WRT Settings

[medo]

Hi,

I would just like to share with you WRT Settings, utility I have built so I can open AsusWRT configuration files on my computer. My original need was to transfer settings from my old router I've bricked to a new one without just blindly restoring it.

For that purpose I used it to save settings from both old and new router into a text file and then I have merged settings using standard diff/merge utilities. Once done I loaded final text file and saved it once more as AsusWRT configuration. I was then able to load that configuration into my new router, getting all settings transferred.

Although main visible functionality is to look (and edit) nvram variables (handy when you forget your password) it can also convert between all supported firmware formats. While this is somewhat a risky proposition, it does make it possible to bring some of your config from e.g. Asuswrt to Tomato.

Currently supported firmwares are AsusWRT, Tomato and DD-WRT but I am open for suggestions if someone needs additional support.

Program is available at http://www.jmedved.com/wrtsettings/ alongside full source code.

 

[jlake]

Ok. Dumb question. If you had to completely reconfigure from scratch, how long would it have taken you?

Just seems too risky to me....especially after you just bricked your router. I'd be starting over from scratch.

Once you have all your settings, you can do screenshots or use snipping tool (windows).

 

[medo]

Ok. Dumb question. If you had to completely reconfigure from scratch, how long would it have taken you?

Just seems too risky to me....especially after you just bricked your router. I'd be starting over from scratch.

Once you have all your settings, you can do screenshots or use snipping tool (windows).

Well, it took me a few hours to build this tool so time-wise it might not be the best choice.

However, restore of config from my old router tool less then 5 minutes. I exported old configuration and empty new one into text file and then copied all settings except MAC addresses and some system variables (WinMerge). Then I saved that as Asus' cfg and that was it. Everything worked.

For me main value was in preserving my OpenVPN keys instead of creating new ones and that was not something I could otherwise do because I had no other backup except for cfg file.

 

[jlake]

Makes sense.

 

[David Arnstein]

Hello Medo,

I used your program with my RT-AC68P. It uses the latest AsusWRT firmware, 1031. I did the following:
1. Convert .cfg file to text.
2. Convert the text file back to .cfg, in format AsusWRT v.2.
3. Restore the .cfg file using RT-AC68P web interface.

I got error message from router: "file format or path is invalid!"

Any suggestions?

 

[medo]

I got error message from router: "file format or path is invalid!"

Any suggestions?

Hi,

Frankly, I am not sure why this error would occur so I need to ask a few questions first:

• Did you try to restore to the same router as one you made backup from? This tool is primarily intended for restoring onto a same router. If you go between router models, there will be a mismatch and it probably won't work. If you need this, NVRAM Save/Restore utility by John is a better choice.
• Did you try editing needed fields in program. It could be that there is an error is text file and program messes up the import procedure? If this is so, I would like to see how that text file looks so I can fix it.
• If all else fails, you can PM me with exact config file so I can try to figure it out.

PS: I don't have AC68P myself nor I use Asus WRT (Merlin rules!) so it might be Asus (again) changed config format. If that is the case, I would definitely want to see a config example from the new router.

 

[David Arnstein]

