Solved Accidentally flashed XT12 latest merlin on a ET12 Asus Zenwifi Pro. Can't flash back stock FW.

[zapahacks]

So long story short, it was late at night and I flashed both my ET12 with EX12 latest merlin firmware.

I used both as aimesh nodes previously with latest stock firmware (axe16000 as main router) but wanted to run merlin on all nodes. I didn't notice the difference on FW version (dahhh, stupid me) and I flashed with asus recovery firmware tool in recovery mode. Process was successful and the router works, except I couldn't add it back as an aimesh node.

After trying a lot I gave up and wanted to flash back stock FW, except I couldn't hahaha, then I realized I was using merlins XT12 latest version.

Right now both ET12 work properly but with no wifi 6e bands. I can't also use them as aimesh nodes.

I tried flashing back the stock FW with asus firmware recovery tool, router can be set in recovery mode normally (purple light) but laptop can't recognize/flash. It says wireless router is not in recovery mode after 30 seconds of trying to upload the firmware, so the tool doesn't flash the firmware. Before, after 1 second, it started uploading the "wrong" firmware.

Trying to flash through the GUI also doesn't flash stock image, as it says incompatible FW (I guess now it actually thinks it's a EX12).

So, any advise in how to flash back stock FW so I can recover wifi6e and aimesh node functionality?

I have reseted, hard reseted, power cycled 100 times, factory restored through GUI but I can't flash back firmware, not with asus tool, not through GUi. Router works normally on wifi5 and 6, and can be put in recovery mode, but laptop can't simply flash as it is "not recognized as in recovery mode". I fixed ip and subnet mask on laptop 192.168.1.10, the same way I did when I flashed the merlin wrong file, but nothing.
I also saw that merlins default Lan ip is 192.158.50.1. All tutorials suggest to fix ip 192.168.1.10 though (as they are from asus) Could this be part of the issue? Can anyone confirm which is default Lan ip address on stock rom? Do you think fixing IP to 192.168.50.10 instead of 192.168.1.10 could help?

What else should I try? And if nothing works, how can I flash the stock FW using SSH? (I saw something related to these when there are no other ways of flashin FW)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Viktor Jaep]

May I suggest this as a next step?

 

[zapahacks]

May I suggest this as a next step?

View attachment 58043

You mean after recovery mode? Or before? Hahahaha

 

[bbunge]

Besides calling your ET12 a brick, it should still set up in recovery mode with an IP address of 192.168.1.1. Set your PC to a manual IP address such as 192.168.1.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. With the router in recovery mode with an Ethernet cable directly connected to the PC, try a ping to 192.168.1.1 and you should get a response. If not...brick. If you do get a response you can use the firmware flash tool, TFTP or maybe the built in recovery web page. Good luck!

 

[zapahacks]

Besides calling your ET12 a brick, it should still set up in recovery mode with an IP address of 192.168.1.1. Set your PC to a manual IP address such as 192.168.1.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. With the router in recovery mode with an Ethernet cable directly connected to the PC, try a ping to 192.168.1.1 and you should get a response. If not...brick. If you do get a response you can use the firmware flash tool, TFTP or maybe the built in recovery web page. Good luck!

Well, let me try to explain a little bit more... router works partially normal.

The problem is that:
1. As the firmware is from XT, there is no 6ghz option to use that band on the GUI. Other bands work properly. I can use it as router, bridge, AP, etc, except aimesh node.

2. I can't flash the original firmware, not through GUI (as it is recognized as a different software version) nor through recovery asus firmware tool. The router responds normally to button combination to put it on recovery mode, lights stay purple, but the tool keeps searching for the router and seems to doesn't find it so upload never starts.

Now, if I ping the router I receive properly the requests. So there's is normal communication, ports work properly. On normal mode and on recovery, ping returns 100% packets received.

There is something interesting that I suspect might be part of the problem:

If I don't fix the ip on my laptop and I connect to LAN port on the device, I get an IP assigned on the range of 192.168.50.xxx when router is in normal mode (for example after a full reset). Keep in mind that by default I don't get assigned a 192.168.1.xxx ip.

Maybe asus tool is coded to only work with 192.168.1.10 as all tutorials request to fix that ip on laptop.

The router ip assignment is different while on recovery mode. The ip range assigned (of course while not manually fixed on laptop) is something like 168.254.233.xxx. Even on recovery mode if I ping the assigned IP packets are 100% transfered.

So to summarize, router is not "bricked" as it works as a XT12 variant (no 6 Ghz support). But I can't flash firmware (GUI works but won't flash, recovery mode works but won't flash either).

The idea of flashing through SSH keeps bugging my mind hahaha. How could I do it? Because if I connect through SSH and manage to flash my file I would be bypassing GUI restriction of the stock ET12, as I understand flashing on ssh doesn't verify if the FW is for that variant, so that would help me with my particular case.

