Asuswrt-Merlin on Netgear R7000


CM4321 said:
I have some time this weekend and wanted to test performance/features of the latest xwrt to stock and some other versions. Are these instructions still valid for reverting to stock from 386.12_4? The title says "...384.xx...", so I assume there are some differences for 386.xx. Thank you.
Click to expand...
The reverting has not been tested on the latest versions. I recommend first rolling back to the earliest possible (384) firmware and then reverting from there.
 
hkfreeice said:
Does anyone able to form Aimesh between AX86u Pro (running Merlin firmware) and R7000 Merlin 386.10 through 5G AC channel as node?

R7000 config
-running CFE 1.3.0.7, MAC starting with MAC 74: D0:2B
-factory reset before going to form aimesh node

from AX86u Pro Merlin firmware, I can see the R7000 Aimesh node (identified as AC68U), I clicked to add it and failed at around around 3x%.
the failed error message same as this one except the HW mode
https://www.snbforums.com/attachments/unable-to-add-your-aimesh-node2-png.35472/

if I use cable to form the AIMesh, it was success. when i disconnected the cable or disabled backhaul mode. the mesh will be broken.
Click to expand...
sounds like a MAC problem, though you say you have the mac changed to an asus one, is the extra space that you typed above after "74:" there in reality? maybe that is it.. good luck

@XVortex do you ever plan to stop breaching the gnu gplv2 licence and release the source/binaries without payment?
 
RichtigFalsch said:
For making things easier in future, I will try to expand on Kees17760's explanation here and make a new step-by-step guide, as I just did with my R7000:
How to go from AsusWrt-Merlin-XVortex NG (=version 384.xx) on R7000 back to stock, from any CFE:

Thes instructions in this little guide are best practises from my own and some other people's experiences. I am no official, no developer, just an user who likes toying around with these devices. Of course there's no warranty for the process to not brick your router and no one can hold me responsible ;)

Use a wired (Ethernet) connection to your router instead of WiFi!
After each step wait for the router's wild LED flashing to settle down and the UI being responsive again!
Do NOT just run through the commands without thinking over what you are about to do!

01. Restore factory settings from UI, router will reboot automatically
02. Flash "R7000_380.70_0.trx" using the UI, wait for the router to reboot
03. Restore factory settings from UI, router will reboot automatically

Perform steps 04 to 07 only if you have a custom CFE on your router! Otherwise skip directly to 08!
04. copy "mtd-write" and "r7000EU-stockcfe1.0.0.0.bin" (preferably your own backup from stock!) to the router using putty or scp
05. make mtd-write executable: chmod +x mtd-write
06. flash the CFE file using mtd-write: ./mtd-write -i r7000EU-stockcfe1.0.0.0.bin -d boot
07. Restore factory settings from UI, router will rebot automatically

08. Flash the back-to-stock firmware "R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.trx" using the UI, wait for the router to reboot, unless you get a message to do so yourself.
09. Restore factory settings from UI, router will reboot automatically

10. Let the router boot the Netgear software a first time
11. Restore factory settings from UI, the router will rebot automatically

12. Flash the Netgear firmware of your choice.
13. Restore factory settings from UI, the router will rebot automatically
14. The router now is in genuine vanilla state

Here's an archive with all needed files for this guide!
I also included a working CFE 1.0.0.0 in case you don't have your personal backup anymore. From my current state of information there's no need to edit this CFE's MAC adresses, as all CFE 1.0.0.0 I have seen, yet, have the same MAC adress included!
(In case no download link is working anymore, please PM me).


If you feel thankful and completed this guide using your own, original stock backup of your router's CFE, then it would be very nice, if you could upload your CFE here in a PM to me, with information on which land and region your router was officially sold at, and the approximate time (year/month) you bought it, so I could include a region dependent selection of CFEs in a later update!
Click to expand...

Hi,

I have used this method to revert back to stock but now after doing so it won't accept any update file *.chk at all...
I wanted to try FreshTomato but now Im stuck at OFW netgear R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.

Err: "The firmware file is incorrect"

Please help...
 
