Cyprus-Forum.com

[Pyrpolizer]

I would like to know what was the only possible way to fix it boomers.
Open the machine, take the chip out, put it on EPROMM, and reprogram it?
Don't you have an EPROMM flasher, i mean you make VGA cards etc, no?

[erolz66]

I would like to know what was the only possible way to fix it boomers.
Open the machine, take the chip out, put it on EPROMM, and reprogram it?
Don't you have an EPROMM flasher, i mean you make VGA cards etc, no?

Assuming the issue was a corrupted firmware on the router as a result of a firmware update failing then the following process from netgears support site (already posted in this thread) would fix the problem without any need to open up the device, let alone remove chips or need external hardware to reprogram (restore a correct working firmware to) the flash rom.

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18989

[Pyrpolizer]

Yes I saw that, but Boomers said it didn't work.

I also doubt the procedure they mention there has anything to do with firmware flashing cases of complete firmware erase, and nothing written back. It seems to me the assumption is that most firmware codes are still functioning or at least the one that can connect it to a PC on a static IP address.

Notice they say due to "sudden loss of power" it seems they know what gets corrupted in the firmware and what is not in such case.
Another pre-condition is for the lamps to blink slowly.
It seems boomers router was totally dead.

[erolz66]

Yes I saw that, but Boomers said it didn't work.

actually what he said was

what the support page said is quite possible I explored a different route that actually took 2 minutes to restore the router...I timed it...

I also doubt the procedure they mention there has anything to do with firmware flashing cases of complete firmware erase, and nothing written back. It seems to me the assumption is that most firmware codes are still functioning or at least the one that can connect it to a PC on a static IP address.

Notice they say due to "sudden loss of power" it seems they know what gets corrupted in the firmware and what is not in such case.
Another pre-condition is for the lamps to blink slowly.
It seems boomers router was totally dead.

Well you are assuming that the code that allows the connection of a PC to a specific static IP and allows the writing of firmware with the put command are all stored as part of the firmware itself on the same flashable rom chip as the firmware. This assumption is not correct. The ability to connect to the device with a specific static IP and to issue commands like 'put' is NOT part of the firmware and is not held on a flashable rom but just a normal rom (that can not be re written). The router is in effect a mini pc running Linux and that is what boots up first from a non flashable rom and that is what allows the connection via a static IP and the ability to use commands like put to write a new firmware to the flashable rom that stores it. In normal operation the router boots up the Linux core stored on the non re writeable rom and then would seek to load the firmware code from the flashable rom. If that firmware code is corrupted then it will not be able to load the firmware and the normal operations of the router, including http based access to its functions will not work.

[Get Real!]

I would like to know what was the only possible way to fix it boomers.
Open the machine, take the chip out, put it on EPROMM, and reprogram it?
Don't you have an EPROMM flasher, i mean you make VGA cards etc, no?

Sorry Pyro, but he’s off line again after flashing the new device he just received!

He saw a popup message “Flash me now!” and couldn’t resist!

[Get Real!]

Well you are assuming that the code that allows the connection of a PC to a specific static IP and allows the writing of firmware with the put command are all stored as part of the firmware itself on the same flashable rom chip as the firmware. This assumption is not correct. The ability to connect to the device with a specific static IP and to issue commands like 'put' is NOT part of the firmware and is not held on a flashable rom but just a normal rom (that can not be re written). The router is in effect a mini pc running Linux and that is what boots up first from a non flashable rom and that is what allows the connection via a static IP and the ability to use commands like put to write a new firmware to the flashable rom that stores it. In normal operation the router boots up the Linux core stored on the non re writeable rom and then would seek to load the firmware code from the flashable rom. If that firmware code is corrupted then it will not be able to load the firmware and the normal operations of the router, including http based access to its functions will not work.

We should mention that it may not necessarily be a badly written BIOS update file because data corruption can occur to the downloaded BIN file during transmission (bad checksum).

Large corporations sometimes store BIOS updates on old "retired" file servers (unwise decision) because the BIN files are so small (<=640k) that it doesn't take them long to transmit and so it compensates for the slow speed of the old hardware and link, but out of sync errors can occur during transmission. Of course the device’s software should detect a bad checksum and refuse to load such a file.

[Pyrpolizer]

Yes I saw that, but Boomers said it didn't work.

actually what he said was

what the support page said is quite possible I explored a different route that actually took 2 minutes to restore the router...I timed it...

I also doubt the procedure they mention there has anything to do with firmware flashing cases of complete firmware erase, and nothing written back. It seems to me the assumption is that most firmware codes are still functioning or at least the one that can connect it to a PC on a static IP address.

Notice they say due to "sudden loss of power" it seems they know what gets corrupted in the firmware and what is not in such case.
Another pre-condition is for the lamps to blink slowly.
It seems boomers router was totally dead.

Well you are assuming that the code that allows the connection of a PC to a specific static IP and allows the writing of firmware with the put command are all stored as part of the firmware itself on the same flashable rom chip as the firmware. This assumption is not correct. The ability to connect to the device with a specific static IP and to issue commands like 'put' is NOT part of the firmware and is not held on a flashable rom but just a normal rom (that can not be re written). The router is in effect a mini pc running Linux and that is what boots up first from a non flashable rom and that is what allows the connection via a static IP and the ability to use commands like put to write a new firmware to the flashable rom that stores it. In normal operation the router boots up the Linux core stored on the non re writeable rom and then would seek to load the firmware code from the flashable rom. If that firmware code is corrupted then it will not be able to load the firmware and the normal operations of the router, including http based access to its functions will not work.

Yes most probably is like that. Most routers contain two copies of the IOS, a stripped won version that is stored in ROM and the full up-to-date version stored in Flash.

[Pyrpolizer]

I am concerned however because it became more of a rule for corporations to cheat on us.
For all those of you living in Cyprus please be very cautious as there is one big company selling factory seconds (brand new in box) laptops at extremely low prices. Of course they never admit they are factory seconds. They give you a 2 year quarantee of course. More than 50% of those laptops get returned within the first few months with serious problems, be it on memory, or the motherboard itself.
The corporation NEVER returns your money. They just give you a credit note of the amount you already paid.
And then you have no other option than buy from them again! This time however you chose some other make and model that by the price of it you judge "it cannot be factory second". Problem is you might need to pay 50% or more money on top of what you already paid.

My question is HOW ARE WE GOING TO TAKE A STANCE?
They say they don't have returns but every day you visit their showrooms you can see a few boxes of returned items behind their counter .
I can't even mention the company name in a public forum for legal reasons, but many people we know got trapped in exactly the same way, others with laptops others with tablets etc.