Linksys EA6500v2 DD-WRT install tutorial

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blaser
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 525

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 21:47    Post subject: Reply with quote
cpw7922 wrote:
themitch wrote:
*EDIT*

I checked and found that there is a new firmware file at the linksys website. Attached is a link to a zip file with the old linksys, initial flash and the current latest build.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzjcN2dCI70CR3VRbnktVzlRelU/view?usp=sharing


I would check and see if you have the v2 router and firmware files. Otherwise I will need to dig out my spare and test it out. Let me know.


I did double check and I do have the v2 router. I tried the files in your link but I am still getting the same error.


What version are you running on your router?

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cpw7922
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 10 Dec 2016
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 2:39    Post subject: Reply with quote
blaser wrote:
cpw7922 wrote:
themitch wrote:
*EDIT*

I checked and found that there is a new firmware file at the linksys website. Attached is a link to a zip file with the old linksys, initial flash and the current latest build.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzjcN2dCI70CR3VRbnktVzlRelU/view?usp=sharing


I would check and see if you have the v2 router and firmware files. Otherwise I will need to dig out my spare and test it out. Let me know.


I did double check and I do have the v2 router. I tried the files in your link but I am still getting the same error.


What version are you running on your router?


1.1.40.176451
blaser
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 525

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:55    Post subject: Reply with quote
cpw7922 wrote:
blaser wrote:
cpw7922 wrote:
themitch wrote:
*EDIT*

I checked and found that there is a new firmware file at the linksys website. Attached is a link to a zip file with the old linksys, initial flash and the current latest build.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzjcN2dCI70CR3VRbnktVzlRelU/view?usp=sharing


I would check and see if you have the v2 router and firmware files. Otherwise I will need to dig out my spare and test it out. Let me know.


I did double check and I do have the v2 router. I tried the files in your link but I am still getting the same error.


What version are you running on your router?


1.1.40.176451


Try downgrading to 1.1.40.160989 and go from there

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RAX80 as AP
John-Galt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 13 Sep 2015
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 22:21    Post subject: Reply with quote
themitch wrote:
I can say that I haven't had issues with the July 1 build. That said they fixed the bugs I was having issues with over a year ago. My personal startup script has deteriorated to near obsolescence. It only has the line to stay the 32k nvram issue.

I'd say if what you have works and you're concerned about stability just keep what you have. If you don't mind the small potential for having to go through firmware recovery, go for the latest.
I'm now running r30880 on my EA6500v2 with no issues.
duvydude
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Dec 2016
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:10    Post subject: Reply with quote
themitch wrote:
*EDIT*

I checked and found that there is a new firmware file at the linksys website. Attached is a link to a zip file with the old linksys, initial flash and the current latest build.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzjcN2dCI70CR3VRbnktVzlRelU/view?usp=sharing


I would check and see if you have the v2 router and firmware files. Otherwise I will need to dig out my spare and test it out. Let me know.


Happy New Year!
I honestly can't remember if I tried following the instructions step by step and flashing 26653 at Step 6, or if I skipped from "Initial_Flash" straight to 30880 after seeing and downloading this file.
Either way... my router died after Step 6. Lights were on, but I couldn't get a ping no matter what I tried.

I had to have read several hundreds of posts, but I finally got it working. I can't login to the stock Linksys admin page, and after getting back to 26653 I see I have the "default" MAC address (00:90...). which according to other threads/posts means I messed up my nvram?

There is so much info on different models and I'm not sure where to go from here. The last I can tell is I've erased my nvram and I'm stuck on dd-wrt? I don't care to be on stock firmware; I just want my router to work correctly. Can anyone point me in a direction to go from here?
bhullIT
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Dec 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 23:31    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have been flashing custom ROMs for years now and never caused an unresponsive (bricked) router until I offered to help a friend with his router... sigh...

Starting from the latest stock, I could not flash. I noticed the EA6500 had an option to downgrade so I did, and then I was able to flash Advanced Tomato... which had problems as a prior post in this thread mentioned...

So, like duvydude, I followed http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=283136&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I flashed the "Initial_flash" and then did step 6 (with 26653) ... after this point the router boots with the LINKSYS light flashing for a bit then it goes steady... the LAN port lights also flash when a cable is put in... but I cannot ping the router Sad

So, duvydude, how did you manage to contact your router to install 26653?

I did not do a 30-30-30 (I never have had to do this), and am reluctant to try... but I'm OK with loosing stock firmware... would a 30-30-30 help me to unbrick?

Thanks all, these forums are awesome!
duvydude
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 17 Dec 2016
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 19:15    Post subject: Reply with quote
bhullIT wrote:
So, like duvydude, I followed http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=283136&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I flashed the "Initial_flash" and then did step 6 (with 26653) ... after this point the router boots with the LINKSYS light flashing for a bit then it goes steady... the LAN port lights also flash when a cable is put in... but I cannot ping the router Sad


Interesting you have the same issue. I wonder if it is the "Reset to Default Settings" option used in Step 6?
Either way, sounds like you have exactly the same problem I did: the router boots as usual and looks like it is responsive but none of the ports would ping at any ip address.

I finally got a ttl=100 ping after I tried something I saw in the peacock thread about putting a Linksys router in "Management Mode". It involves holding the reset button while plugging in the router and releasing it after ~10-20 sec. I finally got a handful of ttl=100 responses immediately after I released the reset button, then back to nothing. After trying this a few times I ended up holding the button in ~30 sec. ~30 secs after plugging in the router, the port lights went solid so I released the reset button, and the router rebooted - immediately giving me ttl=100. I had TFTP ready so I flashed stock Linksys to it (the downgraded 166281 version). This is where I hit the broken stock Linksys firmware which points to messed up nvram or something. You can probably just do a 30-30-30 (I may have done so unintentionally by doing this) but who knows. You can restore from a 30-30-30 pretty simply now (more on that below), so if you're all ready out of options may as well try it.

