Posted: Sat May 21, 2022 0:20 Post subject: [SOLVED] R9000 initialization after firmware upgrade
I just bought a new Netgear R9000 router as I have been reading the forums and many seem happy with this model. I read all the instructions I could get my hands on. I downloaded my firmware here: [http://ftp.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2022/05-18-2022-r48897/netgear-r9000/]
I flashed the factory-to-ddwrt.img first. Then flashed the r9000-webupgrade.bin. Everything seemed to go fine. I came up to a DDWRT password set/change screen. As I was starting to set up the router the first stop was the wireless settings. I found that I am unable to change the SSID as there is no Save or Apply settings buttons on the Wireless > Wireless Security page. Has anyone seen this behavior? I am at a loss. I figured I would try to flash the files again but again the same results when I click on the Wirless Security tab (see attachment). I tried Chrome, IE and Firefox. I also tried clearing the cookies/cache. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Coming from OEM firmware you should do an nvram reset before you you configure.
Either from Factory Defaults tab in Webif,
or use the reset button,
or best from Command Line (SSH/Telnet).
Posted: Sat May 21, 2022 2:13 Post subject: Re: Unable to change SSID on R9000 after firmware upgrade
kernel-panic69 wrote:
IMV8N wrote:
Then flashed the r9000-webupgrade.bin.
Why did you double-tap the router? All that is required coming from stock is the factory-to-ddwrt.img file.
That was what I thought I understood needed to be done. I guess I misunderstood the instructions. I have reverted back to stock firmware and will attempt again, only using the factory-to-ddwrt.img file this time.
No need to do any of that, resulting install is same just no need to flash same build twice. See bushant's post.
If sure this has nothing to do with OS resolution, DPI, font size maybe try previous build from past few weeks.
I had to go back to r47976 to get the "save" and "apply settings" buttons to appear on my R9000. Now when I try to change tabs in DDWRT the web connection drops even though my constant ping is still showing connection. It doesnt reconnect for some time sometimes not without a reboot. I have read great things about this router but is it possible I just got a lemon?
Joined: 31 Jul 2021 Posts: 2146 Location: All over YOUR webs
Posted: Sat May 21, 2022 8:41 Post subject:
Going back to older builds and back to latest builds always nvram reset and reconfigure from scratch, these older builds advised by blkt are seriously different.
Personally I am 100% against going back to older builds and advising so without proper nvram resets and re-configuring from scratch is 100% inadvisable, after doing nvram reset following upgrade, clears any gremlins, since recent builds have had tons of changes from the older builds and vice versa.
P.S. @IMV8N
I notice that the screenshots on the OP post have a borked UI, clearly there are issues perhaps cache related perhaps due to double flashing, or perhaps due to improper resetting nvram who knows. Doesn't look as it should so Im not surprised it doesn't work as it should either.
So you know, factory-to-ddwrt images are dual usage;
1) Going from stock to DD-WRT
2) For recovery purposes.
Webflash images are ONLY single usage;
1) Upgrading an older DD-WRT firmware to a newer version using the web interface or CLI upgrade.
IDK where you had those instructions but you're not the only one doing that and I think this smells like some bad advice read on some 3rd party website.
IMV8N wrote:
That was what I thought I understood needed to be done. I guess I misunderstood the instructions. I have reverted back to stock firmware and will attempt again, only using the factory-to-ddwrt.img file this time.
Why are you doing this to yourself? There is zero valid reasons for this move, solves absolutely nothing.
All you needed to do is nvram reset or reset button on router while dd-wrt flashed to the latest public build, all else is a bridge too far.
IMV8N wrote:
I had to go back to r47976 to get the "save" and "apply settings" buttons to appear on my R9000. Now when I try to change tabs in DDWRT the web connection drops even though my constant ping is still showing connection. It doesnt reconnect for some time sometimes not without a reboot. I have read great things about this router but is it possible I just got a lemon?
There is no lemon, I believe this is induced by lack of patience or lack of reading the advice provided here which is good advice.
What You need to do, is reset the router to defaults, after the latest dd-wrt build is flashed. It could take a couple of resets but Im confident one reset will suffice.
The latest firmware for you to flash, if you have dd-wrt, do this, reset to factory default, using the router reset button or via terminal using nvram erase command. Then reboot the router.
Once that is done, let the router reboot itself, and wait, once router is available set a new username/password, check the ui is rendered properly, press ctrl+f5 to clear browser cache. If interface looks good (the opposite of the screenshots you posted on first post) then test it around and see if now everything works and report back...
If it doesn't work properly, do another nvram reset && nvram commit && reboot once router UI is available press ctrl+f5 again to force clear the browser cache.
And please stop flashing the router back to stock and back to dd-wrt. Or flashing ancient builds, the r9000 is reported to work with current above firmware. You aren't doing yourself or the router any favors by this constant needless flashing.
