[WWTK]

Hello and thank you for the hard work you all put into this.


I have an R9000 that I can't get to accept DD-WRT firmware. I can TFTP the netgear firmware just fine. Once that is done I attempt to load the factory-to-ddwrt.img file fails to complete loading. I get the message for the downgrade, click OK, click Yes to upload. The firmware transfers to the router to 100% but then never reboots. The power LED blinks in the "fast" mode indicating flash mode and never continues. I have let it sit like this for as much as 30 minutes just to be sure.

If I reboot the router at this point, it does seem to boot but doesn't accept a connection via ssh, telnet or http and I have to reboot to TFTP mode and reload factory firmware. I have tried two different factory firmwares, and voxel firmware as well. They all fail the same. I have loaded this same file onto two other routers, so I know the file is good.

I would appreciate any insights anyone might have.

WWTK

[blkt]

Installed anything new to the operating system like security software, a recent set of drivers or updates?

Patch Tuesday just passed by in the land of Microsoft.

Which browser and version are you using? Any addons, extensions or plugins recently installed?

I use Waterfox Classic (not current) and Pale Moon. Clear all history.

Maybe TFTP factory-to-ddwrt?

[WWTK]

Thank you for the response,

Sorry I forgot to mention loading the factory-to-ddwrt file also results in the same situation, although it does reboot as it should after it loads. Router is pingable but refuses connections.

I'm not certain but I feel like perhaps I am dealing with some nvram issue(s).

[msoengineer]

Which version of dd-wrt are you trying to load?

[WWTK]

Hello and thanks for the response,

I have tried r44122 and r43904 both I have installed previously as well as r44187 which is of course new.

[blkt]

You may have run into a bad blocks situation, not sure though.

Tried a hard reset? (hold reset button 7 to 10 seconds)

Which Ethernet port are you connected to?

[WWTK]

Hello,

The MD5 that is returned is OK, so the transfer is good and since the factory firmware loads and boots fine, the port is OK as well.

I suspect something in nvram is corrupt or missing. I have another router with a sort of similar issue but in reverse. It loads firmware just fine, but with stock netgear firmware the radios don't work but they are fine with dd-wrt, go figure.

WWTK

[msoengineer]

are you able to telnet into the router?

if so, you can try resetting the nvram that way...



nvram erase && reboot

This assumes you are already running dd-wrt on the router...

I can't tell if you have dd-wrt on it now or not...

please clarify.

If you have dd-wrt on it now, you should be using the webupgrade BIN file and not the IMG file.

[WWTK]

Hello,

No, I can only access the router with netgear firmware on it, or voxel's netgear firmware variant. If dd-wrt does load (such as via TFTP) I can not connect ssh, telnet nor http to it, I get a connection refused message.

[msoengineer]

[WWTK]

Hello,

I actually just did a similar thing, I loaded an old Kong firmware which does load and run but the radios don't show up. Factory reset is confirmed by the router asking for a password when I connect. I set the password and then went to the commands screen where I then erased the nvram and rebooted, again receiving the password screen when I connected. I then upgraded the firmware to the recent build and the same result. I am now suspecting a kernel panic. I will connect a serial console to it later tonight and see what the damn thing is doing when it boots.

Thanks again to all who are helping!


WWTK

[msoengineer]

It's possible your wifi radios went bad. KP69 has reported that his R9000 was ok for a little bit and then the wifi radios bit the dust....

Might be you got bunked wifi radios...maybe he'll chime in how he was able to fully flush that out.

[WWTK]

Hello,

As suspected, the kernel dies. It appears it may be mis identifying the 60GHz radio and passing a bad argument, this seems a rather nasty bug, the full boot is below.

[kernel-panic69]

I never got around to installing a serial adapter and checking into it. Mine currently has Voxel on it, but it's sitting being unused, as I have not been able to get the radios to stay working. There have been reports of the radios dying on stock firmware in the Netgear forums and some luck bringing them back, but I have not taken the time. Might have to see if BrainSlayer has some insight. Mine always booted up, just the radios and wireless tabs in the webUI were gone.

[WWTK]

Hello,

I did manage to get the latest firmware loaded by first loading the old Kong build and disabling the radio. As I thought, it is for some reason attempting to configure the 60Ghz radio as 5GHz. See attached picture please.

WWTK