Works fine :)
How To Reflash Factory Firmware on the NETGEAR WRN3500L Without A Serial Cable
Categories: Setup / Configuration Troubleshooting
WNR3500L/v2 Resources
WNR3500Lv2 Open Source Router
- How to Install Tomato Firmware on NETGEAR WNR3500Lv2
- Quick Review and Specifications of NETGEAR WNR3500Lv2 Gigabit Open Source Router
- NETGEAR WNR3500 Comparison Chart: How To Identify Which Model Router You Have
- How to Debrick Your WNR3500Lv2 Using Windows and a USB-TTL Cable
- How to Install Third Party Firmware on NETGEAR WNR3500Lv2
- WNR3500Lv2 tomato and multiple SSID
When you upgrade to DD-WRT on your WNR3500L, you'll find that the new firmware requires a file that ends with the BIN extension, if you ever want to upgrade or change your firmware from that point.
So, if you decide, for example, to revert back to the original NETGEAR firmware - you can't because that firmware has a filename that ends in CHK.
As such, this makes it harder to change back. One way to do it is to use a serial console, but if you don't have one... here's a way to accomplish it in Windows without one.
Fortunately, included in the DD-WRT firmware is an erase utility that will wipe the firmware and allow you to upload a new one.
Here is how it's done.
You first have to Telnet into your router.
To do this simply open up a CMD window and type Telnet 192.168.1.1 (or the location of your router)
You will then need to type in the name and password for your router. If you have not changed it form the original setup, then they would be Name:admin and Password:password.
Once in, you will be shown a prompt that you can use to erase the old firmware.
Type in "erase linux" and it will run and show you its progress.
Once complete, it will again show you a command prompt.
Type in "reboot" and you should see "Connection to host lost"
You can then close this window.
Now we need to put the new firmware on.
Wait about 5 minutes for the router to reboot and then open up a new CMD window.
You will then use TFTP to put the new firmware on the router. This program comes with Windows XP. If you are using Vista, you need to install it.
1. Open the Control Panel and select the Programs entry.
2. From the Programs and Features section, select Turn Windows features on or off.
3. Scroll down the list and place a check in the box next to TFTP Client. Click OK.
4. Give Windows a moment or three to install the tftp client. When its done, exit out of the Control Panel.
Open up a CMD window and type in "tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT NameOfFirmware.CHK" as shown below.
Wait a few minutes and you should see "Transfer Successful"
At this point all you need to do is wait. The router will install the firmware and reboot automatically. This could take 5 to 10 minutes.
Once the router is finished booting you can go back into your browser and setup your desired configuration.
March 1, 2010 9:22 AM
updated: March 1, 2010 9:25 AM
can you not run "erase linux" from dd-wrt's command web ui?
March 10, 2010 1:36 PM
Nice tutorial, but there's one thing you should update. When you telnet your router, you have to use the username 'root', even if your login is 'admin' or anything else. I kept getting 'incorrect login', until I used 'root' (see http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Telnet/SSH_and_the_Command_Line#Using_Te...
March 28, 2010 2:26 AM
updated: March 28, 2010 2:56 AM
Unfortunately did this tutorial brick my router... :-(
I ran "erase linux" and "reboot" and after the router rebooted I couldn't connect to it anymore (no DHCP lease) and the power led blinks (green).
I'll see what happens if I assign a static IP and gateway, but my hopes aren't up...
Anyone ideas accept waiting for the USB-TTL cable and follow the debrick procedure?
Update: Static IP & Gateway did the trick! A good idea would be to update the tutorial with that information. When the router reboots the attached PC will try to obtain a new IP using DHCP (which didn't work in my case) thus assigning the "couldn't get a IP"-address 169.x.x.x and therefore I was unable to tftp to 192.168.1.1.
April 16, 2010 3:48 PM
I recently did all of this but at the last step its saying it timed out.
I have Windows 7 ultimate 64 running XP virtual mode
May 21, 2010 6:45 AM
DINT WORK ROUTER POWER LIGHT FLASHES GREEN AND THE FIRMWARE DOES NOT FLASH CAN SOME ONE PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHATTO DO NEXT
May 23, 2010 12:59 AM
If the router lights flash green, just send the stock firmware twice in a row i.e. put the same command [tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT firmware.chk) through a second time. You can do this by hitting the "up" arrow and then hitting "Enter"
Hope this helps... Good Luck
May 23, 2010 5:30 PM
am sure i tried this i also tried to send wrt back but was a no go phoned them and got it rma'd cost me £3 to send it back recorded
May 24, 2010 9:13 PM
I did erase linux and tried to tftp but it wouldn't take. Basically there's no OS on the router.
My WNR3500v2 successfully accepts tftp after tftp without doing anything, always returning to flashing green power LED.
