do that? Thanks

michaelkenward · ‎2018-02-17

@Stantona wrote:

I did the reset and the power light has settled down on solid white.

This is a sign that your device is working as expected. A flashing light would be a sign of broken firmware.

So you can forget about playing around with TFTP. You should be able to install new firmware without any of that hassle.

(Might not matter but the three band lights are solid white also.)

Not sure what "band lights" are, but the manual tells me that there are lights for wifi channels among other things. If they are on, that is another sign that the device is not bust. You can read about what the lights mean in the manual somewhere at the end of this link:

>>> R8500 | Product | Support | NETGEAR <<<

see page 174.

The important one is the Intern the light. What does that look like?

Your main issue seems to be that you cannot access the router's control interface. There can be various reasons for this. One is that your playing around has confused the equipment on your network and it does not know what addresses to use. You can start from scratch and see if that restores sanity.

Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:

Turn off and unplug the modem.
Turn off the modem router and computers.
Plug in the modem and turn it on. Wait 2 minutes.
Turn on the modem router and wait 2 minutes.
Turn on the computers.

View solution in original post

michaelkenward · ‎2017-08-19

@Stantona wrote:
How do you install an older version of firmware when I cannot get to the router? Is it possible?

It is possible, but can be tricky. See if you can work out why you can't access the router. What do the lights on it look like. In particular, the power LED?

If you want more help you'll have to tell us the model number of your device. Look at the label on the thing for that.

Stantona · ‎2017-08-21

Wow. Thanks for the reply. I really didn't know if anyone would get back to me, but I certainly appreciate it.

I have the Nighthawk X8 which is a fairly high end router bought about June 2016, just out of warranty now. At the same time I installed the CM600 modem.

A few days ago I received a notice about an update to the firmware for the router and it looked simple enough to do. But guess not. The modem still works but no longer the router.

Now I am trying to get any firmware to install. What I have done so far is downloaded all the firmware you have on your web site as well as the tftp2.exe file. I have connected a LAN cable from my computer directly to the yellow port on the router, bypassing the modem. (Should I keep the modem in the loop?)

Then, (I am using Windows 10), I went in to try to assign a static IP to the computer (192.168.1.2) and the router is 192.168.1.1.

ipconfig gives me this:

ping 192.168.1.2 gives me this:

and ping 192.168.1.1 gives me this:

So I am stuck not being able to get to the router. Oh, and here is another window that might help see what I am doing wrong.Have I screwed this up?

The router might have gone bad at the same time I tried to update the firmware but that would be weird.

Thanks so much.Looking forward to some suggestions and critiques.

Alex Stanton

stantona@cox.net

Stantona · ‎2017-08-21

The jpeg's wouild not up load. So basically, the computer would ping 192.168.1.2 (or itself) but would not ping 192.168.1.1 (the router).

In the Internet Protocol Version 4 Properties window I have the following set:

IP address: 192.168.1.2

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Preferred DNS server: Blank

Alternate DNS server: Blank

So what should I change to ping the router?

Thanks

michaelkenward · ‎2017-08-21

@Stantona wrote:
The jpeg's wouild not up load.

It takes time.

I haven't had to play around with tftp, so I am not familiar with its workings.

My inclination would be to disconnect everything but the router from the PC. Then see if I can get the two to talk to one another. In this way you don't have the modem obscuring the issue.

You don't need an internet connection to get a PC and a router to talk to one another.

antinode · ‎2017-08-21

> [...] install an older version after ruining access to the internet
> [...]

   Yes, but your problem is worse than losing Internet access. Your
Web access to the router has failed.

> [...] I received a notice about an update to the firmware for the
> router and it looked simple enough to do.

   It should be, but things can fail.

> [...] I have connected a LAN cable from my computer directly to the
> yellow port on the router, bypassing the modem. (Should I keep the modem
> in the loop?)

   You definitely don't want the modem connected; only the router and
the PC. Your (latest) problem may be using the "yellow port".

