Unable to manual upload file for firmware upgrade

[mik385]

Hi Everyone, I have tried to find if anyone got the same issue but no avail hence need to post here for help.

Model: Asus RT-AX86U
Current FW: 388.2_2 (Merlin)

no window pop up for file selection when clicking on the "Upload"
I have tried different PC/Mac/Browser as well....

 

[bennor]

What firmware version are you flashing from?
Make sure to download the correct firmware for your device. You cannot flash the RT-AX86U Pro firmware to an RT-AX86U.
Reboot the router if you haven't tried that already.
Clear the browser cache and re-login to the router.

To confirm you are trying to flash the RT-AX86U_388.2_2_pureubi.w file and not the full RT-AX86U_388.2_2.zip file, correct?

Check the browser addons and any running security/antivirus programs as they may potentially interfere with flashing firmware to devices through a web browser.

 

[ColinTaylor]

What firmware version are you flashing from?
Make sure to download the correct firmware for your device. You cannot flash the RT-AX86U Pro firmware to an RT-AX86U.
Reboot the router if you haven't tried that already.
Clear the browser cache and re-login to the router.

To confirm you are trying to flash the RT-AX86U_388.2_2_pureubi.w file and not the full RT-AX86U_388.2_2.zip file, correct?

Check the browser addons and any running security/antivirus programs as they may potentially interfere with flashing firmware to devices through a web browser.

My understanding of his problem is not that it won't upload the firmware but that the file selection dialog window doesn't appear. So he has no way of selecting the firmware file.

@mik385 I know you said you tried different PCs/browsers but have you tried it with your browser in private/incognito mode?

 

[bennor]

My understanding of his problem is not that it won't upload the firmware but that the file selection dialog window doesn't appear. So he has no way of selecting the firmware file.

Yep misread, edited my post to strike out certain suggestions.

 

[mik385]

My understanding of his problem is not that it won't upload the firmware but that the file selection dialog window doesn't appear. So he has no way of selecting the firmware file.

@mik385 I know you said you tried different PCs/browsers but have you tried it with your browser in private/incognito mode?

yup i just tried but still don't have any popup selection window....

 

[mik385]

What firmware version are you flashing from?
Make sure to download the correct firmware for your device. You cannot flash the RT-AX86U Pro firmware to an RT-AX86U.
Reboot the router if you haven't tried that already.
Clear the browser cache and re-login to the router.

To confirm you are trying to flash the RT-AX86U_388.2_2_pureubi.w file and not the full RT-AX86U_388.2_2.zip file, correct?

Check the browser addons and any running security/antivirus programs as they may potentially interfere with flashing firmware to devices through a web browser.

all tried....

 

[mik385]

i used different browser and pc, same results.. i don't have issue the last versions...

 

[bennor]

i used different browser and pc, same results.. i don't have issue the last versions...

Do you have any add-on scripts installed? If so which one's.
Is the router the main LAN router or is it an AiMesh Node?
Is the computer directly connected to the router using Ethernet? Avoid having the computer connected through any power line adapters, WiFi, AiMesh nodes, or extenders.
Have you checked the router logs to see if they indicate any errors or issues?

Not sure if there is a way to flash/update the firmware using SSH. Could have sworn I saw a different thread a while back where someone asked if using SSH to flash was possible, not finding it in a quick search however.

As a last resort one could try performing a hard factory reset if one hasn't tried it already as a troubleshooting step. Then do a minimal configuration to get into the router and see if you can flash the firmware.

 

[Matth943]

I have the same issue on 388.1. It looks like the hyperlink to upload the firmware is nonexistent. You click the button and nothing happens because all it is is the Upload button with an underline. Factory reset and using other devices won’t resolve the issue because there is no link for it. I don’t want to take my network offline for to long to figure this out.

I have two ways to try and fix it.

First is if someone can post the url that comes up in the pop up window for firmware upload. It may allow for you to go to that address manually in another window and upload the firmware. Hopefully fixing the issue going forward. As far as I can tell, there is just no way to actually get to the upload window.

I haven’t tried it yet, but you may be able to swap out the main access point and add it to another asus network as a node. The firmware upload may work that way since it uses a different window / method. I haven’t tried this yet because the last time I was messing around with it, my router configuration got corrupted. I made a save right before doing it, but once I uploaded the saved configuration, it immediatly corrupted again. I had to restore to a previous version that was far older than I would have liked… Anyway, be prepared to use an older configuration file if you do mess around with it like this. I have a feeling this issue is stemming from some sort of corruption in the current firmware and any recent saves will not fix it. Also it won’t upload after factory reset either.

