Steve
I'm a PC, so shut up
Consultant
join:2001-03-10
Yorba Linda, CA
| How to upgrade Netopia R-Series firmware online
The nice folks at Netopia have done a very good job at making their R-Series routers upgradable online, and I've done this dozens of times -- including remotely -- and it's always gone very smoothly. But enough people mistakenly think they have to download the firmware file onto a local TFTP server that I'll describe how to do this online.
Disclaimer: - Netopia says you should save your configuration (to a local TFTP server) before doing any fireware upgrade, but I have never done this. They are very specific that if you are upgrading from beta firmware that you must do this, but I've not used beta. Maybe I live a charmed life, if you don't save your config and lose your config: "Sorry" 
Note that you do not need to download the firmware file from the Netopia web site - the whole idea of this process is to avoid that step and do the upgrade directly.
Step 1:
Telnet to the router itself and logging in with your user name and password. You can do this locally or over the internet to a remote router (as I do with customers).
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
The name of the TFTP server should always be tftp.netopia.com, and if it doesn't work for you, it probably means you don't have DNS set up correctly. Get that fixed before you continue the upgrade. The firmware filename also changes on each release, though most of the time when new FW is posted, we note the filename here. Then navigate to "Get Router Firmware From Server" and press RETURN.
Step 5:
Cursor to "CONTINUE" and press RETURN.
Now the router downloads the firmware file, updating "TFTP Current Transfer Bytes" - most releases are around a megabyte. Once it's downloaded, the router reboots and the new firmware is in place.
A big fat sloppy thank you to Netopia for making this such an easy router to upgrade and for providing a public TFTP server for this purpose.
Steve
P.S. - Thanks to Valkyre for the PaintShop Pro help - I'm such a moron with images
--
Stephen J. Friedl • Software Consultant • Tustin, California USA • »www.unixwiz.net
[text was edited by author 2002-01-16 19:08:52] |
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sff
join:1999-07-20
New Rochelle, NY
|  You are correct this will work just fine upgrading directly from their website. 99.99% of the time you will not have any problems. If you feel comfortable with this minimal risk, it is a great way to go. By the way your posting is great, I wish everyone documented as well as you do!
However, if any component of the internet fails  , hangs etc... such that the TFTP fails, you are left with a useless nice blue box with a Netopia logo on it. There is probably no way to recover from a failed firmware upgrade without sending the box back to Netopia. Obviously, if the firmware is not fully loaded you can't get onto the console to tell it to download the firmware again.
Since, I do this kind of stuff at work all the time, I follow these procedures at work and at home. I only do firmware upgrades from a local server, where I know that both the server and router are on a UPS. That way only a failure of either the UPS, PC tftp server or Router can lead to a useless router.
-Stew |
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Doppelbock
join:2000-08-20
Oceanside, CA | reply to Steve
If that should happen you just need to press the internal reset button and reconfigure everything. I realize that's extra work but it's better than being completely stranded. |
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oOOOo
join:2001-12-10 | And beats spending unnecessary bucks when 10 minutes with a screwdriver are all that is needed. Any pointers to finding that internal reset button? Thanks. |
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Anon | reply to Steve
External reset on the backside of any R-Series.
A little slot to the lft and down from the label. |
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oOOOo
join:2001-12-10 | And there it is. Don't even have to open the case. Thanks! |
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sff
join:1999-07-20
New Rochelle, NY
| reply to Steve
I am not totally sure that I am correct! However, are you TOTALLY sure that pushing the reset button will restore half loaded firmware. I would want to hear that directly from Netopia, before I counted on that advice. I would not want to have to pay for another R9100 router, if this advice was wrong and I accidentally fried my firmware.
I am quite sure that hitting the reset button will undo any customizations you have made to the router (like if you accidentally blocked all admin access and then block all traffic, or forgot the password).
Here is a quote from the R9100 documentation (Troubleshooting section A3). What do you think it means?
(begin quote)
How to reset the router to factory defaults
Lose your password? This section shows how to reset the router so that you can access the console screens once again. Keep in mind that all of your connection profiles and settings will need to be reconfigured.
If you don't have a password, the only way to get back into the Netopia R9100 is the following:
1. Turn the router upside down.
2. Referring to the diagram below, find the paper clip size Reset Switch slot.
3. Carefully insert the larger end of a standard size paper clip until you contact the internal Reset Switch. (No need to unwind the paper clip.)
4. Press this switch.
5. This will reset the unit to factory defaults and you will now be able to reprogram the router.
(end quote)
There is a similar discussion in another forum about SMC routers, which indicates, from actual experience, that their routers cannot recover from a bad firmware load. See: »How much did I mess up?
-Stew |
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citysource
Premium
join:2002-03-06
Cambridge, MA | reply to Steve
On the other hand, if you set up a TFTP server, then you can save copies of your setup, and you have a local copy of the firmware around (in case you blow things up so badly you can't connect to tftp.netopia.com). |
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Doppelbock
join:2000-08-20
Oceanside, CA
| reply to Steve
I have some Netopia's around my office so I can test the statement I made about a hard reset restoring half-loaded firmware.
***ten minutes later***
The Netopia downloads the entire firmware file and then flashes the update, this prevents a network glitch from corrupting your router. I pulled the Ethernet cable out of my router while the firmware was downloading and it had no problems, it just continued on with the old firmware.
I then completed a full firmware download and powered off the router while it was flashing the upgrade (you can see the power switch flashing red while the console and aux lights flash green rapidly. When I powered it back on it would not complete a boot sequence, all the lights across the top remained lit.
I then pressed the hidden hard reset button and the lights flashed orange for a second but went back to solid green. Apparently if there is a power interruption while the firmware is being flashed then you are out of luck. If something happens before the file has been completely downloaded you should be okay.
Please note that this applies whether you download the firmware to your PC and then load it to the router locally or whether you load the firmware to the router straight from Netopia over the Internet. No matter what you appear to only be vulnerable during that 10-15 seconds while the firmware is actually being flashed.
I have no official connection to Netopia, all statements are based on first-hand experinece working with Netopia routers on a daily basis.
[text was edited by author 2002-03-07 15:03:47] |
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sff
join:1999-07-20
New Rochelle, NY | Thanks for providing the definitive answer!
-Stew |
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Doppelbock
join:2000-08-20
Oceanside, CA | reply to Steve
Unfortunately I have to send that router back to Netopia with my next RMA but at least I know the answer now too.
Note to self: never upgrade firmware during lightning storms, brownouts etc. |
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