Installation

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==Flashing with TFTP== ==Flashing with TFTP==
-==Steps to Flash Through Web GUI==+==Flashing through Web GUI==
[Comment: I can't tell whether this is for the DD-WRT GUI or the Linksys GUI! I need to know in order to revise the inaccuracies either way --[[User:Jgoldberg|Jgoldberg]] 03:29, 1 May 2006 (CEST)] [Comment: I can't tell whether this is for the DD-WRT GUI or the Linksys GUI! I need to know in order to revise the inaccuracies either way --[[User:Jgoldberg|Jgoldberg]] 03:29, 1 May 2006 (CEST)]
''Note for users not using the original Linksys firmware: you cannot use tftp! Change your firmware to the official linksys firmware, and then continue below.'' ''Note for users not using the original Linksys firmware: you cannot use tftp! Change your firmware to the official linksys firmware, and then continue below.''

Revision as of 14:05, 15 May 2006

Contents

Supported Devices

  • Allnet
    • All0277
  • Asus
    • Asus WL-500G deluxe (since the 2005-11-01 release of v23beta2)
  • Buffalo
    • WHR-G54S (since v23 SP1)
    • WHR-HP-G54S (since v23 SP1)
    • WZR-RS-G54 (since v23 SP1)
    • WBR-G54 (since v23 SP1)
    • WLA-G54 (since v23 SP1)
  • Linksys
    • WRT54G v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, v2.2, v3.0, v3.1, v4.0 (v5.0 only supports the micro version of DD-WRT)
    • WRT54GL v1.0, v1.1 (since the 2005-11-24 release of v23beta2)
    • WRT54GS v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, v2.1, v3.0, v4.0 (v5.0 only supports the micro version of DD-WRT)
  • Motorola
    • WR850G (since the 2005-11-07 release of v23beta2)
  • Siemens
    • SE505

Almost all the above wireless routers have at least 4MB of flash memory. All the WRT54GS models except v4.0 have 8MB of flash. Many other routers (including v5.0 of the WRT54G and WRT54GS) have only 2MB of flash memory. The "full" and "mini" versions of DD-WRT requires 4MB to install; the "micro" version requires 2MB.


Various other brands and models have been mentioned as supported by BrainSlayer and others in the fora. However, it's not clear (to me) if any of the readily available images will boot on those models, or if you have to ask Brainslayer for them directly, or if you have to grab the sources and build versions yourself. It would be great if someone who did know this would edit this further.



Precautions for flashing your router

Warning! Incorrect flashing procedure can brick your router!
*** HTTPS: You CANNOT flash/backup your firmware over a "https" connection! ***

PLEASE follow ALL directions. You WILL have problems if you don't. They are here for a REASON. I cannot stress this point enough.

  • Firmware flashes and upgrade should be done over a wired Ethernet connection. Wireless isn't stable enough for flashing.
    • Flashing via wireless is inherently unstable and can result in a bricked router.
  • Disable your anti-virus-software, as a false-positive virus detection could interrupt the upload.
  • Disable any wireless adapters on your system to ensure that the upload goes through the wired connection!
  • You will not have/need internet access from steps 2 through 5.
  • We recommend you save this webpage and the webpages on how to Recover from a Bad Flash to your hard drive (File - Save Page As *NOT* a bookmark). This will allow you to review the information offline in the event that something goes wrong.

Flashing with TFTP

Flashing through Web GUI

[Comment: I can't tell whether this is for the DD-WRT GUI or the Linksys GUI! I need to know in order to revise the inaccuracies either way --Jgoldberg 03:29, 1 May 2006 (CEST)] Note for users not using the original Linksys firmware: you cannot use tftp! Change your firmware to the official linksys firmware, and then continue below.

1) Download firmware

  • Read the information about the ... (incomplete thought here?)
  • Download the latest release or pre-release version HERE or go to the DD-WRT homepage at [1]

Note: Use the mini version when upgrading from original Linksys firmware!

  • Extract the archive.

2a) Reset to Factory Defaults through the Web GUI
If you forgot the password or IP of your router, proceed to step 2b.

  • Log into the Web GUI of the router. Type in the address of the router (default 192.168.1.1) into the address bar of your browser.
  • You will be prompted for username and password. Username is not required (for versions >= 2006-Feb-31, username is root). Enter password (default password is admin) and you should be at the Web Interface of your router.
  • Click the "Administration" tab.
  • Click the "Factory Defaults" sub-tab.
  • Select "Yes".
  • Click the "Save Settings" button.
  • A new page will open, click "continue".

2b) Reset to Factory Defaults Using the Reset Button

  • Press and hold the reset button on the back of the router for 30 seconds. This will clear your NVRAM, the configuration and reset the username/password pair to root/admin.

3) Send in the Firmware!