If you’re able to resolve it with either method, let me know. Also, as far as I could find, there was no reliable way to SSH in to do the update.

 

[mik385]

I have the same issue on 388.1. It looks like the hyperlink to upload the firmware is nonexistent. You click the button and nothing happens because all it is is the Upload button with an underline. Factory reset and using other devices won’t resolve the issue because there is no link for it. I don’t want to take my network offline for to long to figure this out.

I have two ways to try and fix it.

First is if someone can post the url that comes up in the pop up window for firmware upload. It may allow for you to go to that address manually in another window and upload the firmware. Hopefully fixing the issue going forward. As far as I can tell, there is just no way to actually get to the upload window.

I haven’t tried it yet, but you may be able to swap out the main access point and add it to another asus network as a node. The firmware upload may work that way since it uses a different window / method. I haven’t tried this yet because the last time I was messing around with it, my router configuration got corrupted. I made a save right before doing it, but once I uploaded the saved configuration, it immediatly corrupted again. I had to restore to a previous version that was far older than I would have liked… Anyway, be prepared to use an older configuration file if you do mess around with it like this. I have a feeling this issue is stemming from some sort of corruption in the current firmware and any recent saves will not fix it. Also it won’t upload after factory reset either.

If you’re able to resolve it with either method, let me know. Also, as far as I could find, there was no reliable way to SSH in to do the update.

thanks...

anyone can share the URL for upload?

 

[Squall Leonhart]

disable the browsers popup blocker.

 

[Matth943]

disable the browsers popup blocker.

As I mentioned, there is no actual link on the upload button.

The original poster mentioned he tried different browsers and platforms. I have tried mac, windows, linux, ipad, android, chrome, safari, and edge. There is no pop up that is generated on any of these systems because the button doesn’t exist. Think of it like trying to click this button > ”Upload”

 

[KevTech]

As I mentioned, there is no actual link on the upload button.

Normally looks like this and when clicked opens a pop up window to select the firmware file.

I did this with Firefox.
Go to the firmware update page then press "Alt" on keyboard then at the top of the browser select "View" > "page style" > "no style"
Now scroll toward the bottom of the update page and you should see an extra button before the "upload" button named "browse" which when clicked opens a pop up window for you to select a file for the update.

After you have the file selected and it is showing in the window next to "browse" go back to view > page style and change it back to basic page style then update should start.

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Upload is a a hyperlink on some AC routers (68u, 88u), and a button on others (86u, etc)

clicking of either is counted as a popup with aggressive popup blockers, and may be affected by aggressive tracking cookie blocking, as well as "enhanced" security modes provided by the browser (an issue provoked by asus's redundant forcing of https on LAN only gui settings)

 

[Matth943]

Normally looks like this and when clicked opens a pop up window to select the firmware file.

View attachment 54185

I did this with Firefox.
Go to the firmware update page then press "Alt" on keyboard then at the top of the browser select "View" > "page style" > "no style"
Now scroll toward the bottom of the update page and you should see an extra button before the "upload" button named "browse" which when clicked opens a pop up window for you to select a file for the update.

View attachment 54186

After you have the file selected and it is showing in the window next to "browse" go back to view > page style and change it back to basic page style then update should start.

Unfortunately it still did not work. No pop up blockers. Completely stripped down every thing. Loaded up a fresh VM just to see as well.

Edit: wanted to add. Even with no style view, the only firmware option that comes up is the mesh node. The other upload / browse button you posted is just plain text.

 

[Matth943]

Upload is a a hyperlink on some AC routers (68u, 88u), and a button on others (86u, etc)

clicking of either is counted as a popup with aggressive popup blockers, and may be affected by aggressive tracking cookie blocking, as well as "enhanced" security modes provided by the browser (an issue provoked by asus's redundant forcing of https on LAN only gui settings)

I apologize if I used the wrong terminology.

Just to test it, I set up a new Ubuntu vm and windows sandbox to test it with nothing. No blockers. Turning off https did not work either.

 

[kidd232]

I have same problem on AX86U with firmware 388.2, already tried factory restore and still happen.
Is there any way fo update the firmware without CFE?

 

[mik385]

Even factory reset or restore setting can’t work?
Yes not a pop up blocker issue

 

[Matth943]

Even factory reset or restore setting can’t work?
Yes not a pop up blocker issue

Didn't work for me.

I think there is some level of corruption stemming from a recent firmware version. When I saved/restored the configuration files after my first factory reset, that caused the entire system to stop working. A second/third reset had to be performed. The third being where I restored a year old configuration file to get the wifi working again.

 

[mik385]

I guess is will just stick to this fw for now since there aren’t any major issue…