Flashed v2 firmware on v1 by accident! Cannot downgrade/upgrade

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steelj
Flashed v2 firmware on v1 by accident! Cannot downgrade/upgrade

Hello, this is my fisrts post here,

I already own a WNR3500L V1 running TomatoUSB 1.28 for a while now and having some low signal on my 2nd floor (Router in basement) I purchased another identical Wnr3500L V1 to use it as a wifi repeater.

Stock firmware worked perfectly.

Now what I started doing was a 30/30/30 reset then flashed the DD-WRT initial CHK file, all ok. Then I flashed the same version TomatoUSB 1.28 than my router #1.

Everything worked perfect, but I read that DD-WRT supported Wireless Client mode better than Tomato (I did not want to use WDS) So I wanted to revert to DD-WRT.

30/30/30 reset again and I dowloaded (what I tought was...) the latest firmware from Netgear.

I proceeded to flash the Netgear Firmware 1.0.0.30 and all went perfect again. Except When I reset and reboot I see the menus and GUI are different and some tab titles are missing (The tabs work, but you see what they are once you are inside them)

It is then I understand I flashed a V2 firmware onto a V1 router (the firmware for the v1 in North America was really 1.22.44)

I am surprised , aside from some of the menu labels missing, everything is usable and works!  Wireless works.

My big problem is I want to revert to an earlier version and i does not work. I tried stock Netgear , DD-WRT, Tomato. Everytime I get the following error message after 3 seconds:

"Firmware upgrade failed. Please check your file.

I tried 30/30/30 many times, I tried Firefox 3, Firefox 9, Opera 11, Chrome and IE8 on both Linux and Windows 7 machines.  Upgrade always fail the same way.

I am stuck.  I read all your guides on "unbricking" a wnr3500l but my problem is the router is not bricked. It works!  Ligth is green and wifi and ethernet work fine.

I also tried the Netgear Recovery CD and the process told me my router was ok and did not need recovery.

Any help would be appreciated.

 


 

 

steelj
It was for the WNR3500Lv2.

It was for the WNR3500Lv2.

steelj
I ordered the proper ttl

I ordered the proper ttl cable yestersay.

When you say serial console you mean with TTL cable? (with the guide on this website)

Do you think I should try to short the two nvram pins on the board method? To clear memory.

OneMoar
shorting the NVRam pins is a

shorting the NVRam pins is a LAST RESORT and should not be done unless ALL other methods have been tried I have done it twice on mine before I got a TTL cable its extremely risky and requires a steady hand and strong nervs

steelj
Thank you for the

Thank you for the clarifications on the risk involved.

I will wait for my TTL cable to be delivered.