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Linksys WRT54GS v5.0 Wireless Router question

Does anyone have an idea as to how, or why, my Linksys WRT54GS v5.0 Wireless Router would suddenly revert to factory default settings on it's own?

All was fine last night. Today, no connection, and it took almost an hour to figure out that every setting reverted to out-of-the-box defaults. Logon password, encryption key, port forwarding, SSID name, etc. It's unlikely someone accessed it as the logon password was changed and the SSID wasn't being broadcast. I know, I know, that doesn't mean that it wasn't hacked, but that, plus my location, makes it unlikely.

There was no power failures, spikes, or brownouts. (I have other devices to monitor that) and it has been working fine since, but I wonder if something is failing in the router...

Fortunately, I had saved the settings so it only took a few seconds to get all back to normal.

Has anyone else run across this?

Thanks

Reply to
Unk
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Unk hath wroth:

Well, the full moon is 2 days away, so that's not it. When that happens to me, it's usually the result of accidentally punching the reset button, zapping the router with a static blast, power surge through the DC power lines, or exposure to RF from one of my VHF/UHF radios.

figure out that

I haven't seen it with the WRT54GS v5.0. However, I've had several customers WRT54G routers (various revisions) decide to reset themselves. One did it twice. However, when I updated the firmware to later versions or replaced it with DD-WRT, the reset to defaults problem went away.

that, plus my

So, try some exploit tests:

Most version of the WRT54G firmware that I've tried pass all the tests, but I've had earlier junk crash and hang.

monitor that) and

Overheating? RF? Static blast? Creative DC power supply (do it thyself PoE)?

back to normal.

Not with the v5 mutation. I've returned all the v5 and v6 routers that I've run across (or run over) to the vendor and bought something else. I don't like them and have had performance and connection limit problems that didn't go away with later updates or switching to DD-WRT:

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Wasn't any of your above suggestions. Hmmmmm, maybe a spike on the Comcast cable feed... They DID hit the cable box with some firmware changes yesterday.

figure out that

Firmware version is 1.50.5. I see that Version 1.52.0 is available. I'll update it next time I connect to the router with a cable.

that, plus my

Nice link. Thanks. It passed all the exploits tests, as well as Steve Gibson's "Shields UP" test.

monitor that) and

Nope, none of the above. "Do it thyself..." hehe :)

back to normal.

Maybe someone doing a little Network Stumbler war driving got around the Linksys logon password... If so, they're a little disappointed. The computers were off so all they got into was the router. Nah, must have been the Comcast cable firmware hit,

Thanks for the input Jeff.

Reply to
Unk

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:27:49 -0400, Unk wrote in :

A likely culprit is Flash memory failure. If it happens again, replace the hardware.

Reply to
John Navas

Methinks thou hath a bright imagination. There be not any way that a Comcrash update could possibly reset thy router unto its defaults. Were this possible, methinks it would make a dandy denial-o-service attack and would surely be popular among the lower classes of hackerdom.

update it next time

What manner of rot be this? Thou hast inscribed the versions for the BEFW11S4v4 unto which I am vastly familiar. The current version for the WRT54G v5 be 1.02.0 as found at:

Be it that thou hast 1.50.5, then either thy model or version be misthought.

It be part of Learn By Destroying. Trvst me.

Be thy router password the default, or hath thou changeth it?

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Thanks John, got a new model yesterday (Just in case...)

Reply to
Unk

cable feed...

No, but a voltage spike on the cable could spike through the cable modem into the router...

Always a possibility. John suggested a Flash memory failure. Got a spare yesterday, just in case...

update it next time

WRT54GS (as in SpeedBooster)

Enter "Version 5.0" and voila, current version is 1.52.0 2/09/2007 Thou hast not read the subjest line. Shame on thee :)

Changed it... Mother raised no fool.

Reply to
Unk

Unk hath wroth:

the router...

A firmware update causing a voltage spike on the ethernet cable which causes the router to reset to defaults? I doubt it. The ethernet port is fairly well protected. It has to meet some IEEE voltage surge and spike protection spec to about 1500 volts. All the data goes through a small transformer, which acts as an excellent isolator.

yesterday, just in

Ummmm.... The flash chip is soldered onto the circuit board. It also has a protected area with the TFTP server code, MAC address, and JTAG routines. I don't think you're going to have any luck with a replacement.

Oops, sorry. I was too busy trying to imitate Shakespeare that I didn't notice the GS suffix. Try the update. If you look at the history of 1.52.0 at:

formatting link
'll notice that it fixes BitTorrent issues. Normally, that manifests itself as a hang, but might cause other problems. However, you're computers were turned off when it cleared itself, so that's not it.

Then the chances of someone connecting via the wireless, and resetting the router from the web interface, is nil.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

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