Legendsiro said:
Hi,

I have used this method to revert back to stock but now after doing so it won't accept any update file *.chk at all...
I wanted to try FreshTomato but now Im stuck at OFW netgear R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.

Err: "The firmware file is incorrect"

Please help...
Click to expand...
Hello.
Try it lilke this:

RMerlin <-> FreshTomato

Sry for asking, but atm my R7000 is running CFE 1.3.0.7 with odmpid=RT-AC68U model=RT-AC68U and Asus Merlin 386.3 alpha 2 If I want to switch to Fresh Tomate, should i flash freshtomato-R7000-ARM_NG-2021.4-17062021-VPN-64K or freshtomato-RT-AC68U-ARM_NG-2021.4-17062021-VPN-64K.
www.linksysinfo.org
 
Thanks for the long Support!
Is firmware 386.13 successfully working with AIMesh?
Do you first update your router and then the node?

First time updating don't wanna screw it up.
 
pomidor1 said:
In Netgear, the device data such as MAC, motherboard ID etc. are in the spare partition and after the crash. Use telnet rescue mode, enter the correct router details.

Translate this thread. ;-)

Forum: Przywrócenie utraconych wpisów MAC, boardid dla Netgear R6400 - OpenLinksys

Portal spoÅecznoÅciowy zajmujÄcy siÄ alternatywnym oprogramowaniem dla ruterów SOHO.
openlinksys.info openlinksys.info
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.

I believe this is the problem. anyway im gonna need a USB-TTL cable to try and fix the corrupted data.

and the tutorial method on how to revert back to stock should be updated to not use OFW R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38 because of lack of debug mode and telnet usage.
 
You don't need it.
Netgers have a built-in telnet rescue mode built into themselves.
However, you need to unblock the telnet client in Windows.
(Control Panel / Programs / Turn Windows features on or off
Select the telnet client, click OK) - that's how it was in Windows 7 when I did it ;-).
And then bring up this page
 
pomidor1 said:
You don't need it.
Netgers have a built-in telnet rescue mode built into themselves.
However, you need to unblock the telnet client in Windows.
(Control Panel / Programs / Turn Windows features on or off
Select the telnet client, click OK) - that's how it was in Windows 7 when I did it ;-).
And then bring up this page
Click to expand...
This firmware version V1.0.3.80_1.1.38 doesn't have debug.htm page in it.
I tried it but it gave me page not found.
 
So you have to try with the service cable, I wonder if the burn procedures will work in CFE mode, I think so.
Here are the commands for the R7000.
The hardware ID was probably erased.

Asuswrt-Merlin on Netgear R7000

YES ! with "burnboardid U12H270T00_NETGEAR" i manage to flash latest stock R7000-V1.0.9.26_10.2.31.chk ! I will try to restore others settings. The first problem i found is that i can't change wifi region. It seems locked to US. How can i fix this ? Can you give the default burn command settings...
www.linksysinfo.org
 
pomidor1 said:
So you have to try with the service cable, I wonder if the burn procedures will work in CFE mode, I think so.
Here are the commands for the R7000.
The hardware ID was probably erased.

Asuswrt-Merlin on Netgear R7000

YES ! with "burnboardid U12H270T00_NETGEAR" i manage to flash latest stock R7000-V1.0.9.26_10.2.31.chk ! I will try to restore others settings. The first problem i found is that i can't change wifi region. It seems locked to US. How can i fix this ? Can you give the default burn command settings...
www.linksysinfo.org
Click to expand...
thanks for the reply...

I have managed to get into Telnet by pressing the wifi physical button for 25sec and then telnet via windows CMD on port 23...
and then used the below commends to correct my router data...the router has been recovered and updated to recent FW....


