Re: Help on updating / restoring WRT54G firmware

On Mar 14, 2005, at 5:09 AM, Kevin Gilbert wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I just started experimented with wireless stuff, ie, I'm a n00b, and 
> the
> Linksys WRT54G box in particular. I am _really_ interested in hacking 
> the
> firmware (I have some experience in hacking at the Linux kernel) but I 
> do not
> want to end up with a blue box of junk.
>
> The current firmware revision is 3.03.1.
>
> If I upload a new version of the firmware and it doesn't work, how to I
> "restore" a working version of the firmware? Is it just a matter of 
> hitting
> the "reset" switch?

No.

>  If the new firmware does work, will it disappear if the
> power is cycled? If so, how do you make the new firmware "permanent"?

It is "permanent" as far as a power cycle is concerned.

>
> These questions have probably been answered _many_ times before but I 
> cannot
> find those answers anywhere on the Web. And, yes, I have read your 
> page on
> the WRT54G but it seems to concentrate on older versions of the 
> firmware.

I haven't had a chance to work on it for a number of months. If i 
recall correctly, look for instructions on setting the "boot wait" or 
"boot_wait" flag.  If this is set, then early in the boot cycle it will 
pause for a few seconds waiting for a tftp upload of a new flash image. 
  That is when you would send a known-good image.  This image gets 
burned in and the unit reboots.

There is one final way to recover a bad image when you don't have the 
boot_wait flag set.  It involves shorting out some of the flash pins 
during the boot process. Hopefully you won't have to go that far (but I 
did once!)

Good Luck
Jim


>
> Cheers,
>
> Kevin
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