BACKUPMON BACKUPMON v1.7.2 -Apr 1, 2024- Backup/Restore your Router: JFFS + NVRAM + External USB Drive! CIFS/SMB/NFS! (Now available in AMTM!)

[Viktor Jaep]

Nope. Take a look at the NVRAM.txt file.
I messed my wifi up so much on one occasion the radios stopped working with mac of 00:00:00:00:00:00.
Reset didn't fix. Flashing firmware didn't fix. BACKUPMON - no problem.
Some peeps don't realise how powerful this script actually is.

Interesting... I just can't imagine that the Asus router factory is pumping out router after router on the assembly line having to write a custom software config on each based on some unique MAC address that each device needs to have? If this isn't hardcoded or retrievable in some way from doing a factory reset, then I don't get it. Seems like a real flaw if that were the case?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Interesting... I just can't imagine that the Asus router factory is pumping out router after router on the assembly line having to write a custom software config on each based on some unique MAC address that each device needs to have? If this isn't hardcoded or retrievable in some way from doing a factory reset, then I don't get it. Seems like a real flaw if that were the case?

The unique factory settings of each router (like MAC addresses, serial number, etc.) are stored in a separate partition. When you do a factory reset the "user" settings are wiped and replaced with these factory settings.

 

[Ripshod]

I know. I can only provide anecdotal evidence, but that's how it happened.
I do wonder now if there may be certain areas of nvram that are retained in a reset, maybe just wishful thinking. The MAC addresses weren't restored by a three way reset.
Still, the discussion was about transferring settings between routers.

 

[Viktor Jaep]

The unique factory settings of each router (like MAC addresses, serial number, etc.) are stored in a separate partition. When you do a factory reset the "user" settings are wiped and replaced with these factory settings.

Off-the-wall question, @ColinTaylor ... but is this partition accessible? Are there known scenarios where restoration of these settings could possibly fail as in @Ripshod's scenario above?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Off-the-wall question, @ColinTaylor ... but is this partition accessible? Are there known scenarios where restoration of these settings could possibly fail as in @Ripshod's scenario above?

I've come across cases where the factory partition had been wiped or corrupted. But that's not something that would fix itself and start working again so it sounds like @Ripshod situation was different.

 

[Waylo]

Hi everyone,

I just came across this great utility and thank the dev for creating this.

I am working on configuring it for my use case.

I find the script defaults to backing up the USB drive connected to my router (AX86U). I am trying to exclude this.

The label to the drive is "4GB", so the mount location is "/tmp/mnt/4GB"

If I add "/tmp/mnt/4GB/*" to the exclusion list, the backup process still backs up the USB drive as "EXT Drive"

Same with "/tmp/mnt/4GB"

I am probably missing something simple and would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

EDIT: I guess this drive is set as the "Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point" which is automatically backed up. Can't unselect this? Placing it on the exceptions list is ignored?

 

[Viktor Jaep]

Hi everyone,

I just came across this great utility and thank the dev for creating this.

I am working on configuring it for my use case.

I find the script defaults to backing up the USB drive connected to my router (AX86U). I am trying to exclude this.

The label to the drive is "4GB", so the mount location is "/tmp/mnt/4GB"

If I add "/tmp/mnt/4GB/*" to the exclusion list, the backup process still backs up the USB drive as "EXT Drive"

Same with "/tmp/mnt/4GB"

I am probably missing something simple and would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

EDIT: I guess this drive is set as the "Source EXT USB Drive Mount Point" which is automatically backed up. Can't unselect this? Placing it on the exceptions list is ignored?

Typically, the Ext USB drive is something you want to have backed up, incase you want to restore your router back to a point in time. It contains your entware partition and such... any reason you don't want it backed up? A restore may not be successful if you exclude this.

If you really want to go down this path, I'm thinking the only way to do it would be to just exclude the primary directories under the root... so, like:

entware/*
skynet/*
etc...

 

[Waylo]

Typically, the Ext USB drive is something you want to have backed up, incase you want to restore your router back to a point in time. It contains your entware partition and such... any reason you don't want it backed up? A restore may not be successful if you exclude this.

If you really want to go down this path, I'm thinking the only way to do it would be to just exclude the primary directories under the root... so, like:

entware/*
skynet/*
etc...

Thanks for the ideas. Looking at my Ext USB, it doesn't contain anything necessary for the router to function, hence my wondering why it is backed up by default. It's used only as a network drive.

Specifically in my case, I have a NAS directory serving as a network backup folder on the Ext USB. It's not big, but I don't need that included on a router FW backup. I'll try adding the NAS directory.

EDIT: Hmm, nope, still backing up the whole drive. Maybe my syntax is off.
EDIT2: Yup, I was using "/mnt/tmp/4GB/NAS/*". Just needed to enter "NAS/*" like in your examples. Thanks again!