It is VERY important that you do not interrupt the setup while the router is being flashed/rebooted. Do not turn off the computer, close the web browser, or turn off the router during this process!!!!! I usually just take a step back, and turn my head away so I don't breath on it for these crucial 2 minutes.
  • Again, you should be in the Web GUI of the router. Go there now.
  • Click the "Administration" tab
  • Click the "Firmware Upgrade" sub-tab.
  • Click the "No reset" radio button (works for me, but please double check if "Firmware Defaults" would be better!).
  • Click the "Browse" button and select the DD-WRT .bin file you extracted in step 1.
  • Click the "Upgrade" button.
  • The router will take a few minutes to upload the file, flash the firmware, and then reset.
  • A new page will open, wait about 5 minutes before clicking "Continue".
  • If flashed successfully you will now be at the DD-WRT web interface.

4) Reset to factory defaults AGAIN

  • Repeat step 2a or 2b above. Note: Step 2b (the manual way of clearing the NVRAM) is recommended to make sure the radio gets the correct parameters.

5) Enjoy

  • It is strongly advised that you enable the "Boot Wait" option under the "Administration" tab. This will help you recover in the future should you flash your router improperly. If you use v23 or higher the "Boot Wait" option is enabled by default.

6) Something go wrong?

  • If your router fails to reboot (power light doesn't stop flashing, no web interface, etc) you will need to Recover from a Bad Flash. Additional help can be found by doing a forum search.

Flashing the WRT54Gv4/WRT54GL

Only DD-WRT versions 23 or higher will support the WRT54Gv4. The WRT54Gv4/WRT54GL are the same device, as of 2006-04-30. Neither device supports flashing the std or voip versions of DD-WRT from the original Linksys firmware (Linksys limited the maximum firmware size to 3 MBytes). Therefore, only the MINI version of DD-WRT can be flashed initially. Once DD-WRT mini is installed, you can upgrade to std or voip versions. When using the Web GUI, use the *_generic.bin types when upgrading. If the Web GUI is unavailable, use tftp in combination with the special *_wrt54g.bin files. Remember to reset to factory defaults before and after every flashing.

WRT54G v4 Installation Tutorial (with lots of images)

Flashing the WRT54GSv4

The WRT54GSv4 does not support flashing the std or voip version of DD-WRT from the original Linksys firmware, because they limited the maximum firmware size to 3 MByte (as noted below). Use only the mini version of DD-WRT for the WRT54GSv4 on the initial flash load. Failure to due so may cause the upgrade to abort. Afterwards you can upgrade to the std or voip versions of the firmware through the web-interface of DD-WRT. Interestingly after flashing 4 WRTGSv4 routers with the "v4mini" flash rom, I had to use the file for WRT54GS without v4 for upgrading to std / voip, else the update would abort with "Upgrade are failed". Remember to reset to factory defaults before and after every flashing. *NOTE* At least this true of the most current (27.10.05-dd-wrt.v23.beta2) rom.

[Comment added 11/01/06 by bigbloke of cownet.org] Today I purchased a 'GS V4 not having read this note previously. It flashed V23 standard perfectly first time from the specific file (dd-wrt.v23_wrt54gsv4.bin) therefore there may be some additional factors influencing this) - I hope this is useful feedback

[Comment added 12/01/06 by Mart] I just purchased a GS V4 too. After reading bigbloke's note, i decided to try skip the warning and directly flash V23 VPN from the (dd-wrt.v23_vpn_generic.bin) file without any problems too. I simply followed the "right way to flash" instructions step by step. Looks like the warning mentioned above does not apply with this version.

[Comment added 18/01/06 by Macks] I can second the above, just flashed a GSv4 from Linksys original and used dd-wrt.v23_vpn_wrt54gsv4.bin without problems, directly without going via the mini.

[Comment added 22/01/06 by JD] I can confirm the statement from Macks. Two days ago I bought also a 'GS v4' and I flashed it with the v23 standard without problems (directly without going via the mini)

[Comment added 19/02/06 by markusk] and i did it that way as well and after that got the weirdest behaviour of a router i've ever seen, mainly giving something like unstable wan-connection by going with high traffic over the router (be it via bittorrent, icq-filetransfers and similar).. unfortunately reflashing with mini and then a "big" one didn't help at all..

[Comment added 28/02/06 by mfb] Like Macks I flashed my 'GS v4' with v23 vpn direct, without mini first - working fine, no problems.

[Comment added 05/03/06 by PhoneBoy] On my WRT54GSv3, I found that the device wouldn't take ANY firmware unless I reset it using the button rather than just factory reset from the web interface. Word of warning.

[Comment added 10/03/06 by JoE] At the time of this writing, the current version of Mozilla Firefox will cause your installation to fail when trying to upgrade firmware (dd-wrt.v23_mini_wrt54g.bin, dd-wrt.v23_generic.bin, dd-wrt.v23_wrt54g.bin) using the web interface. I used the current version of Internet Explorer with no problems. Additionally, if your power button keeps flashing and/or you cannot reach/ping 192.168.1.1 after a reset, unplug and plug in the power cord real quick. Wait a few seconds and then everything is hunky dory.

