Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 2:19 Post subject: Install US-based DD-WRT Buffalo firmware on Japan WZR-300HP
I'm living in Japan, and had the need for a router that supported DD-WRT. I purchased the Buffalo WZR-300HP, and went to install DD-WRT only to find that the Japan versions are locked down to Japan firmware only. There are no DD-WRT versions specifically for the WZR-300HP, but it is supposedly identical to the WZR-HP-G300NH2. Apparently it's not, since none of Brainslayer's MULTI releases would install.
After doing a lot of Googling and reading up on all the efforts to unlock the Japan versions of the Buffalo routers, I believe I have pulled together a relatively simple method to unlock these routers. I want to make it clear that I did not do any of the smart stuff, others did that for me. I just pulled together all their information and came up with these instructions.
2) download a copy of the Telnet utility "PuTTy" to your PC. If you just download the portable version, you won't have to install it. You will use this utility in step 5.
2) Connect your Japan WZR-300HP to your PC. Check to make sure you can access the Japanese version of the WEB management utility @ 192.168.11.1. Just to be on the safe side, now flush your browser cache, else in step 3 you could get the message "—- UNDER CONSTRUCTION — " (I did).
3) Now here comes the cool part. Buffalo's "user friendly" firmware has a special hidden maintenance page, accessible at http://192.168.11.1/cgi-bin/cgi?req=frm&frm=py-db/55debug.html, with special username "bufpy" and password "otdpopypassword". If you've already changed the password from the default "password", then the password will be "otdpopy+yournewpassword". Also, if you've changed the router IP address, then you'll also have to change the 192.168.11.1 to your selected IP address.
4) Once you have the maintenance page displayed, select the TELNETD option. Then select the START option. This will start a telnet session on your router.
5) Now go back to your pc and launch PuTTy. I did this on a Windows XP machine using an admin account, so not sure if you need admin access when you use PuTTy. Probably safest to just go ahead and run as administrator. Type in your router's IP address (192.168.11.1 or whatever you changed it to) and select connection type "Telnet". This will connect you to the Telnet session on your router.
6) Now type in these two commands:
ubootenv set accept_open_rt_fmt 1
ubootenv set region US (make sure US is CAPS)
To verify these got added/changed, perform the following command:
ubootenv list
7) Ok, you're done with the "hard" part. Now do a 30-30-30 hard reset (not sure if this is needed, but do it just to be safe). Then log into your router and find the page where you perform the WEB update of the firmware. Select the "browse" button (in Japanese ) and then select the firmware you downloaded in step 1. Hit the lower button on the right. The firmware installation should begin. When it's done, perform another 30-30-30 and you should now have a fully functioning WZR-300HP with a US-based DD-WRT firmware on it.
I've only done this once, so if you try it, please post your results!
Last edited by chinaguy on Sun Feb 03, 2013 13:25; edited 1 time in total
I confirmed this works today on a friend's WZR-300HP. Be sure that, for the region, US is in CAPS, or it will not work. It had me stumped for several minutes. I have added a note on this in my original instructions.
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 15:17 Post subject: Re: Install US-based DD-WRT Buffalo firmware on Japan WZR-30
chinaguy wrote:
I'm living in Japan, and had the need for a router that supported DD-WRT. I purchased the Buffalo WZR-300HP, and went to install DD-WRT only to find that the Japan versions are locked down to Japan firmware only. There are no DD-WRT versions specifically for the WZR-300HP, but it is supposedly identical to the WZR-HP-G300NH2. Apparently it's not, since none of Brainslayer's MULTI releases would install.
After doing a lot of Googling and reading up on all the efforts to unlock the Japan versions of the Buffalo routers, I believe I have pulled together a relatively simple method to unlock these routers. I want to make it clear that I did not do any of the smart stuff, others did that for me. I just pulled together all their information and came up with these instructions.
2) download a copy of the Telnet utility "PuTTy" to your PC. If you just download the portable version, you won't have to install it. You will use this utility in step 5.
2) Connect your Japan WZR-300HP to your PC. Check to make sure you can access the Japanese version of the WEB management utility @ 192.168.11.1. Just to be on the safe side, now flush your browser cache, else in step 3 you could get the message "—- UNDER CONSTRUCTION — " (I did).
3) Now here comes the cool part. Buffalo's "user friendly" firmware has a special hidden maintenance page, accessible at http://192.168.11.1/cgi-bin/cgi?req=frm&frm=py-db/55debug.html, with special username "bufpy" and password "otdpopypassword". If you've already changed the password from the default "password", then the password will be "otdpopy+yournewpassword". Also, if you've changed the router IP address, then you'll also have to change the 192.168.11.1 to your selected IP address.
4) Once you have the maintenance page displayed, select the TELNETD option. Then select the START option. This will start a telnet session on your router.
