[ondanet]

My work has a bunch of older Netgear WNDR3300 routers running dd-wrt version v3.0-r36079 mini-usb-ftp (06/01/18. Long story short, they need a copy of the firmware .bin file, but none of us can find it in the download database. I see a v24_mini_generic, but not a v3 file. All the files in the K3X directory are mega builds.

Is there a way to save a copy from one of the routers (even if we need to open it up an access the 4 pin connector)?

[kernel-panic69]

They are obviously a v2, as the v1 didn't have a USB port:

https://wikidevi.wi-cat.ru/Netgear_WNDR3300v2

https://wikidevi.wi-cat.ru/Netgear_WNDR3300v1

And that has to be a 'custom image' that is somewhere in the forum or elsewhere on the internet (unless the K26 mini usb image is the right one)... Supported Devices Wiki does not show the v2 being officially supported, but I imagine that the 3400 firmware images will flash (?) - do not take that as de-facto recommendation, though, Caveat Emptor applies.

I am not scouring the forum or the rest of the internet for it, but you may wish to check MyOpenRouter and other resources. FYI, MOR requires an account to download files, usually.

"USE FORUM SEARCH" or google "search string" with appended "site:forum.dd-wrt.com" applies...

Finally, to answer your question, there IS a way to backup the entire flash via serial port, and the information you seek is on the internet somewhere. Sorry for not being more helpful, but I am at work and not going to chase this rabbit down the hole.

[ondanet]

Definitely v1 models (actual WNDR3300 without a usb port). I tried "scouring the forum or the rest of the internet for it," without any luck. No idea where it originally came from.

[kernel-panic69]

Screenshots and photos, otherwise, no concrete validation here. Can't have a K26 or K3x build on a v1 because the CPU was not supported in those builds.

[ondanet]

Per your request...

Note that the CPU Model is listed as "Broadcom BCM4704 chip rev 9" which is consistent with the v1 per the links you posted (and not the v2).

I'll post physical pics on the unit in a few.

[ondanet]

Here are the hardware pics...

[ondanet]

I seem to recall that one can connect to the serial port and break the boot using Ctrl-C. Then various commands can be issued for erasing and flashing. I just don't know/can't find out how to extract the firmware and save it to a file.

Also, would it be a .bin file like the dd-wrt firmware upgrade files, or would we need to open the routers and flash via the serial port?

[kernel-panic69]

First of all, since we're going to have to pull teeth, apparently: Are they bricked?

If not bricked, then just flash the "latest" build that is 3735552 bytes or less and move forward:

https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2024/02-27-2024-r55209/broadcom/

Yes, I know that 55460 is the "latest" on the server, but there is a problem that has resulted in 55209 being the most recent K24 version.

[ondanet]

No nothing is bricked. They have around 20 of these older routers and about 60 config files that they drop in as needed. When I mentioned upgrading from a 2018 build the IT guys all winced and stated "NOT POSSIBLE!"

I took this to mean they didn't want to rebuild the 60 or so config files. They want to add a few more routers and have the hardware, but with OEM firmware. I/they can get them to dd-wrt, but they'll need the v3.0-r36079 firmware so they can use their config files.

EDIT: To be certain that I'm understanding things correctly... The "v24" in the filename is the dd-wrt version (as it would appear on the upper right browser window, such as in the pic I posted) and doesn't refer to the kernel version, correct?

The K26 and K30 are kernel versions so, not only do they not work with v1 hardware, their current v3.0 firmware lists a 2.4 kernel.

Thus, I guess I'm looking for a file named something like "dd-wrt.v30_mini_generic.bin." I'm assuming this file uses a 2.4 kernel and is version 3.0, whereas the available file "dd-wrt.v24_mini_generic.bin," uses a 2.4 kernel and is version 2.4. Am I understanding the naming convention properly?

[kernel-panic69]

Long story short, the v24 in the filename is K24 for all intents and purposes - I am not going to pull up the information to explain in technical detail. From my report in the 55460 thread:



"There is no mini-usb-ftp file in the directory for said version, just the dd-wrt.v24_usb_generic.bin" - which again, I will assume that is the file needed now since we determined the devices are v1 and use Linux 2.4 images:

https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2018/06-01-2018-r36079/broadcom/

Good luck, you will be using an image that has known security flaws, bugs, and supports non-existent usb hardware in the devices, which I cannot further support in good conscience. I encourage your IT folks to live in the now and test their configurations on the current release, because I/we do not support an almost 6-year-old firmware version.

[ondanet]

Oh, so if the v24 equals k24 (so to speak) then the versions posted may be v3.0?? How does one tell the version without flashing it? Is this possible?

Any idea as to the command to extract and save the firmware via an internal serial connection?

As for being outdated, I agree with everything you said, but I don't get to make these decisions. Thankfully, they are using them on our internal LAN; still not smart, but better than being exposed on the internet.

EDIT: This is very confusing because if you look here: https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2018/06-01-2018-r36079/broadcom_K26/

The files names also have v24 in them (such as: dd-wrt.v24-36079_NEWD-2_K2.6_openvpn.bin) so if the v24 is kernel then shouldn't the names have v26 in them instead of v24? I see the K26 so that portion must be the kernel, no?

Likewise, https://download1.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2018/06-01-2018-r36079/broadcom_K3X/ also has a similar naming convention. For instance, dd-wrt.v24-36079_NEWD-2_K3.x_mega.bin.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, only trying to better understand all of this as it has piqued my interest.

[lexridge]

Your IT guys are lazy! Take one of those MANY routers, and test flash it with a r55209 and see if it works. It actually might! It's not freaking rocket science.

A business that is using this ancient equipment must not be making much money, or they could certainly afford to get better equipment.

[ondanet]

[kernel-panic69]

Ok, let me backtrack: v24 is a quirk specific to Broadcom firmware images in the /broadcom, /broadcom_K26, broadcom_K3X, and /broadcom_K3X_mipsel32r1 folders, but they have all been "v3.0" for quite some time (first folder to have broadcom_K3X is from 2013: https://ftp.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/downloads/betas/2013/12-12-2013-r23082/). Anyhow, your screenshots showed Linux 2.4, so the folder in question is /broadcom that is to be used to get files from. That being said, there is plenty of information about serial console access and reverse engineering and other content on how to dump the flash chip contents throughout this forum and the Internet if that's what you thing is best rather than using the mini usb file. Again, as corroborated by @lexiridge, we recommend upgrading and not using such an outdated and no longer supported version of this firmware. Happy Hunting.

[lexridge]