Asus RT-AC58U Flashing firmware issue

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hi all,

I´m new to OpenWrt stuff, but i was able with a help from this forum to install it using asus oem fw webgui.
My point was to turn the router to client mode.
Unfortunately now i cannot flash it back to original asus firmware, neither any other openwrt. If I try upload any fw image ( Original ASUS, OpenWrt in .bin .trx .itb format ), I always receive this error message:

The uploaded image file does not contain a supported format. Make sure that you choose the generic image format for your platform.

Here on forum i found few tips how to do it via ssh, but they all seem too generic to understand them properly and apply them. I dont have much experience with it and i dont want to experiment too much, as i dont want to brick it...
Can someone please try to help me with some detailed manual or remotely...

Thanks for reading

2

"My point was to turn the router to client mode."

Not possible?

3

It was possible, but many functions as USB support etc are off ( not easily configurable via webgui ). And for some reason i cannot make the client work on 5Ghz. Only 2,4ghz works fine as client. I will design the network the other way, but i need to get this AC58 to default fw, so I can use it somewhere else.

4

Hi, radek

What do you mean by installing using "asus oem fw webgui", can you point to the instructions that you used?

5

Hi kent_c,
I have uploaded OpenWrt image via asus original webgui ( firmware upgrade ). But now I cannot do the same "backwards"

6

An which image did you upload this way?
I am asking because uploading via the original webgui does not work for the official images listed at https://openwrt.org/toh/hwdata/asus/asus_rt-ac58u.

7

True story kent_c, I have used image repacked to .trx. I didnt pay much attention that source is not original one :frowning: I was hopin to re-upgrade it afterwards to original one. I saw many video manuals and everyone was loading first image and than flashed again via webgui with original .bin or .itb file.
So i have to admit I probably dont have the original one now.

8

OK, but did you take that image from somewhere on the net? Or did you package it yourself?

9

I have it downloaded from mediafire link provided in previous message. I didnt package it myself.

10

From what I have read around here, this is what I think would be the procedure to go back to the stock firmware - but anybody should comment in case this is not right:

  • http://lede-ac58u.zyxmon.org/HowToFlashENG.html - at the bottom of the page are the commands needed to remove the installed OpenWrt; after this, there is no firmware installed and the router is "stuck" at boot and waits for a new firmware to be transferred from the computer
  • at this point, the Asus FW restoration utility can be used to flash the original firmware (the utility should be available on the Asus site or maybe on the CD that came with the router)
11

Thanks a lot kent_c. I didnt know about this ASUS FW restoration tool. I didnt even have to remove the openwrt. Using hw reset button and power cycling the router i have switched it to rescue mode. After that i have used the tool and after 5 minutes, all done. Thank you once more for all the help :slight_smile:

12

I'm glad I could help :slight_smile:
How exactly does that reset work: do you keep the reset button pressed while you power on the router?

13

Yes, you keep it pressed, turn the router on, wait 5 sec until power LED starts blinking very slowly. Then you can upload new FW. Cool thing.