5) Now go back to your pc and launch PuTTy. I did this on a Windows XP machine using an admin account, so not sure if you need admin access when you use PuTTy. Probably safest to just go ahead and run as administrator. Type in your router's IP address (192.168.11.1 or whatever you changed it to) and select connection type "Telnet". This will connect you to the Telnet session on your router.
6) Now type in these two commands:
ubootenv set accept_open_rt_fmt 1
ubootenv set region US (make sure US is CAPS)
To verify these got added/changed, perform the following command:
ubootenv list
7) Ok, you're done with the "hard" part. Now do a 30-30-30 hard reset (not sure if this is needed, but do it just to be safe). Then log into your router and find the page where you perform the WEB update of the firmware. Select the "browse" button (in Japanese ) and then select the firmware you downloaded in step 1. Hit the lower button on the right. The firmware installation should begin. When it's done, perform another 30-30-30 and you should now have a fully functioning WZR-300HP with a US-based DD-WRT firmware on it.
I've only done this once, so if you try it, please post your results!
Thank you so much for this. This is my first time posting here but I am a long time DD-WRT user. I am also living in Japan and I just purchased the WZR-300HP today. I was really worried when I got home that I wouldn't be able to setup DD-WRT (professional version not that lame excuse of a user friendly version that comes stock on the JP models). After finding your post I was actually able to get everything installed correctly and I am up and running with DD-WRT.
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 17:01 Post subject: It worked!
Thank you very much! I have been using DD-WRT on my US-based users for a long time.
I moved to Japan a couple months ago and bought a WHR-300HP, and I had been struggling to find a way to install DD-WRT ever since.
This worked perfectly!!
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:25 Post subject: works also on WZR-HP-AG300H
thanks for putting together these instructions
Works fine on the japanese WZR-HP-AG300H
I upgraded to the US official v1.78 firmware as my intent is just to get rid of the regular loss of wifi connection on the 2.4ghz band that was not fixed with the official 1.72 from buffalo japan
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 2:51 Post subject: Economical Alternative to Imported Routers
I'm kind of late on this post, but I just wanted to say that these instructions worked perfectly on two out of two Japanese WZR-300HP models. And I saved a lot of time on the research end of things.
They have been up for 2+ weeks with no problems.
It makes the Buffalo routers an economical alternative to my past practice of buying Linksys routers directly from the States. And I get a warantee.
Just to let everyone know, these instructions do work with the Japanese version of the WZR-450HP. I completed them successfully this weekend.
What I did differently:
1. After logging into the telnet session, it looks like the ubootenv commands are not there, but they are.
You need to navigate into the bin folder by using the cd bin command.
Then you can run the ubootenv set accept_open_rt_fmt 1 and ubootenv set region US commands as normal.
2. Do a 30-30-30 reset after you enter the commands above.
4. Once unzipped, remove the .enc file extension from the 14.3MB file named wzrhpg450h-pro-v24sp2-20025.enc (Not sure if this step is necessary, but it's what I did)
5. Log into the buffalo router web interface (remember that you did a 30-30-30 reset, so the password is now back to default), and select the DD-WRT firmware file you renamed.
The router should take the file and begin the update without any error message.
I have not yet tried moving to BrainSlayer's versions yet, but will test it later this week.
I'll also try poking around some of the other newer models (like the WZR-600DHP and the WZR-900DHP).
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 14:32 Post subject: Thx great instructions
I just replaced my Japanese corega router with a wzr-300hp. I had checked the US Buffalo site and thought it easy to change the language into English but only later found that was not possible. I really wanted an English setup for a change and after searching I found your instructions. They worked for me on the first try just as written. Thank you for finding and posting this solution! I tried to get the updated DD-WRT firmware from the US buffalo site but my serial number was invalid there. It might be useful if someone could get that and pass it on. I also found a post with some interesting info on the regulatory domain setup for Japan at http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/07/installing-dd-wrt-firmware-on-japanese.html its for the WHR-G301N but good FYI.
Just to let everyone know, these instructions do work with the Japanese version of the WZR-450HP. I completed them successfully this weekend.
(For what it's worth the uboot commands are there (i.e. in the path), no need to cd to /bin)
I just tried saishowaguu's instruction and they do not work. The message I get is "ファームウェアデータが正しくありません。再起動します。"
There is something really weird about this Japanese version of the router. Even a 30-30-30 reset doesn't clear anything. I did a 30-30-30 and my changes to the name of the SSID, etc. were still there. A 'normal' 3 second press of the reset button works though.
Weird.
I'm getting pretty pissed with this router. The installed firmware has so many basic features missing.
) and then select the firmware you downloaded in step 1. Hit the lower button on the right. The firmware installation should begin. When it's done, perform another 30-30-30 and you should now have a fully functioning WZR-300HP with a US-based DD-WRT firmware on it.
