Vanilla firmware on an external drive

Installing and Using OpenWrt
21

I don't understand this instruction. Is the router to be connected to the PC via LAN or WAN cable?

2-1 Use the internet cable to connect your router with your computer.
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Where am I supposed to do this? Windows 11 has a completely different interface

2-4 Click [Change adapter options]

2-5 Choose your LAN.

2-6 Right-click on the [Properties]

2-7 Click [Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4)] > [Properties]

2-8 Change the properties as following:

IP address: 192.168.1.10

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Then click [OK]

2-9 Finish the setting, then click [OK]

Is this it?

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I put the router into recovery mode. I ran the recovery program, but it does not find any devices

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22

I found the right option, but the recovery program still doesn't find the router

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23

What to do? I can not start flashing through the recovery program because this program does not see the router. The router still has a working OpenWRT firmware. How do I roll back to the native firmware?

24

I found fault with my actions. The instructions say

1-4 Click [Driver and Utilities] and select your operating system.

1-5 Find [ASUS Firmware Repair] and click [Download].

In this case, the ASUS Firmware Restoration program is displayed in the screenshot. I had the ASUS Device Discovery program displayed on the same page when I selected Windows 11. And this program does not find my router. I found a way to download the correct program by clicking the “SHOW ALL” button. And again I did everything according to the instructions

3-5 Click [Browse] and select the firmware you downloaded earlier.

3-6 After selecting the file, click [Open]

3-7 Click [Download]

Note. Before downloading the file, make sure that you have already put the router into recovery mode.

Otherwise, you will not be able to use firmware recovery to update the firmware.

3-8. After checking, your router is in recovery mode.

Click [Upload] and wait for about 1 minute.

3-9 The continuous power light indicates that the rescue mode setup procedure has been successfully completed.

Wait for the router to reboot, and then click [Close].

Except mine didn't go as smoothly as the instructions. I tried flashing several times and each time I got the same error - System Restore Error.

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After that the router restarts and boots OpenWRT

25

Are you sure this recovery method works with OpenWRT? Do you need to perform any preliminary actions?

Because either this instruction is not working or I am doing something wrong....

26

No idea, your edited post makes rest if thread nonsensical

27

So after installing OpenWRT there is NO WAY to get the native firmware back?

YOU SHOULD BE WARNED ABOUT SUCH THINGS IN ADVANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

28

Hey, guys. I have a router ASUS RT-AX59U on which I installed OpenWrt 23.05.4.

Summary 
OpenWrt 23.05.4, r24012-d8dd03c46f
 -----------------------------------------------------
root@K14M:~# ubus call system board
{
        "kernel": "5.15.162",
        "hostname": "K14M.lan",
        "system": "ARMv8 Processor rev 4",
        "model": "ASUS RT-AX59U",
        "board_name": "asus,rt-ax59u",
        "rootfs_type": "squashfs",
        "release": {
                "distribution": "OpenWrt",
                "version": "23.05.4",
                "revision": "r24012-d8dd03c46f",
                "target": "mediatek/filogic",
                "description": "OpenWrt 23.05.4 r24012-d8dd03c46f"
        }
}

How do I get my router's native firmware back? I tried to flash the native firmware via LuCI but it didn't work. After rebooting the router I was greeted by OpenWRT. Besides, the native firmware file has the extension *.trx, while OpenWRT has *.bin. Probably the files are just incompatible.

I also tried to restore the native firmware using the official ASUS firmware recovery utility, but that didn't work either. During flashing the error - Automatic system recovery error, the router restarts and again I am greeted by a fully working OpenWRT.

So how do I get the native firmware back on the router?

29

No revert is assumed by default, few routers have procedures to revert posted in same wiki pages.

30

So I broke my router? Now I've lost my guarantee. Thanks guys. Helped out!

31

How did you enter OEM recovery mode?

32

As it is written in the instructions. I turned off the router, pressed the reset button and turned on the power

33

Afaik Openwrt is covered/published under GPL so just read the effing licence upfront and don't complain later.
Also, if your device has a serial port you can flash it via serial but you need to open the case so warranty is lost too.

34

OpenWRT does not change OEM bootloader, so the OEM recovery (blinking power light) should be available and detectable independently of your installed asuswrt, merlin or openwrt.
It takes about minute of continuous pressing i.e until only power led blinks. Sometimes only one cable should be connected, sometimes to first or last LAN port. i.e wan should be unconnected.

35

Which minute? By default the indicator light is on or blinking green. As soon as I press reset and turn the power on, the LED changes to purple and blinks. It does not turn purple in any other mode. I didn't even know it could do that. In addition, when the router is NOT in RESTORE MODE, the program immediately says so and does not even start flashing. But it starts flashing and at the very end it says that it failed

1 Like
36

May not be tuned for AX59U but worth trying

(immediately followed up by oem upgrade to same version)

37

How do you use it? There are no instructions in that thread, just a link to the file and that's it. There are no instructions on github either. How to add this to OpenWRT and what to do after that?

38

It modifies sysupgrade upload dialog to detect OEM firmware and flash it. Been in same place tith TUF-AX4200, though returned to OpenWRT again.

39

What to do*????????

40

What do I do with this file?