Complete guide to update the firmware of your WiFi router

Why do I need to update the firmware of the router?

Firmware is one of the most important parts of our router, it is responsible for optimally managing all network connections and also preventing or mitigating attacks that can be made to us from the Internet. It is essential to always have firmware updated to the latest version, as manufacturers detect and correct failures, both functional failures and safety failures that must be resolved as quickly as possible so as not to put endanger wired and wireless clients. let's connect.

In addition to fixing any malfunctions and security holes that may appear, manufacturers also update the firmware to incorporate new features, such as a VPN server, a BitTorrent client, and even also release updates to not upgrade. update that this part of the firmware with the latest version available. . Internally, most firmwares are Linux based, so it is also essential to update all internal packages to the latest available version. If your router's firmware has an FTP server, the most normal is that it incorporates proFTPd or vsFTP, two of the most popular and widely used FTP servers for Linux, these FTP servers also have new versions that add and solve different problems, therefore,

The home router manufacturers who generally release the most firmware updates are ASUS, AVM FRITZ! and NETGEAR, all do so both to fix security holes, to improve existing functionality, and even to incorporate new functionality. The latter is appreciated, as we can thus have new features that we did not have before, simply by updating the firmware of our router.

Therefore, updating the firmware is a highly recommended task that we should all perform on a regular basis, to properly maintain our wireless router and have the latest updates from the manufacturer.

Methods to update router firmware

Ten years ago, there was only one way to update the firmware of the router, and it could be a bit complicated for users because it was done completely "manually", today we have automatic methods that allow us to download and update the firmware, question In 3 minutes we will have the new update installed without complicating our lives. Currently, this manual method is still valid, but we also have others that we will explain below.

No warnings, manual firmware download and web update

This method consists of periodically entering the official website of our router, going to the "Support" or "Help" section, and seeing what the latest firmware version has been released. On some occasions we will need to access the US website and not the Spanish one, as it is very possible that the website has not been updated to the latest firmware version yet. Therefore, we should check different websites from the same manufacturer to see which one we have the latest version in. This process is manual since we will have to do it monthly, to check whether or not we have a new firmware update. Once we find the new firmware, we download it to our PC for a later update.

To manually update the firmware of a router, a Wi-Fi repeater or a PLC, we will have to enter the configuration menu via the Web of its firmware, go to the "Administration" section and we will have to see option "Update" or similar. Here we will have to click on the “Examine” or “Load” button, select the firmware that we have previously downloaded and click on “Accept”. In these times the firmware will be transferred to the router for a later update, this process usually takes a maximum of 3 minutes, once the router is updated it will restart automatically and we will have internet connectivity again and we will have the latest firmware version.

Notice of new firmware version and manual update

This method is that it is the router itself that will inform us that there is a new version of the firmware, since it constantly checks the manufacturer's servers for a change in it. Once you let us know, we can go to the manufacturer's official website, go to the “Support” or “Help” section and download the latest firmware version. If it is not on the Spanish product website, we can try to get through the US website, however, we will be sure that there is a new update since the router itself has warned us .

Notice of new firmware version, automatic download and manual update

This method consists in that it is the router itself which will inform us that there is a new version of the firmware, it will be able to download it fully automatically, then we will perform the “manual” update simply by clicking on " I accept". This process is one of the best because we will only have to accept or reject the update of the new firmware, without having to search the official site, download it and update it later manually. This process is semi-automatic and is one of the most widely used by manufacturers today.

Automatic firmware update

This method consists in the fact that it is the router itself which will connect to the manufacturer's servers at a certain time (mainly at night), it will be able to download it completely automatically, then it will carry out the update itself. firmware, without intervention. of the user. This update method is ideal for always having the latest version available, and all automatically, ideal for users who do not know how to update the firmware or who do not know the latest versions of their firmware.

So you can update the firmware of the router

Updating router firmware can be a tedious process if it is old and only has the manual update option, or very easy to do if you have the latest update methods. However, it is very important to go into our router and see what kind of firmware update we have. Regardless of the firmware update method, the first thing to do is to enter the router configuration through the web.

In order to know the IP address of our router, you must follow the following steps:

1. The Start menu.
2. CMD + Enter.
3. We place the order ipconfig / all .

So it will show us these results:

Here we see that our gateway is 192.168.1.1. As an example, we will use the AVM FRITZ router! Box that we use. Next, we open our internet browser, write 192.168.1.1 and hit the Enter key.

Then what we need to do is put the password for our router. In the case of Internet operators, it is usually a sticker that comes underneath. In RedesZone, we recommend that you change it, unless, due to a TV service, do not let it do so.

Once web access to the router is guaranteed with our password, we are in the router's configuration menu. Now our goal will be to locate the section where the firmware is updated. In the case of FRITZ! Box, the section to update is in System .

There we see several sections, the one that matters to us in this case is Update , which is the one we are going to press.

This is the screen where the firmware is updated and the first thing it does is show us information about the version we have installed.

In this case, we find the group of routers that download the firmware on their own. To do this, just click on Find new FRITZ operating system! and follow the instructions.

In the rest of the routers it's pretty much the same, we have to come up with a similar screen. There we will also see the firmware version and we will find a button usually called Update firmware . We press on it, select the path where the file we downloaded is located and wait for the operation to complete.

In the case of routers from the manufacturer ASUS, we have the following options, and if we have an AiMesh network, we can also update the individual nodes almost automatically. We can load the firmware manually or download it automatically to always have the latest update easily and quickly.

The manufacturer D-Link has also done a great job in terms of the firmware update policy, now we have the option of a fully automatic update available, as you can see here:

As you have seen, depending on the manufacturer and model of the router, we will have one update method or another, but we will always have the fully manual update method available in case any type of error occurs. would produce.

In recent months, the ability to update router firmware directly from the official app for Android or iOS smartphones has become fashionable, this method is the same as you would do through the web in the firmware, but directly from the application. This method is also very easy to perform and highly recommended as the router will automatically download and install the latest firmware version.

Tips and tricks if you are going to update the firmware

If you are going to perform a firmware update, there are some very important aspects to consider:

1. If you are going to download the firmware from the manufacturer's website, it must be the firmware for the exact model. Normally, if you put other firmware, the router will detect that it is not the correct firmware and the update will fail, but the router will not be unusable.
2. If you plan to update the firmware, we recommend that you make a backup of the current configuration you have, especially the static DHCP configuration and the open ports configured in the router.
3. It is recommended to update by wired, although if you do it over Wi-Fi it will also work without a problem, as this process is done over the web (HTTP or HTTPS) and we use the TCP protocol which is reliable, therefore, the router will not receive a corrupted packet if there is interference.
4. You do not have to stop or restart the router during the update. The firmware update process typically takes between two and 4 minutes. It is better to do nothing and wait for the router or extender to restart.
5. We must remember that an update of the firmware does not mean losing the current configuration of the router.

Finally, we recommend that you perform a router reset (restore to factory settings) after every three new firmware versions, because many times they have significant changes and if we perform a reset the operation of our router will be optimal.