# Solved: **Netgear WGT624 v2 upgrade hoses router permanently**



## ElvisROCKS! (Aug 22, 2006)

I just tried updating the firmware on my Netgear WGT624 that I've owned for 1.5 years, it hosed it! According to their web site, the only thing that can be done is either hold the reset button for 30-60 seconds or if that doesn't work, you need to buy a NEW router.  

Warranty is only good for one year, now I'm stuck with the cost of having to buy a new router because of owning it 1.5 years. I upgraded with THEIR upgrade, which hosed the router, now they want me to buy a new one. Good way to build those sales numbers I guess. THEIR "upgrade" hosed MY router and I have to pay? I'm not happy about that and I've questioned them on it. Netgear is now deleting my posts because I point out in no uncertain terms that this is...let's say, not right. 

I had nothing but problems with the setup since I got it, they would not do anything to fix it. I was constantly losing my connection and having to reboot the router. It was not due to local interference (like a 2.4ghz phone), I believe it was because it would get so hot. Apparently this was a known issue, but Netgear already had our money, so Caveat Emptor seems to be their feeling on the matter.

Thought everyone should know what they'd be dealing with if they have a problem with their Netgear products.

Looks like Linksys is the way to go! DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR NETGEAR ROUTER, IT COULD BE THE LAST TIME YOU USE IT!


----------



## UNIKSERV (Feb 2, 2002)

Ok, it looks like you've bricked your router. As it turns out openWRT has firmware that you can upload to your router and you can find a brick recovery how-to with their firmware, however, if there's something physically wrong with your router obviously the firmware can't help you. You can find your router on their compatibility list here -->http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware
This is their manual --> http://wiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs
This is their troubleshooting guide --> http://wiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs/Troubleshooting make sure to take a look at the recovering from bad firmware section.

Joe


----------



## ElvisROCKS! (Aug 22, 2006)

Well thank you UNIKSERV, I'll give it a try! You've been much more helpful than Netgear! I appreciate it!


----------



## UNIKSERV (Feb 2, 2002)

It's alot of reading but if you can get it to work you'll have a much better router than you started with.
Let us know if you were able to get the firmware working, I'm curious.

Joe


----------



## Alwaystinkering (Feb 11, 2007)

My WGT624 v2 was bricked during a firmware upgrade about three weeks ago. I have managed to build a serial interface cable from a CA-42 (WTO4800317) Nokia data cable and can access VxWorks (the OEM web interface that comes with the WGT 624 v2). My problem is a corrupted boot file called /fl/APIMG1, which simply will not load. If there is a flash available that can restore the /fl/APIMG1 to it's original, and a method whereby VxWorks can be used to flash the chipset so that I can "unbrick" the WGT624 v2, please let me know. Also many thanks to UNIKSERV for providing the links to openWRT. Perhaps ElvisRocks may have had some success?? At http://wiki.openwrt.org/OpenWrtDocs/Hardware/Netgear/WGT624 in section 1.5, there seems to be a way to "boot via TFTP" but it's over my head; and even if I did manage this, I still need the /fl/APIMG1 file to fix my problem.


----------



## CoolHandJoe (Jan 1, 2007)

If there's some firmware at DDWRT that you can use for your router then you may be able to upload it. On the site there's a link to a tftp program that you can use to try uploading the new firmware. The issue is that you only have at most a few seconds while the router is trying to boot to connect to the router to upload the new firmware. So, what you have to do is restart your router and right away start trying to upload the firmware 2 and three times on each attempt. You'll fail a bunch of times but try as many as 20 or 30 times before you quit because it's a very narrow window that you have at the beginning to initiate the tftp connection to the router. I'd love to tell you which software it was but I don't recall which one it was, however, you can probably find a free tftp client on the internet.
Let me know how that goes. 

Joe


----------



## Alwaystinkering (Feb 11, 2007)

Thanks for the help - have to go to work now - will keep you posted on the progress


----------



## chyang (Aug 28, 2007)

Alwaystinkering said:


> Thanks for the help - have to go to work now - will keep you posted on the progress


Do you have any updates on that?
Have you tried to extract the img from the firmware downloaded from the web site as the wiki said? Can you verify whether it works or not? Thanks.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

*chyant*, this is a 6 month old thread, if you have a new issue, please start a new thread.


----------



## ElvisROCKS! (Aug 22, 2006)

Guys...I found it more cost effective to just go out and buy a Linksys router. I read all the instructions and garbage associated with it and decided spending $60-70 bucks and just not purchasing another Netgear product was my best bet. All the time I would spend reading up on how to fix it, and rebooting the system multiple times, the aggrivation it would have caused, etc, I just would have wasted a lot of time. And it still might not have fixed it.

Lesson learned....DON'T BUY NETGEAR! If they can't create hardware that can be easily updated, and they won't fix an issue that THEY'RE update hosed, they're not worth wasting your time, and especially your MONEY on.


----------



## ElvisROCKS! (Aug 22, 2006)

P.S. FYI...I haven't had ONE issue with the Linksys router since I bought it.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Glad to hear it. 

*You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the top of the page in the upper right corner.©*


----------



## xga (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi guys,

I managed to unbrick my Netgear WGT624 v2 router. There wasn't a lot of info on the Internet on how to go about this, so I wrote a step by step guide on how to do it.

You can read the guide here. http://www.embraceit.com.au/wgt624/

Hopefully this information is helpful to others.

Cheers,

xga.


----------



## ElvisROCKS! (Aug 22, 2006)

Right on xga, excellent step by step guide!


----------