Any other advise?

 

[Tvbaas]

Do you think fixing IP to 192.168.50.10 instead of 192.168.1.10 could help?

Did you already try to use 192.168.50.10 with the ASUS Firmware Restoration tool? If not, just give it a go...

 

[zapahacks]

Did you already try to use 192.168.50.10 with the ASUS Firmware Restoration tool? If not, just give it a go...

I did try, all possible logical combinations. I also tried setting 192.168.1.1 on the router and then fixing 192.168.1.10 but no luck either :/

 

[Tvbaas]

Did you follow this guide ? It is written for AC68u that has default 192.168.1.1 ip adres. I guess the ET/XT12 does have 192.168.50.1 .
Where you able to put the router into "rescue mode" as mentioned in the guide?

 

[zapahacks]

Did you follow this guide ? It is written for AC68u that has default 192.168.1.1 ip adres. I guess the ET/XT12 does have 192.168.50.1 .
Where you able to put the router into "rescue mode" as mentioned in the guide?

Yes, that was the guide I initially used to flash the wrong merlin FW. Router enters properly in rescue mode, which in my ET12 model is confirmed by a steady purple LED light.

I tried fixin the IP to 192.168.1.10, 192.168.50.10, 168.254.233.10 and no luck...

 

[ika]

Router enters properly in rescue mode, which in my ET12 model is confirmed by a steady purple LED light.

I think in rescue mode, it supposed to slowly blink not being "steady":

Make sure you properly power-cycle the router and you are in rescue mode.

 

[bbunge]

I've looked at the recovery procedure for the ET12 and XT12. Same procedure:

To launch the rescue mode and use the Firmware Restoration
utility:
1. Unplug the wireless router from the power source.
2. Hold the Reset button at the rear panel and simultaneously
replug the wireless router into the power source. Release the
Reset button when the Power LED at the front panel flashes
slowly, which indicates that the wireless router is in the rescue
mode.
3. Set a static IP on your computer and use the following to set up
your TCP/IP settings:
IP address: 192.168.1.x
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
4. From your computer’s desktop, click
Start > All Programs > ASUS Utility > Wireless Router >
Firmware Restoration.
5. Specify a firmware file, then click Upload.
NOTE: This is not a firmware upgrade utility and cannot be used on
a working ASUS Wireless Router. Normal firmware upgrades must be
done through the web interface

Also, with the router in recovery mode and the PC IP address set to 192.168.1.10, and the PC LAN port connected to the router LAN port #1 with an Ethernet patch cable, you should be able to ping the router at 192.168.1.1. You should also be able to access the router web recovery tool in a browser at http://192.168.1.1. Might also be a good idea to do a hard factory reset before putting the router in recovery mode:
1. Turn the router off.
2. Press and hold the "WPS" button and turn the router on.
3. Power light is on (keep holding the WPS button).
4. Release the WPS button after the power light is off.
5. Reboot your router by manually pressing the power button.

 

[zapahacks]

I've looked at the recovery procedure for the ET12 and XT12. Same procedure:

To launch the rescue mode and use the Firmware Restoration
utility:
1. Unplug the wireless router from the power source.
2. Hold the Reset button at the rear panel and simultaneously
replug the wireless router into the power source. Release the
Reset button when the Power LED at the front panel flashes
slowly, which indicates that the wireless router is in the rescue
mode.
3. Set a static IP on your computer and use the following to set up
your TCP/IP settings:
IP address: 192.168.1.x
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
4. From your computer’s desktop, click
Start > All Programs > ASUS Utility > Wireless Router >
Firmware Restoration.
5. Specify a firmware file, then click Upload.
NOTE: This is not a firmware upgrade utility and cannot be used on
a working ASUS Wireless Router. Normal firmware upgrades must be
done through the web interface

Also, with the router in recovery mode and the PC IP address set to 192.168.1.10, and the PC LAN port connected to the router LAN port #1 with an Ethernet patch cable, you should be able to ping the router at 192.168.1.1. You should also be able to access the router web recovery tool in a browser at http://192.168.1.1. Might also be a good idea to do a hard factory reset before putting the router in recovery mode:
1. Turn the router off.
2. Press and hold the "WPS" button and turn the router on.
3. Power light is on (keep holding the WPS button).
4. Release the WPS button after the power light is off.
5. Reboot your router by manually pressing the power button.

Thanks for your help, I managed to solve my problem.

I used 192.168.1.10 but I got into rescue mode twice before flashing. So, if anyone encounter the same problem, get into rescue mode, do not turn of physical button, hold reset, unplug energy and plug it back while still holding reset button. Wait again until purple light appears (steady, not slowly flashing, on ET12 is a steady purple light), then flash.

Thanks again for your trying to help me.