tstaddon
join:2008-05-09
united kingd
|  [General] whr-hp-g54 stuck on encrypted firmware
Hi,
I have the whr-hp-g54 with stock firmware and the tftp method for flashing it to use Tomato or dd-wrt doesn't seem to work with it.
This isn't a case of me not knowing how to do it; I have flashed a fair number of Buffalo routers in my time (not to mention other routers).
It is literally just this one router that's not playing ball for some reason.
I've tried:
* putting a switch between client PC and router
* using Tomato and dd-wrt batch files (with & without modification)
* flashing from linux PCs as well as XP pro machines
* using the "type the command line and hit enter" method
* using different tftp clients
* using the smallest firmwares in the first instance
And no matter what I do, tftp times out. And it's ONLY that one router that does it.
The thought occurred to me, if the WHR-HP-G54DD firmware is encrypted, perhaps it can be uploaded via the admin interface...
According to Buffalo the hardware in the DD model is "quite different" to that of the non-DD model but that might not be a problem if I can upload the correct dd-wrt firmware for that router after flashing it. |
|
LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
| I've flashed many of them with no issue. Make sure to hard reset it BEFORE and after flashing. Try another LAN port and not the WAN port.
--
Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
|
tstaddon
join:2008-05-09
united kingd
| Like I said, I too have flashed many of them without issue and probably like you I never expected to come across one that resolutely refused to play ball.
Well, now I have.
I've reset it to factory defaults, and tried connecting via LAN ports 1-4, static IP address, with and without a switch in between.
Still no joy.
On the client side, I've got four machines to play with - Ubuntu 8.04, 1 laptop running XP Home SP1, 1 laptop running XP Pro and Windows 2000. I've tried using all of them to upload the firmware. None of them succeed. |
|
LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
| I wonder if holding in the reset before and while powering it up might do the trick? I haven't tried it yet so I don't know if it could brick it.
Also maybe try reloading the stock Buffalo firmware.
--
Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
|
tstaddon
join:2008-05-09
united kingd
| Just tried it. Nope.... still times out on the tftp connection.
It was running on 1.38 when I got it and I tried applying Tomato to it without success.
I had it running on 1.40 until last week, and attempted to apply dd-wrt and tomato numerous times, but didn't get any joy.
I've recently downgraded it to 1.23 and have tried everything again, but I still don't have any luck.
So... TFTP times out regardless of the firmware on the router, the source PC, the size of the firmware, the batch file method or the manual command prompt method.
That's what's bugging me. Clearly there's no issue uploading an encrypted firmware; it's the TFTP method that doesn't work. Which is why I'm thinking out of the box... if the whr-hp-g54dd has an encrypted firmware I might be able to use that to put dd-wrt on this router, and then I'd be able to flash it with a non-encrypted firmware (hopefully). |
|
darthboy
join:2007-12-31
Canada | reply to tstaddon
have you tried to TFTP an unencrypted Buffalo 1.40 onto it? If it still doesn't work, you may have to contact Buffalo or dd-wrt's main author on its forums. |
|
tstaddon
join:2008-05-09
united kingd
| Hi,
Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I've now tried that as well - and still can't flash it. So it's really looking as if Buffalo themselves are going to have to look at the problem.
As it happens, the primary reason for wanting to change the firmware is that I have clients of varying OS (2x ubuntu, 2x xp professional, 2x xp home) and they cannot even PING each other whether they're wired or wireless. The privacy seperator is definitely switched off and I can't figure out what the problem is. Even if (any) client is in the DMZ, none of the other clients can reach it.
All clients can access the internet though. |
|
darthboy
join:2007-12-31
Canada
edit:
May 14th, @04:28AM
| reply to tstaddon
hmmm
have you tried turning off AP Isolation? Is this the "privacy separator"? That would prevent wireless clients from accessing one another, though that would not explain why wired clients cannot reach wireless ones and vice versa.
The fact that you cannot even update the firmware suggests a real issue. Best if you just let Buffalo have a look. |
|
tstaddon
join:2008-05-09
united kingd
| The Privacy Seperator (which prevents clients talking to each other) is off already.
I've discovered that if I completely disable all firewall & AV on the wired PC, I can PING and RDP to a wireless client - but not access F&P services.
Oddly, the reverse is not true. I can't ping, or RDP, the wired clients from the wireless ones. Even with all firewalls etc disabled, the PING test from the router console itself fails.
The wireless clients still can't talk to the wired clients. |
|
