II. Resetting & Router Firmware
ExpiredDrayTek Firmware Recovery with Apple macOS TFTP client
DrayTek Vigor Routers - DrayOS Firmware Recovery with Apple macOS TFTP client
If your DrayTek Vigor router is not operating normally, then it is very likely that it can be successfully returned to normal operation by performing a firmware upgrade, using the TFTP utility built into Apple's macOS operating system.
If a DrayTek Vigor router is in an inoperable state either due to a failed firmware reflash or any other reason, the router can be manually put into TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) mode - this is a function separate from the main firmware that makes it possible to reflash the firmware when the router is not able to start up normally.
When a DrayTek Vigor router is in TFTP mode, its IP address is 192.168.1.1, it will respond to Ping and TFTP connections from any TFTP client software.
There are two firmware file types that can be sent to the router:
| Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ALL File | v2860_3891_576D17.all | The firmware will be upgraded to this version and retain all existing settings |
| RST File | v2860_3891_576D17.rst | The firmware will be upgraded to this version and the router will be reset to its factory default settings |
Firmware Recovery Pre-requisites
- Download the correct Firmware for your DrayTek Vigor router
- Apple macOS computer with Ethernet port (either internal or USB adapter) and Administrator access - required to set IP address
DrayTek Firmware Recovery Procedure
Firmware recovery is easiest to complete in this order, which this guide will be covering at each step:
| 1 | Download and extract the router's firmware |
| 2 | Configure the computer's Ethernet port IP address settings |
| 3 | Open a Terminal window and start a constant ping to the router's TFTP IP address |
| 4 | Set up the computer's TFTP utility, preparing it to send firmware |
| 5 | Power up the router in TFTP mode and connect the router to the computer |
| 6 | Wait for the router to restart with the new firmware |
Step 1 - Download and extract DrayTek Firmware
Download the correct Firmware for your DrayTek Vigor router and extract it. Open that directory in Finder and leave the window with the containing directory clickable/selectable. This will be needed to set up the TFTP utility later.
Step 2 - Configure computer's IP address
Disconnect the computer that will be sending the firmware from its networks, both Wired - disconnect the cable, and Wireless - disable the wireless adapter or enable Airplane mode.
Open System Preferences:
In System Preferences, go to Network:
In the Network settings, select the Ethernet adapter and configure it with these settings:
| Configure IPv4 | Manually |
| IP address | 192.168.1.10 |
| Subnet mask | 255.255.255.0 |
| Router | <leave this blank> |
Click Apply to reconfigure the Ethernet adapter and move on to the next step.
Step 3 - Ping the router's TFTP IP address
Open the Terminal from Finder, in the Applications > Utilities menu:
In the Terminal window, type "ping 192.168.1.1" and press enter. This will start a constant ping to the TFTP IP address, which is useful to determine when the router's TFTP server is ready to accept firmware.
The pings to 192.168.1.1 will not receive a response, which is normal at this stage. Leave this running in the background and move on to the next step.
Step 4 - Prepare the macOS TFTP utility
The Apple macOS TFTP utility is a command line TFTP client that can "put" (send) a file to a TFTP server. In this case, uploading firmware to the router's TFTP server for recovery. This requires navigating to the firmware directory in Terminal to be able to send that firmware from the TFTP utility.
With the ping to the router's IP running in one Terminal window, open an extra Terminal window by clicking Shell > New Window:
In the new Terminal window, type "cd " (note the <space> character, this is important). Then in the Finder window with the router's firmware directory, click and drag the firmware directory onto the Terminal window like so, then press Enter to go to the firmware directory in the new Terminal window:
Now that the Terminal window is operating in the router firmware directory, type in each of these commands in order, pressing Enter after each:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| ls | Lists the contents of the current directory, which gives a useful reference of the firmware file names |
| tftp 192.168.1.1 | Starts the TFTP utility in preparation to connect to "192.168.1.1" when it is available |
| binary | Sets the TFTP utility into binary mode, required for sending files |
| timeout 180 | Sets the TFTP utility's timeout to 180 seconds, so it will wait 3 minutes before giving up this connection attempt |
| put <firmware file> | Sends the specified file to the TFTP server. This is case sensitive and an incorrect filename will give an error message, in which case just re-type the "put" command |
With those commands entered, the Mac's TFTP utility will wait 3 minutes for the connection. Now the router can be put into TFTP mode to receive the firmware.
Step 5 - Activate TFTP Mode
Remove the router from its normal fitted position and connect it directly to the Apple Mac running the TFTP Utility.
TFTP mode is activated by powering up the Vigor router while the Factory Reset button is pressed in. This requires a pen tip or paperclip to press the recessed reset button.
When pressed, the reset button will make an audible clicking sound as the button is depressed.
TFTP Procedure Steps
| 1 | Connect power to the router |
| 2 | Switch off the router using the power switch |
| 3 | Press and hold the Factory Reset button |
| 4 | While still holding the Factory Reset button, turn on the router with the power switch |
| 5 | The router will power up, taking a few seconds to load the TFTP mode |
| 6 | All of the LAN LEDs will blink on briefly, indicating that the router's LAN ports are now active |
| 7 | The router's LEDs will flash in an alternating pattern as shown in the tabs below |
| 8 | Let go of the Factory Reset button, the router will stay in TFTP mode for around 2 minutes, after which the router will reboot into normal operating mode |
Once the router has powered up in TFTP mode, it should begin responding to the pings being sent from the Terminal window in the background:
1. Check that the computer IP is set to an IP address in the 192.168.1.x range
2. Try the router's normal LAN IP address instead of the TFTP mode default address - this may require changing the computer's IP address to match the subnet
Once the router's TFTP server is active, the Mac's TFTP utillity will connect to it and send the firmware file:
Step 6 - Wait for the router to restart with the new firmware
Once the firmware has been sent to the router, wait for it to load the uploaded firmware file.
- Older routers such as the Vigor 2820 and Vigor 2830 can spend up to 5 minutes upgrading firmware.
- Newer routers such as the Vigor 2860 and Vigor 2862 can finish upgrading within 1-2 minutes.
Do not power off the router until it has rebooted with the new firmware and is back to normal operation
Once the router has restarted, the ACT light should blink once per second, indicating that it is operating normally:
If the Vigor router had standard .all firmware sent to it, the router will be accessible on the IP address it was on prior to the reflash with all original configuration present. Connect it back up to the network and use the router as normal.
If the Vigor router had .rst firmware sent to it, the router will be back to its factory default configuration, with an IP address of 192.168.1.1. Connect it back up to the network and reconfigure the router.
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- First Published: 01/08/2018
- Last Updated: 22/04/2021