   I've never done it, so I know nothing, but the instructions which I
found on this procedure say, "Connect a PC wired to router [...]", which is
bit less detailed than might be hoped.

      https://kb.netgear.com/22688/
      (How to upload firmware to a NETGEAR router using TFTP)

   I suspect that, for this job, you need to use one of the LAN ports,
not the WAN ("Internet") port. That is, connect the PC the same way as
usual, not to the WAN port.

   Also, on many Netgear devices, the _LAN_ ports are yellow, so
description by function may be more helpful than description by color.

(Both might be best.)

   If this does turn out to be the problem, then you might provide some
feedback on that Netgear Knowledge Base Web page.

   If you can load an older firmware version, then you might retry the
update to the current one (not using TFTP), to see if yours was a chance
problem or something repeatable. If you're looking for things to do,
that is.

> The jpeg's wouild not up load.

   For many reasons, copy+paste of the actual text would be better than
a picture of the same plain text.

Stantona · ‎2017-08-21

I wish to thank all those who tried to help me with this problem. Nothing has worked. Maybe the router really did break. At any rate I will get a new one and hopefully be back in business. The computer cannot see the router. When I connect the computer back to the modem/router with the wired connection the internet comes right back up. I bought the Netgear CM600 modem and R8500 router as an improvement over the modem/router unit I had been using (and using now as my backup). The CM600 is fine but the router lasted about 13 months, just long enough to be out of warranty. I don't know of a sure way to tell if the router is broken or if it is indeed just the firmware gone amuck. It is in no way damaged.

So thanks again for the help. I really do appreciate all of you.

ALex

michaelkenward · ‎2017-08-22

@Stantona wrote:
I wish to thank all those who tried to help me with this problem. Nothing has worked. Maybe the router really did break.

I suspect that the firmware update broke it. In other words. Netgear let you down.

This is not the first router that has died at the hands of a firmware "update".

Stantona · ‎2018-02-15

I read in one of these post that one method that fixed the router involved having to take the router apart, or maybe the cover off. Does anyone know where that method can be found?

Thanks

Alex

antinode · ‎2018-02-15

> I read in one of these post [...]

   Would a link be too much to ask?

> [...] that one method that fixed the router involved having to take
> the router apart, or maybe the cover off. Does anyone know where that
> method can be found?

   I know nothing, but I'd try a web search for keywords like, say:

      netgear router firmware serial port

But I'd try very hard to get the TFTP method to work before I started
playing with the innards of the hardware.

michaelkenward · ‎2018-02-16

@Stantona wrote:

I read in one of these post that one method that fixed the router involved having to take the router apart, or maybe the cover off. Does anyone know where that method can be found?

This is not a trivial operation. It comes up here from time to time. It also involves messing around with the connections to the device.

Whenever it has come up it is as a last ditch move after the tftp thing has failed.

Skimming through the history of this discussion, I wonder if you are making life difficult for yourself. I can't see that you ever answered the question about the Power LED on the router. What does it look like after you turn the router on?

Your answer to my first reply just took us off in a tangent with stuff that doesn't add to what we need to know.

Forget all the stuff that you have done so far.

Reset the router.

What does that LED look like?

Stantona · ‎2018-02-16

I do apologize for not getting back. I basically gave up but now I want to see this through. I did the reset and the power light has settled down on solid white. (Might not matter but the three band lights are solid white also.)

michaelkenward · ‎2018-02-17

@Stantona wrote:

I did the reset and the power light has settled down on solid white.

This is a sign that your device is working as expected. A flashing light would be a sign of broken firmware.

So you can forget about playing around with TFTP. You should be able to install new firmware without any of that hassle.

(Might not matter but the three band lights are solid white also.)

Not sure what "band lights" are, but the manual tells me that there are lights for wifi channels among other things. If they are on, that is another sign that the device is not bust. You can read about what the lights mean in the manual somewhere at the end of this link:

>>> R8500 | Product | Support | NETGEAR <<<

see page 174.

