MN-700
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| Revision as of 15:24, 21 September 2006 (edit) Eko (Talk | contribs) (→Installation) ← Previous diff |
Revision as of 17:18, 21 September 2006 (edit) (undo) Siafu (Talk | contribs) (→Post Installation) Next diff → |
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| === Post Installation === | === Post Installation === | ||
| - | Firmware SVN | + | Firmware [http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4770 SVN 3953] and later (post SP2) does not require any additional, post installation steps. |
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| + | <div style='color:red;text-align:center;'>Please [b]strongly[/b] consider using [http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4770 build 3953] or higher and not earlier (including SP2). Although the instructions will work, it might cause other problems later (it essentially requires the user to not use the Filter Services).</div> | ||
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| + | Firmware versions prior to this build require some nvram variables to be manually reset before the firmware will function properly (changes made to the WRT will not survive a reboot and may cause the WRT to hang when booting with an amber power light). | ||
| # Boot the WRT after installing the firmware | # Boot the WRT after installing the firmware | ||
| # Reset the filter_services2 NVRAM variable by executing the following commands either by telneting to the WRT or using the Administration -> Commands interface: | # Reset the filter_services2 NVRAM variable by executing the following commands either by telneting to the WRT or using the Administration -> Commands interface: | ||
Revision as of 17:18, 21 September 2006
Contents |
Introduction
The MN-700 is essentially a rebadged Asus WL500G WRT. Out-of-the-box it runs a WinCE based firmware with a crippled bootloader that does not support Linux based firmwares (like DD-WRT). To run DD-WRT, a new bootloader must be installed through a hardware hack (until someone comes up with a WinCE killer like the vxworks killer for the Linksys WRT54G v5. The following links provide details regarding this hack:
- LiamM.com
- Microsoft MN700 Hack Project AsusForums
- TechIMO.com version of LiamM's hack
For those who are wondering, the MN-500 has completely different hardware than the MN-700, so the instructions provided by the links above work for the MN-700 but not the MN-500. To date, it does not appear a similar hack for the MN-500 has been discovered yet.
Installation
- Follow one (or a combination) of the hardware hack guides listed in the Introduction section above to get the WL500G Stock Firmware, Oleg's Custom Firmware, or OpenWRT installed and running on the MN-700.
- Put the WRT in "hardware restoration" mode (hold down the reset button while powering on the WRT and wait until the the power light steadily alternates between green and amber).
- Upload a DD-WRT firmware with the Asus Firmware Restoration tool. (you can get DD-WRT SVN 3953 here)
Post Installation
Firmware SVN 3953 and later (post SP2) does not require any additional, post installation steps.
Firmware versions prior to this build require some nvram variables to be manually reset before the firmware will function properly (changes made to the WRT will not survive a reboot and may cause the WRT to hang when booting with an amber power light).
- Boot the WRT after installing the firmware
- Reset the filter_services2 NVRAM variable by executing the following commands either by telneting to the WRT or using the Administration -> Commands interface:
nvram set filter_services2= nvram commit
If the WRT continues to have problems with changes surviving a reboot, reset the remaining 6 filter_services nvram variables (filter_services1, filter_services2, ... filter_services7)
Reseting Defaults
Pre SVN 3949, the reset button is not supported. SVN 3949+ supports the reset button, however the "firmware restoration" mode requires a change to the standard Linksys "hold reset button for 30 seconds" procedure for resetting the WRT to its defaults. The following is how the reset button works on the MN-700:
- When the WRT is powered on
- Holding the reset button for 15-20 seconds will cause the WRT to reboot.
- Upon reboot, a pressed reset button causes the WRT to go into firmware restoration mode. This does NOT reset the defaults, but causes the WRT to enter a "pre-firmware" state, waiting for a new firmware. Either applying a new firmware through the Asus Firmware Restoration Utility or a hard reboot (removing the power) is required to exit this state (Note that entering this state does not negatively effect the current settings or firmware so it is not especially dangerous to accidentially enter firmware restoration mode -- it just gets in the way of performing a "reset button" based reset of the WRTs settings)
- Since there is little to no warning of the exact instant the WRT will reboot when holding the reset button, chances are extremely good that the reset button will still be depressed and cause the WRT to go into firmware restoration mode. Hard booting the WRT will get the WRT back, but settings will NOT be reset.
- When the WRT is booting
- Holding the reset button during the boot sequence will reset the unit to its defaults.
- Care must be taken to press the reset button right after the (amber) power light turns off immidiately after powering on the WRT and not before, to avoid going into firmware restoration mode.
Based on the above, it should be fairly self-evident that the procedure is recommended for using the reset button on the MN-700.
- Unplug the WRT
- Plug in the WRT
- The power light will blink, then glow amber
- As soon as the power light turns off, press and hold the reset button
- Hold the reset button until the power and wireless buttons glow green.
- The WRT should not be reset to its defaults