Anyway. If you can get to the unresponsive admin page you can use a simple HTML code to flash via your web browser. I only tried 26653 with it so your results may vary.

Once I flashed 26653 I was at the point when I made my previous post. I had to telnet upgrade to any newer builds. Trying to use the gui to upgrade resulted in a dd-wrt login that no user/password combo would unlock, causing me to reset and reflash 26653 every time. Save yourself the trouble: Link to telnet procedure

In order to restore my mac address I used XVortex's CFE process for the ea6900. If you do this I'd make sure you have the ea6500v2 as it is identical to the ea6700, and I don't know what would happen if you used the 6700 cfe on a 6500v1.
Link to XVortex 6700 cfe
You can download the cfe from that post, follow the directions linked there to CFEedit your MAC/WPS and flash, then you should have a functioning router. I've successfully used dd-wrt 30880, Kong builds, and currently AT138 though I'll probably move back to Kong build since it's more familiar than Advanced Tomato. And no 32k nvram bug! Smile

I'm a bit curious if you can use the CFEedit process to correct the MAC on a stock CFE, and then fully revert back to stock, but I don't really care to go back to stock after everything I just went through with this router.

Hope this helps. Good luck!
bhullIT
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Dec 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 0:25    Post subject: EA6500 back to life, unbricked Reply with quote
Thanks for the quick reply and tips duvydude!

Your first suggestion, "holding the reset button while plugging in the router and releasing it after ~10-20 sec", did the trick.

For me it worked right away. I was able to get to the stock linksys web page, but it stalled upon login... so I "use a simple HTML code to flash via your web browser. I only tried 26653"

I immediately used "http://192.168.1.1/backup/cfe.bin" to backup my cfe (FWIW).

This is where I left it for now, but wanted to share my success story.

I'll try the dd-wrt 30880 Kong build and post my results...

Thanks once again to all who make this forum so very useful (and, of course, to all the dd-wrt authors and contributors over the years)!

Cheers and good luck to all!
slee02
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 18:39    Post subject: Same Error Reply with quote
cpw7922 wrote:
I have been following these steps exactly but I keep running into this issue when I try to install the initial file. Any advice?



I get this same error. If I try to downgrade from 1.1.40.176451 to 1.1.40.166281 is give error... If i try and use any ddwrt bin or Tomato it gives the same error...even tried the HTML flash and gives:

{
"result": "ErrorUnauthorized"
}

Please help...and remember I'm new so I don't know how to use SSH or other stuff like that...It did work at one time long time ago...but after these 2 newer updates from Linksys, no longer other firmware or downgrading...
Likipedia
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 28 Jan 2015
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 18:02    Post subject: Same error no matter what firmware... Reply with quote

I get this even if I try linksys' firmware.
I have the latest and like the other guy, no luck so I tried to reflash the newest one and still got this error!
John-Galt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 13 Sep 2015
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 15:19    Post subject: Reply with quote
John-Galt wrote:
I'm now running r30880 on my EA6500v2 with no issues.
I'm now running DD-WRT v3.0-r31924 std (05/02/17) on my EA6500v2. 15 days uptime and no issues.
slee02
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 21:50    Post subject: Re: Same error no matter what firmware... Reply with quote
Likipedia wrote:

I get this even if I try linksys' firmware.
I have the latest and like the other guy, no luck so I tried to reflash the newest one and still got this error!





I tried contacting Linksys support and they told me to hold the reset in and try again, but I think they purposely put a lock on the firmware install about 3-4 builds ago. I still am unable to install ddwrt or any other firmware besides linksys, even downgrading is not an option.

Anyone have a solution?
John-Galt
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 13 Sep 2015
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 22:25    Post subject: Re: Same error no matter what firmware... Reply with quote
slee02 wrote:
I still am unable to install ddwrt or any other firmware besides linksys, even downgrading is not an option.
Question 1: are you running a Linksys EA6500 v2?

Question 2: are you sure you are running an EA6500 v2?

If you are running an EA6500 V2, post a link to the dd-wrt firmware you are trying to download and install.
harmonyit
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 29 Jul 2017
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 20:26    Post subject: How to get back to 1.1.40.166281 Reply with quote
My router was at the latest (1.1.140.176451)
I got the Invalid firmware message trying to downgrade.

However, I found at least in my EA6500 v2, the previous owner (got it for $5 at a yard sale!) had done the upgrade so the older version was still available on the router as backup.

Login to the router,
Go to Connectivity, Basic and
Disable automatic firmware upgrade (just in case)

Go to Troubleshooting, then Diagnostics,
Click Restore Previous firmware, confirm, wait while it downgrades itself
It reboots and voila, mine is now on 1.1.140.166281 about to get upgraded to DD-WRT
Very Happy

And I successfully upgraded it using the files mentioned earlier in this thread.

Now running build 30880 successfully Cool
nlbailey
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 15 Oct 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 21:20    Post subject: Reply with quote
I was able to flash to ddwrt but when entering the command in I'm getting a 'sh: eval: line 3: syntax error: unexpected word (expecting' error. I moved the command all to the same line so there isn't even a line 3 but still doesn't work. Any suggestions? I'm using the files from the google drive link.

Edit: I've read through this thread over and over and just saw the note about the error not mattering. My question is that my NVRAM usage is still showing as 31.57KB /64KB still. Is this normal?
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