Terijan01 said:
Once you connect to router via SSH / Telnet, please do these commands:
burnboardid
(it will show current vallue. If you see some random symbols - this setting is corrupted by XWRT 384.4 NG FW)
burnboardid U12H270T00_NETGEAR
(this command will write correct setting for Netgear R7000)
(In general Netgear routers boardid is written in start of stock FW *.chk file, please open it with HEX editor)
burnsn
(it will show serial number of your router. If you see some random symbols - this setting is corrupted by XWRT 384.4 NG FW)
burnsn 0000000000000
(real serial number is located at the bottom of your router, please look it up)
burnethermac
(displays Ethernet LAN MAC address)
burnethermac 0070C27A4485
(default correct vallue of Ethernet LAN MAC address)
burnsku 0x0002
(It will set Wifi region to World wide, if you would like to change from US region to any other region via web interface. By default you are locked to US region)
nvram set pci/0/1/macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:85
nvram set et0macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:85
nvram set pci/1/1/macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:85
nvram set 0:macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:85
nvram set pci/2/1/macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:84
nvram set 1:macaddr=00:70:C2:7A:44:84
nvram commit
(these nvram commands are optional. If you check your router MAC address via linux interface (terminal) you will see that some MAC is not written "MAC incomplete". These nvram commands will correct this error.)
nvram erase && reboot
(It will erase some empty and corrupted vallues in nvram settings. It is mandatory command if you want to install any FW. Close manually SSH / Telnet window only when router boots up by pressing [X] in top right corner.)

You will be able to install any FW you want (via web interface) Tomato / DD-WRT / XWRT / Upgrade to newer stock FW.
Primary object was to solve issue "Stuck to stock FW" on Netgear R7000. Everything else is less important.
Click to expand...
 
Considering @Legendsiro 's experience with going back to stock firmware, should the steps be changed to skip "R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.trx" (steps 8-11) and go straight to installing the latest Netgear firmware? Any issues with this approach?
 
Considering @Legendsiro 's experience with going back to stock firmware, should the steps be changed to skip "R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.trx" (steps 8-11) and go straight to installing the latest Netgear firmware? Any issues with this approach?
 
I haven't followed the development of the official Netgear Firmware, but I have the impression that you need much earlier ones from 2018, etc.
I understood from this that the newer ones do not have a special telnet rescue mode.
Losing hardware data is an accident and not a rule.
 
CM4321 said:
Considering @Legendsiro 's experience with going back to stock firmware, should the steps be changed to skip "R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.trx" (steps 8-11) and go straight to installing the latest Netgear firmware? Any issues with this approach?
Click to expand...

You cannot go straight to latest Netgear firmware. You must go to a netgear firmware *.trx which provided by xvortex first.

Anyway xvortex was aware of the issue and provided a new FW version. This one R7000-V1.0.9.26_10.2.31, it has debug page and you can easily fix CFE if you had issues like i faced.

Download:
R7000-V1.0.9.26_10.2.31
 
Legendsiro said:
Hi,

I have used this method to revert back to stock but now after doing so it won't accept any update file *.chk at all...
I wanted to try FreshTomato but now Im stuck at OFW netgear R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.

Err: "The firmware file is incorrect"

Please help...
Click to expand...
If you are on stock firmware, you need to update to a Kong firmware to break out of netgear blacklisting 3rd party firmware. That specific firmware should be dd-wrt.k3_r7000_mod.chk

Edit: found some more notes:


Flash from OEM

GUI reset then download and flash the factory-to-dd-wrt.chk file using the Netgear web interface.

NOTE:Newer Netgear firmware (1.0.9.64_10.2.64 and newer) prevents GUI downgrades, preventing DD-WRT installation (K3_R7000, build from 9/23/18 file has a lower version number, 1.0.5* that Netgear disallows). Until a new Kong .chk image is available, use this mod version which provides a larger version number (thanks to @jclehner)

Alternatively, use the TFTP installation method
 
Legendsiro said:
Hi,

I have used this method to revert back to stock but now after doing so it won't accept any update file *.chk at all...
I wanted to try FreshTomato but now Im stuck at OFW netgear R7000-V1.0.3.80_1.1.38.

Err: "The firmware file is incorrect"

Please help...
Click to expand...
I just flashed FreshTomato successfully after going back to stock following the above steps. Flash the 'freshtomato-R7000-K26ARM-2024.1-initial-64K.chk' file first from the 'Netgear initial files' directory at the top. Then flash the lastest FreshTomato firmware. There's a how-to video link in the 'INSTRUCTIONS.txt' file in the 'Netgear initial files' directory. Watch that. Went smoothly for me.
 
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