Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 22:37 Post subject: Netgear wnr2000 V2
Hi
I have several of these old routers running dd-wrt.
All bar one are on DD-WRT v24-sp2 (03/25/13) mini - build 21061 and I am looking to download this firmware again for the remaining router (for as far as I know this is the only build that allows my requirement to run in Repeater Bridge mode)
I have searched all over the site and cannot find any reference to it. In fact I cannot find any reference to v24-sp2 at all.
I did wonder if I could download an image of one of my working routers, but don't think this is possible?
Anyone help me in finding this firmware please?
Also it seems the router I wish to modify will not install new firmware from the admin tab.
I have attempted to install several other firmwares using this method and when it reboots the current existing firmware remaines untouched - DD-WRT v24-sp2 (03/19/15) vpn-small - build 26490
I guess the once I have a copy of the firmware I am seeking I will be able to update using some TFTP method?
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14249 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:04 Post subject:
It would be ideal to try and test the most current release in RB mode, but 21061 is listed by number and date on the download servers *not* by v24-sp2.
Thank you for guiding me to the download location; I thought I had looked everywhere and had definitely looked in the 03-25-2013-r21061 directory several times and found the the sub directory for Netgear WRN2000v3 listed. As no WRN2000v2 was listed I figured that it had either been removed or I was looking in the wrong root directory.
Are the browser suggestions because you think if I try to attempt an install using Admin/GUI approach using one of them you feel it may work, or is there some functionality within those browsers that you suggest I should be using?
I will definitely take your recommendation of trying the latest build first.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14249 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2022 16:12 Post subject:
Older builds are especially finnicky with Chromium-based browsers, apparently and Firefox / IE was always a go-to solution. I personally use these portable browsers in private browsing mode without any extras loaded without issue. TFTP is another option on this router, so is command line flash.
The story so far ... in summary I think I am now done for on this device.
So I tried to upgrade both the 21061 and the current 48296 releases using Pale Moon and still would not install either.
I then noticed in the router specific flashing text that said that on upgrading one should "use Flash a K2.6_mini.bin". I found this in the appropriate directory and figured it was some sort of generic upgrade which could be applied on top of the initially flashed chk file. What you probably know, and I later found out, is that this bricks the router.
However at least I could communicate with it for a few seconds as it booted and after a few hours of of rebooting, restarting ,pulling the plug in and out and shorting out various pins on the board, I got to talk to it long enough to TFTP the OEM firmware back and got it working.
This morning I attempted to upgrade to the current DD-wrt firmware (48296) using the OEM Netgear GUI and all looked good. Followed all the instructions in the peacock- 30/30/30, 5 min waits, etc. to the letter and although the router seems to go through some sort of boot routine, I cannot even ping it now.
I think it is now truly bricked.
Unless somebody knows of some other tricks that I might try in order to get this thing talking I think I will now be having to give up, as I would prefer to spend 15 quid on an eBay unit, rather than learn about the intricacies of soldering cables and attempting to talk to it using interfaces of which I have no understanding and would have to research.
Joined: 16 Aug 2021 Posts: 81 Location: Oxford, UK.
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 15:01 Post subject:
I was able to find the pinout for the WNR2000v3, but not your v2. It is possible that you might not need to solder anything. But, you may need to whip the case off and take a peek. You would need a USB-to-Serial cable to communicate over though. And with all that said, if your hardware is faulty, it may not take the flash anyway.
I’d definitely have a play with it. And my cable has come in handy for other things too, so well-worth the couple of quid! _________________ Hardware (Device/Firmware/Roles):
Netgear RAX50 | Stock | Gateway, DHCP, AP, NAS.
Netgear WNDR4500v2 | FreshTomato | Router, WAP (2G), WDS-AP (5G), Samba, Torrent Client.
Netgear WNDR4500v2 | FreshTomato | Router, WAP (2G), WDS-AP (5G).
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14249 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 15:34 Post subject:
Lack of reporting on these routers is an oversight that I have no control over. Without a serial log, etc. there isn't any way to fix what may be broken with the mini.bin file, although the trailed .chk file should still flash. You should be able to TFTP it back to stock; maybe even nmrpflash will work on this device. This is where I could offer to take it off your hands so that I can collaborate with the developer to see what is broken... _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
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Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
So after leaving the what-I-considered-to-be-dead router for a couple of days (wouldn't even respond to a pings on boot), I decided to give it one last chance.
After playing the hokey-cokey for ten minutes, or so, with shorting out pins on the board and pulling/re-establishing the power in varying combinations, I was astonished when it suddenly started replying to the ping requests. For details of the pins to short, if you find yourself in this last chance saloon anytime in the future, see this post: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=81013&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
I quickly TFTP'd an old version of DD-WRT (12/24/10 15962) to it and all was fine.
I then decided to try and use the GUI to upgrade to the firmware that I am using on my other, identical, routers - (03/25/13 21061), as I know it to be both stable and to do everything that I want. This failed with a message telling me as much.
Anyhow, as it turns out the older firmware seems to work fine in the repeater-bridge configuration that I need, so I am going to put up with the quirky indicator lights that the older firmware seems to feature and just get on with the rest of the project that I needed the router for.
Great to have such a friendly and useful forum and I thank you all for your advice.
The only likely way to find out is to flash these devices via CLI if webUI upgrade does not work; this may reveal a firmware image size problem - but if it flashes and the router works as expected in Repeater or RB modes, then maybe we can clear out some outstanding bug tickets... _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
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Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
1) You can probably skip step 0 and go directly to DD-WRT version 21061.chk using nmfpflash My command was this, but yours may be different. nmrpflash.exe -i net8 -f dd-wrt.v24-21061_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini-WNR2000v2.chk Find your net setting with nmfpflash -L Note the initial flash with the .chk extension. https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2013/03-25-2013-r21061/broadcom_K26/dd-wrt.v24-21061_NEWD-2_K2.6_mini-WNR2000v2.chk This initial firmware flash was weird. I tried simple commands like Admin to reboot, and I would lose connectivity. I did a 30-30-30 reset and got 21061 to respond to a reboot correctly through the Admin tab. Once you have it rebooting successfully, move to step 2.
Could be user error or unnecessary 30/30/30 on MIPSR2 (?). I will, however, make a note and reference this thread on both your findings of 21061 and 54652. _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
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Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
