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 Subject :Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-05-22- 17:32:27 
KD6PGI
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Joined: 2012-02-03- 20:45:25
Posts: 11
Location: CN95fq

Hi group,

So I have looked all over and can find no information on reverting one of my WRT54G routers back to its former firmware version. Are there any instructions for accomplishing this task??? Even reverting back to factory firmware and then I can reflash to something else would be fine. Thoughts, hints, kinks, etc.....

Thanks,

Ken

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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-05-25- 14:23:24 
ae5ae
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Joined: 2010-10-27- 00:47:17
Posts: 144
Location: Van Alstyne, TX
Ken, Just go to the Administration page after pressing the [Setup] button on the home page. In the Firmware Update section, hit [Refresh], wait for the update, and then select the WRT54G or WRT54GL firmware file to download, depending on your hardware. Hit [Download] and wait for the unit to do its thing. :) -Rusty-
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-07-07- 14:53:18 
KD6PGI
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Joined: 2012-02-03- 20:45:25
Posts: 11
Location: CN95fq
Sorry for the very late reply......but DUH! is about all I can say. Oh...and thanks Rusty. I have used it man times now in various firmware tests and trials. Ken
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-07-07- 16:21:56 
ae5ae
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Joined: 2010-10-27- 00:47:17
Posts: 144
Location: Van Alstyne, TX
We all have our moments, Ken. :D
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-06- 04:45:55 
N2FKW
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Joined: 2014-03-16- 13:25:05
Posts: 2
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Hi, Based on the FAQ and your notes above I also attempted to revert my WRT54GL to its factory state, but after hitting the refresh button the factory firmware doesn't appear on the list. It looks like trying BBHN firmware on a WRT54GLis a one way street; you can't go back!! Bob (N2FKW)
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-06- 04:54:16 
KF5JIM
Future Astronaut
Joined: 2013-07-17- 12:13:36
Posts: 250
Location: Nederland

Not true. This is what is happening in the background: http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/generic.uninstall. You have to do it manually.

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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-06- 05:38:03 
N2FKW
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Joined: 2014-03-16- 13:25:05
Posts: 2
Location
Hi KF5JIM, Thanks for the reply. Doing it manually, as described in the URL you provided, is a bit beyond my "skill set" and "comfort level". I have worked with LINUX in the past, but I'm very rusty with it and don't have a LINUX machine at my disposal. I'll leave the WRT54GL with the BBHN installation in place. I actually have 2 of the routers and tried (with a 14db gain vertical on one of them) out BBHN as an experiment in my neighborhood. The achievable range was disappointing (only a few hundred yards). I suspect that all of the leafy trees in the area are part of the problem. The whole concept of BBHN is fascinating. In my area (Syracuse NY) I suspect that a router that operated in the 900 MHZ spectrum might prove to be a better performer. Bob (N2FKW) - retired EE (utility SCADA hardware, software, and systems), with lots of experience on an IBM mainframe (assembler), some UNIX (DEC UNIX), and a Mac OSX user.
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-07- 07:34:48 
W3RC
Member
Joined: 2014-09-01- 18:58:19
Posts: 22
Location: Freeland, PA FN-21
 
Hi Bob, Just a quick note, in order to see the firmware in the pulldown list, your router has to have an internet connection to it to connect to the repository. Or, you can manually download the file from the website here and load it in using load and explore to it. As far as your node coverage, remember a Linksys' output is a mere 79mW. Any length of coax to an antenna will give high loss further degrading the output. You'd need to have the router right at the antenna with less than 2' of coax. Yes, foliage and solid objects further degrade the signal as well, but if you're already losing to coax feed, your standing in the wind. I've already shot a Ubiquity AirGrid thru foliage over a 6.5 mile path and achieved solid connections, so it can be done. I'd recommend using Ubiquiti for local access nodes, it has 600mW of power, can be directly attached to the antenna connector eliminating any loss thru coax, and is made to be outdoors. I'm sure you'd achieve much better results. Right now we have a 16.5 mile path that goes over a mountain and we connect daily. Ubiquiti AigGrid to Ubiquiti Bullet on a 24dBi grid dish. Amazing what the GHz can do!!! Though I have to admit, when I put up my 900 MHz repeaters, I also was surprised at what they did. So when the BBHN stuff connected up, I was surprised, but also reminded of my experience with my 900 stuff. Good luck Bob, John W3RC
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73,

John W3RC
 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-07- 10:48:24 
AE5CA
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Joined: 2012-05-19- 21:52:33
Posts: 81
Location
And if you want better performance the ubnt devices that use MIMO will do even better. The AirGrid and Bullet are at the bottom of my ubnt preferred device list. I will and do use them, but they are not the best performers. Clint AE5CA
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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-20- 07:10:31 
KC9OIS
Member
Joined: 2013-06-25- 22:32:51
Posts: 8
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
 

Now that BBHN v3 is out there, I thought I would post this update for anyone wanting to revert back to the factory firmware (or any other flavor) on Ubiquiti devices:

There's a lot of conflicting information between the documentation, website and real world with all the different versions and platforms now.  It will take some time to get things in sync.