Hello Medo,

Here is a hex dump of the start of a .CFG file from my RT-AC68P:
0000000 4448 3252 ac00 0c00 9f94 acdb 999f cea8
0000020 fdd9 a3a6 a2a8 9bac 999c 9897 d9ce dade
0000040 d9eb d9de 94fe ac9f aa99 a2a7 9896 9bac
0000060 999c ce97 d3da d9da 94fe ac9f 97a2 a993
0000100 cea5 fdda aa94 a79d a49c a2ac 979d 99a6
0000120 aa95 ce9f fed6 9ea7 ac98 a699 a898 9daa
0000140 dace bbfd acbe 9297 a69b dbce 94fd db9f
0000160 a6ac 9b93 99a2 cea6 ffdb 9f94 dddb acda
0000200 aa99 a2a7 9896 9bac 999c ce97 d3da d9da
0000220 94ff da9f d8dd 94ac a2a5 a6ac aa9d 9fa9
0000240 cea6 ffdb 999b 9da2 a697 ac99 a5a2 aa9d
0000260 a69e 96ce a998 95fe 9d9b a8ac a29f 9da6
0000300 d697 a6ac 9999 9c9d dbce 9afe 989c 99ac
0000320 98a6 97a6 dbce a5ff 9fa2 a697 ac99 949f
0000340 97ac 9ea2 d9a6 93ac dbce dbdb d9db d6d8
0000360 ffd2 bebb aaac 9797 a8aa aca3 a5a8 a5a4
0000400 9fa2 cea6 94fd da9f 94ac a69e 9cce fe9d
0000420 9f94 9eac a79c aca6 ce93 fddb aa94 ac9d
0000440 9d96 97a2 dbce 9aff 989c a2ac aa99 a697
0000460 ce98 dbda dfdb dbda dfdb dbda dfdb dbda
0000500 dfdb dbda dfdb dfdb dfdb dfdb dfdb fedb
0000520 a393 a2a8 9c9e a6a7 94ac a2aa 9897 a8a6
0000540 dace a1fe a5a5 d998 9cac ce9d fdda aaa7
0000560 aa97 96ac aa98 a6a4 9fac 9ea2 97a2 d3ce
0000600 94fe 9daa acdb 94a4 a2ac 9da5 9eaa cea6
0000620 9f95 9daa fdd9 9f94 aca8 989b aa97 dbce
0000640 95fe 9897 96ac 9d9b 9f9b 98a2 ce97 95ff
0000660 9d9b a8ac 9799 a8ac a29f 9da6 d997 a8ac
0000700 9f99 fdce 9b95 ac9d 9fa8 a6a2 979d acd7

Here is a dump of the start of a .CFG file written by your program, in the "V2" format:
0000000 4448 3252 ac00 df00 a4ae 7d7d 77ac a7a1
0000020 aeff 7da4 7c77 ae77 aea1 aefd 7da4 7c77
0000040 ad77 aea1 aeff 7da4 7c77 ac77 aea1 aefe
0000060 7da4 6a70 676b 6a75 767b aea1 aefd 7ca4
0000100 7d6f 7a6c 7278 777d a16b 66ae aeae aeae
0000120 aead aeae aefd 7ca4 7d6f 7a6c 7278 777d
0000140 ac6b aea1 ae66 adae aeae aeae feac a4ae
0000160 6f7c 6c7d 787a 7d72 6b77 a1ab 66ae aeae
0000200 aeae aeae abae aeff 7ba4 737b 677c aeac
0000220 77ac 6f6e aea1 aeff 7ba4 737b 677c aeac
0000240 7269 77ac 6f6e aea1 aefd 7ba4 6f7b 797a
0000260 8da1 fdac a4ae 797a 7568 a17a 66ae abaa
0000300 ad9d aefe 7aa4 6a6f adad 777d 697a 766e
0000320 6e6c a16f fdae a4ae 6f7a ad6a 7dad 7a77
0000340 6e69 6c72 6f6e aea1 aeff 7aa4 6a6f adad
0000360 777d 786f 717a 6c76 677c aeac 77ac 6f6e
0000400 aea1 a866 aba9 fdab a4ae 6e79 777d 757d
0000420 ac70 a177 feae a4ae 7978 7b71 6c6a a172
0000440 ffab a4ae 7d77 7075 6a7b 726c 6e6b a176
0000460 fdae a4ae 7972 7c7a ad76 a1ae fea7 a4ae
0000500 7d71 7d7b 7a7a a16c ae98 a7a4 a4a5 a5a9
0000520 a7a4 a4ab a5ab a6a4 fda6 a4ae 7d71 6e66
0000540 77ac ae7d ada1 a8ae aefe 71a4 667d ac6e
0000560 7d77 a1ad aead ffa8 a4ae 7d71 6e66 77ac
0000600 ac7d ada1 a8ae aeff 71a4 6b7b 677c aeac
0000620 77ac 6f6e aea1 a666 a8a6 aba9 acab fdae
0000640 a4ae 7b71 7c6b aa67 acae 6e77 a16f 66ae
0000660 a6a6 a9a8 abab aeac aefe 6fa4 7a78 7271
0000700 7c6c ac67 acae 6e77 a16f fdae a4ae 7d6e

D.A.

 

[medo]

Hi,

I've found the issue with random number (Asus WRT uses it for "encryption"). Issue has been fixed in version 1.10 (https://jmedved.com/wrtsettings/).

 

[DesktopMasters]

Wow! What a great little app! @medo thank you!
I would like to confirm that I have successfully transferred a complicated config from an old NetGear R7000 to a new NetGear R7000. You can add that to your list of tested devices. 5 YEARS LATER!! STILL WORKING!

~ Merlin