I've tried two different revs of Netgear factory firmware, I've tried the two files listed in the DD-WRT router database for WNR3500v2, and I've tried teddy_bear's Tomato beta. The factory files successfully complete tftp but nothing happens. The other ones cause the router to go offline, and after waiting a long time, I reset it only to come back to a continuously blinking green power LED.
Ping continuously returns TTL=100 which I read to mean it's ready for tftp.
I've also tried shorting the two pins to reset the NVRAM as posted by fabien somewhere on this site.
Help?
May 25, 2010 4:29 PM
updated: May 26, 2010 1:43 PM
It worked great for me, no flashing green light and the router works fine with one exception:
- I can't log in on the router. Have tried admin & password, root & admin and all other combinations of usernames and password that I used during my 1-day dd-wrt era. Turned the thing off and resetted to factory settings and tried the above usernames and passwords again. Still no access.
Any ideas anyone?
Update: A Hard Reset did the job. The reset I mentioned above was not according the the "simple reset" or "30-30-30 reset" described elsewhere in this forum.
June 8, 2010 6:05 PM
So does this process require that the user assigns a static IP address to their own computer in order to perform the reflash? (if so, how does one do so?)
I'm trying to get back to factory firmware after trying a version of DD-WRT on this site that isn't nearly as stable as the factory original.
June 8, 2010 6:36 PM
also, do you have to specify the directory where the factory firmware is located?
June 8, 2010 8:46 PM
Here is what I did to get mine to work
-Downlaod the latest firmware from netgear and rename it to WNR3500.chk
-Save it on your C drive
-Open cmd
-Type "cd\" and hit "enter", this will move you to the C drive
-Type "tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT WNR3500.chk" DON'T PRESS "ENTER"
-Now plug in the power to your router while holding a screw driver in your hand
-wait until all lights flashes and then short the 2 pins shown in Fabian pic
-while having your screwdriver on the 2 pins, go to the cmd window and press"ENTER"
- wait until you get a confirmation that the file transferred sucessfuly==> Then my lights started blinking green==>
-Now put your screwdriver on the table and press the "upward" arrow and then press "enter" to send the firmware file a second time.
- The light color will change from blinking green to blinking orange... wait... wait... wait... wait 5 minutes and the router will be restored.
June 8, 2010 10:35 PM
Alright! I completed the flash successfully!
I followed the steps above, and when it came time to tftp the router I changed directories in cmd to where I had the router firmware stored, then tftp'd it. I also made sure to assign a static IP to my computer before doing this. I think these are some crucial steps that should be added to this post to ensure clarity and allow everyone to successfully complete the flash.
June 23, 2010 8:50 AM
Since the whole idea of DD-WRT and Tomato is to break away from the trap of a proprietary OS why are these instructions based on MS versions of windows only?
How does one revert from DD-WRT or Tomato to the stock Netgear OS *without* being forced to use a non-Linux/non-Open proprietary MS version of windows, please?
June 23, 2010 9:52 AM
I think you will find this article very helpful
http://www.myopenrouter.com/article/16099/How-To-Reflash-Factory-Firmware-on-...
June 23, 2010 12:07 PM
That's the article that relies upon a MS version of windows.
I do not use any MS products, only Linux, which is a major reason I bought a WNR3500L.
I need a MS-free solution, please?
July 16, 2010 1:31 PM
edoc said: That's the article that relies upon a MS version of windows. I do not use any MS products, only Linux, which is a major reason I bought a WNR3500L. I need a MS-free solution, please?Simply use tftp from a linux terminal, yes the above process is shown with a windows command prompt, but tftp is in linux as well.
August 2, 2010 7:19 PM
updated: August 2, 2010 7:27 PM
I put that cruddy DD-WRT on my router two times. The first time I did this I made the mistake of power cycling the router before I tftp the new firmware. I had to keep power cycling it until I was able to ping the router for the brief seconds it was pingable and then I was able to flash it.
The second time now current time I went back to the original firmware I did not power cycle the router. The light was blinking green after erasing DD-WRT and I just had to tftp the firmware twice and then reset the router by using a pen on the reset button for 30 seconds.
Thanks for this information. I still think they should make the cruddy DD-WRT easier to revert back to the stock firmware. The stock firmware may have a ugly gui but it works. Lesson is to stick with the company that makes the firmware and not to rely on beta opensource firmware.
August 4, 2010 2:48 AM
Two notes for anyone having issues:
Before doing this procedure, make sure the IP of the router is 192.168.1.1! I had changed mine to something custom, but it would only allow me to tftp to 192.168.1.1, which meant I had to assign a static ip locally, yadda yadda.
Also strange, after restoring the factory firmware it went back to my custom IP, but I could not login. A hard reset (via the button) fixed that.
August 6, 2010 3:12 PM
Follow the tutorial from the link below
works perfectly
Good job Matt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfry1lmlWg4
RSS
View unverified member's comment - posted by Trixie