Until then, information from end users helps to fill the gap. Just be careful to read the posts and double check the post dates and information before you proceed!

I've upgraded all of my nodes to BBHN v3 (a Nanostation NSM2, Loco M2, Bullet M2HP, an AirGrid M2 and several WRT54G & GS's) with no problems. It's pretty straight forward.

I  wanted to use Ubiquiti's "AirView" Spectrum Analyzer to check a few locations for noise, interference and channel usage. This required restoring my Nanostation & Bullet to factory firmware.

Last night I tried to do this with the same results on both devices. The BBHN GUI in v3 does not recognize the OEM bin files (nor any other bin files. I tried the bbhn-1.2--wrtgs_v4-2.4-squashfs.bin to flash back one version) on the Administration page under Upload Firmware. The error message is "Firmware CANNOT be updated, the uploaded file is not recognized". The only firmware that shows up under Download Firmware are BBHN .trx files. There are no OEM fimware files.

I was able to load the previous version of firmware (v1.2) on the Bullet using the Download Firmware with an internet connection, but the results were the same as v3. It still doesn't recognize the OEM firmware files or any of the bin files under Upload Firmware.

The only way I found to restore the OEM firmware was using tftp. This works pretty good for the Ubiquiti devices, but be careful with Linksys.
The Linksys device are more difficult to get into TFTP mode and can easily be bricked! BE PATIENT! Depending on memory, you may need to flash a "micro" image first and you may only be able use OpenWRT or DD-WRT since some of the older OEM firmware isn't available.

I used a Windows version of TFTP.exe downloaded from the internet. It was surprisingly simple and quick and it will work with the Linksys routers as well although, getting them into tftp mode is a bit trickier.
Here is the process I used on the Bullet M2HP:

1. Set the IP on PC to 192.168.1.100
2. Powered down the Bullet (by unplugging the ethernet cable)
3. Hold the reset button down while powering up the Bullet (plugging the ethernet cable). This puts it in tftp mode and the lights will flash red and green alternately.
4. Run the tftp.exe GUI and put in 192.168.1.1,  leave the password blank and point to the XM.xxxx.bin OEM firmware or whatever firmware you want to install. Click Upgrade.
5. Once the firmware loads, power cycle the Bullet and the factory defaults on the firmware.



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Last Edited On: 2014-10-20- 08:57:39 By KC9OIS for the Reason
Dennis, KC9OIS
 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-20- 08:37:05 
KG6JEI
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Joined: 2013-12-02- 19:52:05
Posts: 516
Location

I belive you mean 1.20 not 1.1 for a bullet

Here is the official wiki from the vendor on the subject for Ubiqutiti gear.

http://wiki.ubnt.com/Firmware_Recovery

It is also the same as our manual for initial TFTP loading on Ubiquiti

http://ubnt.hsmm-mesh.org/products/BBHN/wiki/HowTo/FlashUbiquiti#TFTP


Also you should not power cycle the device it does that on it's own as part of the flash procedure (though it doesn't harm the device as long as it's already finished flashing when you power cycle, that's adding an unneeded risk of accidentally power cycling while still flashing )

Sub note on flashing via GUI and downgrading is a case of you using the wrong file.

Linksys it only supports TRX files

Ubiquiti it is sysupgrade bin files (these are similar to trx files)

Linksys bin files and Ubiqutit factory are for boot level (TFTP) initial deployments.

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 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2014-10-20- 09:05:29 
KC9OIS
Member
Joined: 2013-06-25- 22:32:51
Posts: 8
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
 
Thanks for the clarification on the files (and catching the typo). It makes better sense now. I did use the procedure from the wiki.
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Dennis, KC9OIS
 Subject :Re:Revert BBHN back to Factory/Other Firmware.. 2017-03-22- 14:11:41 
K0SPN
Member
Joined: 2016-03-06- 22:27:12
Posts: 6
Location
I realise this is an old thread, but I also tried reverting a couple of 54GL's to DD-WRT firmware, but the node wouldn't accept the .bin files. Based on a recent attempt to update some Ubiquiti nodes, I tried renaming the files as if it was an existing mesh node upgrade file, i.e. a .trx file, and it accepted it and updated just fine. Obviously this may not work for all files or node types, but it's worth a shot, and much easier than TFTP.
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