The important one is the Intern the light. What does that look like?

Your main issue seems to be that you cannot access the router's control interface. There can be various reasons for this. One is that your playing around has confused the equipment on your network and it does not know what addresses to use. You can start from scratch and see if that restores sanity.

Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:

Turn off and unplug the modem.
Turn off the modem router and computers.
Plug in the modem and turn it on. Wait 2 minutes.
Turn on the modem router and wait 2 minutes.
Turn on the computers.

Stantona · ‎2018-02-17

I will do what you said to do. First, before I shut down this modem/router I am on now and connect COX to the Netgear modem so I can connect the R8500, I will try to answer your questions. I don't understand the line "The important one is the Intern the light." Just don't understand the word 'Intern' here.

What I was referring to with "band" lights were the three WiFi lights (2.4,5,5) so just ignore.

Also, if it helps to know, when I have the computer and router connected together with nothing else on the router, I can from the command line 'ping' 192.168.1.1 and get a normal return.

One more thing...yesterday when connected to just the router, and the router connected to just the computer, I could get into the router from the browser by using 192.168.1.1/, and I logged in using 'admin' and 'password'.

In a few minutes I will call Cox and have them connect my service to the Netgear Modem and do per your instructions. I will get back to you.

Thanks so much.

michaelkenward · ‎2018-02-17

I don't understand the line "The important one is the Intern the light." Just don't understand the word 'Intern' here.

That should have been the LED labelled Internet light.

When you turn on the modem, it should establish a connection to your Internet service.

When you turn on the router, after the power LED stops flashing that Internet light will start flashing. When the router has found the Internet the flashing stops.

Also, if it helps to know, when I have the computer and router connected together with nothing else on the router, I can from the command line 'ping' 192.168.1.1 and get a normal return.

That is partly why I suggested the start up process.

If you start the router on its own it will give itself that address. But if you have already started the modem, the modem may have given itself that address. (The manual says it should be 192.168.100.1.) So your pinging may be getting a response from the modem, not the router.

One thing you have to look into is the modem and its router features. If it has any, you need to turn them off and make it work as a modem only.

As I understand it, you have a CM600 cable modem and a Netgear R8500 router. So the first thing you have to do is to get the CM600 set up and activated, if you haven't done that already. You say you have had it for some time so that may not be needed.

There is a manual for the CM600 somewhere at the end of this link:

>>>> CM600 | Product | Support | NETGEAR <<<<

Page 12 explains how to get your modem to work with a router.

Stantona · ‎2018-02-17

This is what I did.

I disconnected the modem/router combination I was using and connected the CM600 modem, called COX and changed service to the CM600. Next to make sure I had a good signal from COX, I ran a cable from the CM600 to the computer. Worked great.

Next I connected the R8500 and just this computer and followed your instructions verbatum.

I could not believe it! This is as far as I have gotten but I am on line now with this one computer. Next I will connect the other computers, cameras, and Cox Homelife. They should work.

Some extra notes. The first thing that happened when I opened my browser was that it downloaded a Netgear Genie which asked me if I wanted to upgrade my firmware. I was reluctant but I said yes. It then upgraded my firmware to the latest and booted my router back up again and it worked. I might have left out something, but you can see that so far I am a happy camper. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help. Thank you so much.

I am now going to connect everything else and see how that goes. I see no reason it shouldn't all work now. But I will come back and let you know.

michaelkenward · ‎2018-02-17

Excellent news.

No need for tftp or other witchcraft.

antinode · ‎2018-02-17

> No need for tftp or other witchcraft.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws

      "Any sufficiently advanced technology is
      indistinguishable from magic."

   Of course, "advanced" is relative.

Stantona · ‎2018-02-17

I said I'd get back. Everything is up and running and all devices connected.

Thanks again for your help and others who contributed.