Please take care to follow proper advice and be patient, despite all, you will learn a great deal about dd-wrt in process.
Stepping back through older builds or bisecting are basic troubleshooting to determine if or when a bug appears.
However, with r48897 start over clean, manually configure after using correct command nvram erase && reboot.
Apply button, other elements still missing and confirmed not OS resolution DPI font or browser? Force clear browser cache ctrl+f5, then try older builds.
I can confirm the issue @IMV8N is experiencing under the Wireless tab.
I recently pulled my R9000 out of storage and did a fresh flash of build r48897 as well as r48954 today. Both these builds exhibited page formatting/style issues, missing apply/save buttons, as well as crashing the router. If any setting was modified, or the tab was navigated to then away from, the router would perform a full reboot.
My fix was to flash r48786 which does not exhibit these issues.
Happy to help troubleshoot or pull logs from the errant versions.
Last edited by KlarkKable on Tue May 24, 2022 21:27; edited 2 times in total
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 Posts: 223 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 22:56 Post subject:
KlarkKable wrote:
Understood. I preformed both these methods; Multiple browsers (with cache clearing) and both forms of resetting (UI/nvram).
Not saying the build is broken. Just trying to corroborate and track identical behavior/issues other users are experiencing.
I'd like to add a few notes in addition to the posts by the-joker.
Netgear R9000 IS an unusual wireless router (with two internal switches). It requires an unusual approach to deal with it.
The following may give some hints.
- R9000 takes longer to boost up. So, i give it sufficient time after each Save or Apply Settings to update its relevant logic internally.
- Don't rush. I keep my eyes on the four indicator lights (starting from Power) between changes until they are in usual state.
- Try not using power on/off button of R9000. Instead, i do a software reboot from:
Administration/Management/Reboot Router
Once R9000 is back, if some settings are missing or not shown properly, i do another software reboot. (Yes a SECOND one).
I don't fully know why but AFTER the second reboot of R9000, all the settings are shown properly. This is always the case with my R9000 running DD-WRT, if i had changed some settings prior to the first reboot.
Note: Make sure a wireless connection of R9000 is available should you need to access its mgt GUI in case you're unable to access it by wire. It happened to me
Lastly, please drop a line in the forum so those who experience same may benefit from it. It's help me help you. _________________ Life is a journey; travel alone makes it less enjoyable and lonely.
Mlandi did indeed encounter some UI loading issues as reported here a couple of builds ago, and they cleared up after nvram reset and fresh reconfiguration.
I already pinged both Mlandi and Laithan regarding this thread and am asking all of you to provide serial logs as detailed below.
I would be great to see a serial log of the process when the UI/controls are missing or other issues and a serial log when everything is OK for comparison, only then one can actually make any educated decisions, anything else, is regrettably not actionable
I have changed the topic title for this thread, the initial SSID issue and missing controls missing UI elements are only symptoms of what I believe is some sort of failed initialization on boot.
So comparing bad serial logs to good serial logs will help see whats going on behind the curtain.
Mlandi did indeed encounter some UI loading issues as reported here a couple of builds ago, and they cleared up after nvram reset and fresh reconfiguration.
I began having problems with the 5/13 build, and one of them was that same corrupted UI on the Wireless tab after doing a reset. It was definitely dd-wrt. I tried different browsers and different machines. I first thought the issue was the build but when other R9000 users did not see the issue, I decided to erase nvram and start from scratch.
I did these commands at the command line:
nvram erase
nvram commit
reboot
Note that there was discussion that the commit was not needed but it seemed to be in my case. I think reboot is supposed to commit but I don't think dd-wrt was running properly for me. After the three commands, I entered all of my settings again by hand. Took a few hours since some of my changes required reboots. (Changing IP, configuring DNSMasq, etc.)
At the end, I had dd-wrt up and running and the UI looks right on all tabs. My guess is I had something goofy in nvram and the erase, commit and reboot I did cleared that out and I think is using a smaller footprint in nvram. I have updated dd-wrt since my resetting and have had no problems. _________________ Netgear R9000
DD-WRT v3.0-r55460 std (03/25/24)
Linux 4.9.337 #715 SMP Mon Mar 25 06:15:53 +07 2024 armv7l
Gateway, AP, DNSMasq, Clock 2000MHz
VAP on wlan1 for internet devices
IPv4 & IPv6 (Prefix Delegation)
Static Leases & DHCP
CloudFlare, no SFE, SmartDNS, no QoS
2.4GHz: Vanilla, Airtime Fairness, NG-Mixed, ACK Timing 3150, WPA2 w/AES & WPA3
5GHz: Vanilla, Airtime Fairness, AC/N Mixed, ACK Timing 3150, WPA2 w/AES & WPA3
2 Netgear AX1800 WiFi Mesh Extenders
Xfinity 1.2Gbps/35Mbps