KWGR614 Product FAQ


Note: this product has reached its end-of-life. You can find information on NETGEAR's newest open source router, the WGR614L, here.  Material on the KWGR614 will still available on MyOpenRouter.com.

What is the KWGR614 Open Source Router?

NETGEAR’s Wireless-G router delivers open source code for Linux developers and hobbyists. In many ways, it's a basic wireless router, but programmable. It also delivers up to 2x the WAN-to-LAN throughput of other Wireless-G routers. The KWGR614 router admits only legitimate traffic by combing two proven standards: NAT (Network Address Transfer) and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection). It also delivers the highest level of wireless network security with WPA (Wireless Protected Access).

What is Open Source?

Open source is the software created by a community of people who are dedicated to work together in a collaborative way. The most important difference between software created by the open source communities and commercial software sold by vendors is that open source software is published under licenses that ensure the source code is available to everyone to inspect, change, download, and explore as they wish. The source code can be obtained and improved by anyone with the right skills.

Where can I find the KWGR614's source code?

NETGEAR publishes the open source code on their web site.

How can I build the router firmware image?

Download the open source package from the web site, extract the package and find the "KWGR614_README" text file under the directory of "\vendors\Documentation". This readme file describes the directory structure, the tools needed for building the router firmware, the procedure to build the router firmware, and the list of the firmware modules.

How can I program my own firmware to the router?

The firmware can be programmed to the router via the web GUI of the router. Login to the router's web UI, open the Router Upgrade page, locate your firmware image file, then click at Upload.

My own firmware crashed the router. Is there any way I can recover the router?

Yes, the recovery procedure is:

  1. Power off the unit
  2. Press and hold the RESET button at the rear panel
  3. Power on to reboot the unit
  4. Monitor the Test LED, and keep holding the RESET button until the Test LED changes from blinking to steady ON (which means the boot loader has entered the TFTP recovery mode)
  5. Connect the PC to the LAN port of the unit
  6. Transmit the working firmware image file to the unit (the firmware can be downloaded from NETGEAR support website):
    • For Windows PC, enter the DOS command:
      tftp -i 192.168.1.1 PUT KWGR614_XXX.bix
    • For a Linux PC, use the command:
      tftp -m binary 192.168.1.1 -c put KWGR614_XXX.bix where "192.168.1.1" is the unit's LAN IP address and "KWGR614_XXX.bix" is the firmware image file to transmit.
  7. Monitor the Test LED. When it starts blinking, the recovery procedure is complete
  8. Power cycle to reboot KWGR614. Repeat the above steps if the procedure is interrupted or failed

How do I get feedback to NETGEAR re: the KWGR614 open source router?

Post your feedback to the product feedback forum on MyOpenRouter, the official user community for the NETGEAR KWGR614 open source router.

How can I add to this FAQ?

Submit feedback to the community feedback forum, or post a question to the forums in general. If it seems like a question everyone needs to know, it will be added here by our site moderators.