Hi SMB folks. I am unable to get my AC66U_B1 into rescue mode in order to flash non-ASUS Firmware. I've run out of ideas of what I could be doing wrong!
I bought the router in used condition a week ago on ebay. White sticker on back says "HW Ver. B2" and "production year 2020". Text imprinted on the back says it's model B1 though. It boots up and works fine with the supplied ASUS firmware (3.0.0.4.386_49703).
Official ASUS instructions to enter rescue mode are: "While pressing reset button, plug in AC power cord into back of unit, hold reset button until power LED slowly flashes and then release."
However, it never flashes. The LED remains solid. After holding down for a minute, the power LED turns off and the unit remains unresponsive until I reboot it again (whereupon it boots up fine into the ASUS firmware).
From what I've read it should go into rescue mode after 5-10 seconds, however I've held the reset button for as long as a couple of minutes in different tests I've done.
I read that the WPS and reset buttons can sometimes get mixed up. My testing shows holding the WPS down causes the power LED to rapidly blink after 20-30 seconds. I release the WPS button and it immediately reboots with the NVRAM cleared. This is apparently expected behavior. This also allowed me to test attempting to get into rescue mode before/after doing a NVRAM reset, with no difference.
The reset button seems to be functioning. When the unit is running normally, holding it down for 5 seconds causes the device to reboot.
There was a ASUS firmware update available in the web panel. I updated to that (49703, forgot what the old version was called). But it didn't make a difference (either before or after update).
I tried to see if maybe the unit does get into rescue mode but the power LED just doesn't flash. However, after setting my computer, connected to LAN port 1, to 192.168.1.10, 192.168.1.1 doesn't ping and the ASUS firmware restoration utility after 30 seconds says unit is not in rescue mode. Made sure computer didn't have another adapter enabled, etc.
Doesn't make a difference whether I try by holding reset button and plugging in power cord, or pressing power button instead, or holding reset button 5 seconds before powering on, or pressing simultaneously while powering on, etc.
Doesn't make a difference if I leave ethernet cables plugged in, or unplugged, when turning unit on.
I couldn't find any mention that the firmware or hardware of this router would disallow rescue mode. Everything I've read suggests the unit should be able to get into rescue mode.
So that's it... everything I can think of. My next plan of action is to return and try new hardware.
Any thoughts before I return it would be appreciated!
I bought the router in used condition a week ago on ebay. White sticker on back says "HW Ver. B2" and "production year 2020". Text imprinted on the back says it's model B1 though. It boots up and works fine with the supplied ASUS firmware (3.0.0.4.386_49703).
Official ASUS instructions to enter rescue mode are: "While pressing reset button, plug in AC power cord into back of unit, hold reset button until power LED slowly flashes and then release."
However, it never flashes. The LED remains solid. After holding down for a minute, the power LED turns off and the unit remains unresponsive until I reboot it again (whereupon it boots up fine into the ASUS firmware).
From what I've read it should go into rescue mode after 5-10 seconds, however I've held the reset button for as long as a couple of minutes in different tests I've done.
I read that the WPS and reset buttons can sometimes get mixed up. My testing shows holding the WPS down causes the power LED to rapidly blink after 20-30 seconds. I release the WPS button and it immediately reboots with the NVRAM cleared. This is apparently expected behavior. This also allowed me to test attempting to get into rescue mode before/after doing a NVRAM reset, with no difference.
The reset button seems to be functioning. When the unit is running normally, holding it down for 5 seconds causes the device to reboot.
There was a ASUS firmware update available in the web panel. I updated to that (49703, forgot what the old version was called). But it didn't make a difference (either before or after update).
I tried to see if maybe the unit does get into rescue mode but the power LED just doesn't flash. However, after setting my computer, connected to LAN port 1, to 192.168.1.10, 192.168.1.1 doesn't ping and the ASUS firmware restoration utility after 30 seconds says unit is not in rescue mode. Made sure computer didn't have another adapter enabled, etc.
Doesn't make a difference whether I try by holding reset button and plugging in power cord, or pressing power button instead, or holding reset button 5 seconds before powering on, or pressing simultaneously while powering on, etc.
Doesn't make a difference if I leave ethernet cables plugged in, or unplugged, when turning unit on.
I couldn't find any mention that the firmware or hardware of this router would disallow rescue mode. Everything I've read suggests the unit should be able to get into rescue mode.
So that's it... everything I can think of. My next plan of action is to return and try new hardware.
Any thoughts before I return it would be appreciated!