[Comment added 09/04/06 by zonk] I also can confirm the above statements of flashing two fresh bought WRT54GS v4 routers using the vpn version (v23) instead of the mini version. I used Firefox 1.5 and Opera 7.5 without any failed message. Both routers run stable.

Flashing the WHR-G54S

You will need a firmware >= v23 SP1. The v23 final firmware doesn't support the Buffalo. Look here, under untested_alpha_unstable.

CAUTION: v23 SP1 Releases from 2006-04-25 through at least 2006-04-28 have broken DHCP! Use 2006-04-23 for now!

  1. For thoroughness, reset to factory defaults by holding the reset button while plugging in the router. Unplug the router.
  2. Because the Buffalo starts up with 192.168.11.1, your IP needs to be something in the 192.168.11.0/24 subnet (e.g. 192.168.11.2, mask 255.255.255.0)
  3. Prepare to send the firmware by typing in the TFTP command. Do not press enter yet. In Windows XP: tftp -i 192.168.11.1 PUT dd-wrt.v23_generic.bin
  4. Connect the power to the Buffalo. All four LAN leds will light up.
  5. After a moment, the 4 LAN LEDs turn off, and the LED for your network port will remain on. Also, the red "DIAG" light will be on.
  6. It is during this time that you should immediately start the tftp command by pressing ENTER.
  7. The LED on the LAN port will flash rapidly for about 6 seconds. The command will complete with a success printout.
  8. A power cycle of the router shouldn't be necessary, but it would be wise to wait several minutes until the red DIAG light stops flashing, and the router looks like it's finished booting.
  9. The router will now be accessible on 192.168.1.1. You will need to change your IP to this range to access it for configuration.
  10. The username is 'root' and the password is 'admin'

TFTP instructions for Linux

tftp
tftp> binary
tftp> connect 192.168.11.1
tftp> status
Connected to 192.168.11.1.
Mode: octet Verbose: off Tracing: off
Rexmt-interval: 5 seconds, Max-timeout: 25 seconds
tftp> put /path/to/dd-wrt.v23_mini_generic.bin
  1. Type in the last line (don't hit enter yet!), power on the router, wait for the LED's to turn off, then hit <ENTER>.
  • The 'status' command is a bit misleading in this sense. The router should actually be powered off at this point.

Limitations/Notes

  • Once you flash to DD-WRT on the Buffalo WHR-G54S, you cannot go back to the factory firmware. This is due to the fact that the Buffalo firmware is encrypted and is not documented at this time (2006-04-29).
  • A hidden LED behind the front panel will blink. It slightly lights up the bridge icon. This LED is not used in the Buffalo firmware, but in DD-WRT it will flash on for 2 seconds, then off for 2 seconds.
  • In firmware v23 SP1 2006-03-27 through 2006-04-28 (and maybe later versions), the router will restart with IP 192.168.1.1.
  • It is not necessary to use the two-step flash process as with the WRT54Gs. The Buffalo will accept the entire image in one shot.
  • For subsequent upgrades/downgrades of DD-WRT, use the web interface of DD-WRT. See Steps to Flash Through Web GUI.
    • It is important to "Reset to Factory Defaults" before and after flashing new firmware to prevent odd cases where the router could be bricked.

Troubleshooting

  • If you experience problems a switch between the Buffalo and your PC may help.
  • Search for posts in the forum containing "WHR-G54S" and the problem you are having.
    • If you have bricked the router, go to the forums. search for "WHR-G54S bricked". There are enough debricking threads, you don't need to start your own.

Flashing the Asus WL500G Deluxe

  • Remove the power connector of the WL500G.
  • While holding the reset button, plug the power connector back in.
  • When the power led flashes, release the reset button. The router now is in recovery mode.
  • Wait for your pc to get an ip address (if dhcp is configured)
  • Use the ASUS recovery utility to upload the DD-WRT trx file.

You can get the utilities here, or you can browse the Asus site to download the latest version.

In case you have multiple network interfaces and are unable to find you router, disable all but the one that is connected to your router.

After the upgrade the router reboots and you should be able to access the web interface

SSD: For my new WL-500g Deluxe, the recovery utility would appear to successfully upload the firmware (v23), but then I could not get it to boot... even after waiting several minutes and power cycling. The unit would also be unresponsive to ping requests. I could always successfully reload the original Asus firmware. TFTP methods were unsuccessful altogether, as TFTP never seemed to establish contact with the router. Finally, I was able to boot DD-WRT by first flashing with OpenWRT (White Russian rc4), then using OpenWRT's firmware upload page to flash with DD-WRT.
LFR : Upgrade was down out of the box with .trx file & worked straight, no need for recovery mode

Flashing the Siemens SE505, ...

Flash Your Siemens SE505, ...

Flashing the Buffalo WBR-G54, WLA-G54, ...

Flash Your Buffalo WBR-G54, WLA-G54, ... also includes WBR2-G54, WBR2-G54S

Flashing the Motorola WR850G

Flash Your Motorola WR850G

Flashing the WRT54G(S) Version 5

Flash Your Version 5 WRT54G