Reflash Open-Mesh to Gargoyle

[lwrver]

Is it possible to reflash a Fon 2200 directly from Open-Mesh to Gargoyle using the new Fon-Flash utility? If so, then I must be doing something wrong. Can anyone list the step-by-step procedure for this?

Thanks!

[Eric]

1) Install WinPcap (only necessary for windows)
2) Connect Fonera to your computer.
3) Power off Fonera
4) Start FonFlash
5) Select Firmware Type Gargoyle / OpenWrt
6) Select the ethernet device you are using
7) Select the Gargoyle .squashfs file as the root file
8) Select the Gargoyle .lzma file as the kernel file
9) Hit the Start button
10) Power on the Fonera
11) Wait 45minutes - 1hr, until FonFlash reports that the router has been flashed
12) Wait another 2-3 minutes while the router reboots
13) Enjoy your Fonera with Gargoyle

If you follow these steps and it still does not work please let me know at what point it stops working and what symptoms you are experiencing.

[lwrver]

Erik,
Nothing was said in the procedure about IP address, so I left the LAN port set to dynamic. When I start fonflash it says:
reading image (name of root file)
reading image (name of kernel file)
no packet
|
no packet (until the fon boots)
Then:
peer mac (mac of device)
peer IP 192.168.1.1
your mac (mac of LAN adapter)
your IP 192.168.1.0
.................................
Then nothing for awhile.
LAN status shows linited conectivity and an IP of 169.x.x.x It never terminates...

Should I set a static IP for the LAN, and what IP should I expect for the FON?

Thanks, Kip

[Eric]

You don't need to set the IP -- that gets handled automatically, though you won't see it in the Operating system configuration utilities since FonFlash uses pcap and a custom network stack to communicate with the device.

I've seen the symptom you report before, and I think what is happening is that it didn't catch the very short window of opportunity for accessing redboot. The solution is just to try again once or twice -- it's always worked for me within one or two tries. You'll know it's working because after it prints peer IP/ your mac / your IP it will say "fis init" That means it's started the actual flash procedure. That should happen in less than 2 minutes (probably less, I've never actually timed it) after you plug in the fonera.

[lwrver]

Eric, you did understand that this AP has been flashed before with Open-mesh firmware, using the linux version of "easyflash" or "AP51"? I'm using the windows XP version of "fonflash" to attempt this reflash. I have tried your procedure several times, and get the same response everytime. when I start "fonflash" and apply power to the fon it lists the expected peer and server IP's, and then the ethernet adaoter starts scanning for an IP address. That usually means that the IP of the peer is incorrect and in a different subnet from the server. I have no idea what the default IP of the OM device is. I may have to use command line to do this rather than fonflash, if it is even doable.

[aberam]

When you finish flash try putting a static ip in your pc's nic e. 192.168.1.100 and 255.255.255.0 and then try ping 192.168.1.1 which is the router. If successful then open your browser and go to the ip 192.168.1.1. Then turn on DHCP in the router. I have had incidents where the router DHCP server is off and needs a hardcoded address to access it.

Hope it helps

Have fun

Cheers

[Eric]

That's really weird. It shouldn't matter what you have installed previously, since redboot is a bootloader, and runs before any of the installed firmware. So long as you have a redboot bootloader, which is standard with the fon 2200 (I own this specific model, and I've tried it, and it works fine for me), you should be fine.

What do you mean that the adapter "starts scanning for an ip address?" That may be a problem. It may be your OS is sending data that shouldn't get sent while the flash is in progress. Maybe try either setting a static IP or flashing using a different computer. One guy I've been in touch with had a computer with a network interface card that just simply refused to work with FonFlash for some reason. When he tried it on a different comptuer it worked.

[lwrver]

Update: I was finally able to get the FON flashed using "fonflash", but I had to preset the LAN adapter to a fixed IP of 192.168.1.3 to get it to sync up during the redboot period. It has to start out connected, or it will not connect during the 5 sec redboot period. After starting fonflash it did however reset the IP to 192.168.1.0 as it was supposed to. The flash went well after that.

Now I'd like to find an easy way to reflash several gen1 Meraki AP's I have left over, that were used for early beta open-mesh testing that I'd like to recycle to use as client devices. The default IP for these devices is 192.168.84.1

Eric, maybe you could provide a way in "fonflash" to set the default IP from the user interface.

Thanks for all the help!

[ispyisail]

Update: I was finally able to get the FON flashed using "fonflash", but I had to preset the LAN adapter to a fixed IP of 192.168.1.3 to get it to sync up during the redboot period. It has to start out connected, or it will not connect during the 5 sec redboot period. After starting fonflash it did however reset the IP to 192.168.1.0 as it was supposed to. The flash went well after that.

I think you got lucky

Things to check in order

-requies a cross over cable with older equipment
-unplug power to router
-have ethernet cable plugged into pc and router eth0 port
- run "fon flash" and load files
- press "Flash Router Now"
- wait 5 seconds
- plug power into router

Thats it