View Full Version : How to pull off default Linksys firmware via TFTP?
Mayonati
08-06-09, 11:43 AM
Hi all,
Following a previous post that I made asking which new router to get, I decided to plump for an older (In this case, CGN1 - V1.0 (http://oldwiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs(2f)Hardware(2f)Linksys(2f)WRT54GS.html )) version of the Linksys WRT54GS with the intention of installing OpenWRT and XWRT over the top of the default firmware.
One little question though - I get how to send and recieve files via TFTP, but I would like to make a backup of the current firmware (I keep going to say IOS.. Still have CCNA material on the brain, haha) from the Linksys router before I copy the OpenWRT in case something goes wrong, or in case I want to put the default firmware back on there in the future.
I get how to receive a file via TFTP - "Get <Remote_File> <Local_File>" - however, I do not know the default filenames of the firmware on the Linksys routers, and I can't find anything on Google about it. Also, according to Wikipedia, TFTP doesn't have a provision for listing directory contents.
So, what I'm asking is - Does anyone know the default filename for the firmware in a Linksys WRT54GS V1.0 (CGN1 serial), or can anyone provide a solution how I can either find it out, or maybe do some kind of wildcard "Copy * from remote to local" command to get the old IOS Firmware downloaded?
Muchos appreciation to anyone who can help me with this!
Cheator
08-06-09, 12:15 PM
Well you cna probably get it from the linksys site can you not? Whats your current version?
I don't understand why you would want to?? Can't you simply load the latest Linksys firmware should the need arise?
Mayonati
08-06-09, 12:47 PM
Cheator - Hmm - The firmware is version 2.09.1. You can download the firmware HERE (http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/support/WRT54GS/download) it seems, but it says the version of firmware for V1.0 is v4.71.4 - So they don't seem to have the older firmware (2.09.1) which I assume is better for the V1 of this router?
Trap05 - Yeah, I can do that - But I need to actually have the firmware to load it ;). Currently the firmware only exists on the router, I'm guessing that flashing it with OpenWRT will overwrite the default firmware in the memory. Once that's done, I've lost the Linksys firmware. I can download it from the site it seems.. But it's not the right one
There's really just no way to list directories or download all from the router via tftp? :(
Why are you assuming the old version is better? They update it to fix bugs/stability which I'm sure you know.
Mayonati
08-06-09, 01:00 PM
If "newer always = better", I wouldn't have had to pay over the odds for a V1 of the router which had MORE flash and memory than the latest V7 one (Only the older versions can run OpenWRT) ;)
But I'll take your point and run with it.. I'm sure I can get something sorted in the future if it goes to pot or I need to get the "proper" firmware back (for selling on or etc).
Thanks anyway ^^
Nope newer doesn't always mean better and I wasn't meaning to sound rude it just didn't make sense to me why you'd want to hang onto a 2+ yr old firmware for no obvious reason when the newest one was readily available.
Could you not have gone with a new http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190&Tpk=wrt54gl WRT54GL and been just as well off for cheaper or do they have less flash/ram
Mayonati
08-06-09, 01:30 PM
It's no worry ^^ I'd have said the same thing thinking about it. Newer firmware usually = better, I've just been a bit wary with the Linksys stuff. Which is odd, since their parent company makes basically the best networking stuff in existance.
And nope, for some inexplicable reason, they halved the mem/flash in V4 and reduced it even more after that, to the point where V1 through to V3 are preferable, V4 is ok, and V5 onwards plain do not work with OpenWRT at all:
Teh Wikkie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksys_WRT54G_series#WRT54GS)
Useful info on verifying the version - useful for ebaying (http://oldwiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs(2f)Hardware(2f)Linksys(2f)WRT54GS.html ) (Just posting these in case it helps someone on the same quest.
Lord only knows why they'd REDUCE the memory as time goes on, I can only guess they started off being generous and then thought either "Hey! We can squash this image down into a smaller file and save money on RAM" or "Hey! Let's squash this image down into a smaller file and stop people hacking Linux onto our router". Feh.
Having gone through all the menus before flashing to OpenWRT (which I am currently in the process of setting up), I can say that OpenWRT contains a LOT more stuff. By miles. Definately worth the flash if you're a geeky/hacker sort and like to tweak stuff ^^.
pharoer
08-07-09, 08:12 AM
And nope, for some inexplicable reason, they halved the mem/flash in V4 and reduced it
"Costs less" is a very easily understandable reason and a valid one too.
Mayonati
08-07-09, 08:34 AM
"Costs less" is a very easily understandable reason and a valid one too.
Maybe so, but that specific series of routers were DESIGNED to be modifyable and flashable with open-source code - they were designed to be "hacker routers" rather than general public ones, not to mention they have a whole plethora of new models for home users. So by removing the extra memory, and with it the ability to flash with custom firmware, they've basically forced a large proportion of their customers (for that specific model) to either choose another brand or hunt down an old model second-hand, cutting off their own revenue stream for that model (Or at least, reducing it greatly).
All for what, probably about 20p/cents or something per router for a few extra mb of flash? Hardly seems worth the sacrifice to me.. But then I'm a networky guy, not a business guy, so what do I know :).
Cheator
08-07-09, 08:38 AM
Maybe so, but that specific series of routers were DESIGNED to be modifyable and flashable with open-source code - they were designed to be "hacker routers" rather than general public ones, not to mention they have a whole plethora of new models for home users. So by removing the extra memory, and with it the ability to flash with custom firmware, they've basically forced a large proportion of their customers (for that specific model) to either choose another brand or hunt down an old model second-hand, cutting off their own revenue stream for that model (Or at least, reducing it greatly).
All for what, probably about 20p/cents or something per router for a few extra mb of flash? Hardly seems worth the sacrifice to me.. But then I'm a networky guy, not a business guy, so what do I know :).
They were never designed that way, they ended up that way. They released the linux version of the series so that the modders wouldn't be too ****ed off at linksys and would still buy their stuff.
Mayonati
08-07-09, 08:45 AM
So, they released a whole new linux version of a router to appease the modders when they could have just left more flash in the old one and still had modders buying that one? That's either insane, or some insanely clever marketing to get modders to buy one of their products, realise it doesn't work "How they want it to", and have to buy ANOTHER of their products. I can't decide which. Roffles.
Cheator
08-07-09, 09:15 AM
So, they released a whole new linux version of a router to appease the modders when they could have just left more flash in the old one and still had modders buying that one? That's either insane, or some insanely clever marketing to get modders to buy one of their products, realise it doesn't work "How they want it to", and have to buy ANOTHER of their products. I can't decide which. Roffles.
They sold a crapload of WRT54Gs, enough that they thought they'd take advantage of it. So they decided to remake it with a cheaper chipset and half the ram so that their profit margins would increase. They also renamed the old hardware (they didn't remake it) as WRT54GL (L is for Linux) so that it could continue to be modded.
Its what companies do, especially Linksys/Cisco. Its business.
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