Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Another decision was made by our sponsor site RDN. They decided to support 60 Earth Hour for 2010. We don’t want to miss this opportunity too. This means, we will also be shutting down our website for 1 hour.  This will happen on 27th March 2010, 8:30pm GMT +8. So if you have anything to ask, please let us know.

Why my router got brick?

Alot. Usually it because of power-surge that cause the chip to corrupt your router’s boot-loader. Some people make use of this method to Unbrick the router by shorten the 16 pin of the chip. I personally dont like the trouble of opening my router, so I dont recommend this method.

Some other reason that lead your router to BRICK is… of course firmware upgrade. I have re-written and merge Part 1 and Part 2 of my tutorial to this page. Anyway let get started.

Read what others are saying: useful info for troubleshot. 

Notes:
Please bear in mind that this tutorial is specifically for Linksys WRT54GS version7. If you got question that is not for “how to unbrick your Linksys router – WRT54GS v7” then the chances are your question will never be answer, ever.

Let me emphasize:
For your router to get brick, the chances are you have an itchy hand to flash the firmware or at least you know how to play around with command prompt. If you don’t know anything about command prompt, the chances are you might not survive by the end of this tutorial and your question might not be answer.

What to expect:
I’m going to show you guys how to UN-Brick brick router. For your info, the router is Linksys Wireless Router with SpeedBooster WRT54GS v7, running Broadcom chip. What inside this tutorial:
- Prerequisite
- Prepare your test computer
- Before Un-bricking begins
- Let the UN-Brick begins

Prerequisite

• Make sure your router really is brick.

  • Un-connect any cable from your router.

  • Connect power plug to your router and turn it on. Let it on for 5 minutes.

  • Then plug ethernet cable to your router, and plug the other end to your computer.

  • Wait until it gives your computer an IP. If you have a "No connectivity or limited connectivity" message, then you might want to look at my other article here (http://blog.rim3y.net/zero/?p=720). If the same problem occur then follow next step.

  • Then ping 192.168.1.1 (assuming that is your router IP)

  • If you received no reply or error, then look at the LED lights.

  • Look at Power light, if the light is dimmer; and there is no LED light for your Wireless; then bad news: you router is Brick.

  • Sometimes the Power light is blinking continuously. This is the same symptom about brick router.

• Get necessary firmware.

  • If you want to flash the original firmware then you can download it from Linksys. Update: Some people said that sometimes original firmware didn’t work.
    http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/support

  • If you want, you can use DD-Wrt (http://www.dd-wrt.com/). For my case I use DD-WRT firmware which is specifically for my router. Yours may vary.
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

  • Please read whatever notes and warning on each site. For instance:

    • For WRT54GL – using DD-WRT:
      You need to flash using “mini generic” version first before you can apply “standard generic” version.
       
      WRT54GL v 1/1.1 can go up to “standard generic” version.

    • For WRT54GS v7 – using DD-WRT:
      You need to flash it using “VXWorks-killer” first before you can apply “micro generic” version.
       
      WRT54GS v7 can go up to “micro generic” only.

  • Once you go the any of the mention website, download any relevant firmware files (the one that ends with “.bin” extension) and put it to “c:\temp” folder. If “c:\temp” folder don’t exist, then create one.

  • Based on this tutorial which is for Linksys WRT54GS v7, we have two files in our “c:\temp”
    - vxworkskillerGSv7-v3.bin
    - dd-wrt.v24_micro_generic.bin

• Get the tool:

  • Another tool that you may need is “tftp.exe”, which is TFTP-Client for Windows:
    http://www.tftp-server.com/tftp-client.html

    • If you download it, please put it to “c:\temp”

  • If you are using Vista or Windows 7, they have a built in TFTP which you need to enable:

    • Go to Start > Control Panel > Programs

    • Under Programs and Features, click “Turn Windows features on or off”

    • Check TFTP Client, and click OK.
       
      

Now you are getting closer to start un-bricking your router.

Prepare your test computer
You need to make a simple communication between your computer and your router. This mean, using lowest speed possible and manually configuring the IP.

• This is an assumption that your router IP is “192.168.1.1”

• Open your Network Connections. Right-click your Local Area Connection then click Properties

  

• Click TCP/IP, then click Properties

  

• Click "Use the following IP address" then enter below IP:
  IP address: 192.168.1.2
  Subnet: 255.255.255.0
  Default gateway: 192.168.1.1
   
  This is assuming your router’s IP is “192.168.1.1”

  
  Click OK.

• Again on Local Area Connection Properties;

  • choose Advance tab

  • Speed & Duplex

  • change value to 10mbps/half duplex

    

    Click OK.

Before Un-bricking begins
Let start already… I know, I know, but lets do another testing to make sure you cover everything up before you start the un-bricking of your router.

• Have you done Hard Reset (aka 30/30/30 reset):?
  If you done that and yet your router still brick then follow next step.
   
  If you haven’t done this yet, then visit http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Hard_reset_or_30/30/30
   
• Maintenance Mode Firmware Screen
  The nice thing about Linksys router is that they have Maintenance Mode Firmware Screen. This screen will over-write the router from booting up and instead allows you to upload any firmware to it. The problem is how to get to that page.
   
• Its a good idea to turn off your router and make sure it is not connected to power adapter and network cable, at least for 15 minutes (I find this very important)
   
• From your testing computer, click Start and on the search field type “cmd”
  
   
• Command prompt show up
  
   
• At the prompt type (without quote “”):
  ”ping 192.168.1.1 –t”
   
  Again, this is assuming your router IP is 192.168.1.1
   
• You should received an error message. This is OK.
  
   
• Now take an ethernet cable and plug one end to your testing computer. DON’T connect the other end to your outer yet!
   

• Turn on your router’s power adaptor and DON’T connect it to your router yet.
   

• Now take your router. PRESS and HOLD the reset button for 10-15 seconds.
   
• While still holding the reset button, plug the power to your router.
   
• Now connect the other end of the ethernet cable to your router.
   
• And… while still holding the reset button, continue holding it for 10-15 seconds.
   
• By now you should notice that on the command prompt, there is a reply from your router.
   
• Open up any web browser and type (without quote “”):
  ”http://192.168.1.1”
   
• You should get Maintenance Mode Firmware Screen.
   
• Remember the download firmware just now? So, now browse to that file which should be located at: “c:\temp”
   
• Then click APPLY.
   
• You should received a message saying “Update Successful”
   
• You command prompt also showing a success reply. Close the web browser. You’re done!
   

If Maintenance Mode Firmware Screen didn’t work. Then its time for the final show down.

Let the UN-Brick begins

Please bear in mind that before you start this step, make sure your router is not connected to power adapter and network cable, at least for 15 minutes (I find this very important) The objective of this step is to interrupt/attack the router before it able to boot to the current firmware. Your router BRICK because it try to boot up to the current firmware, if its not successful, then it crash, leaving your router useless, thus it BRICK.

• From your testing computer, click Start and on the search field type “cmd”
  
   
• Command prompt show up
  
   
• At the prompt type (without quote “”):
  ”ping 192.168.1.1 –t”
   
  Again, this is assuming your router IP is 192.168.1.1
   
• You should received an error message, well just let it running.
  

• Next, connect one end of the cable to your testing computer.

• Press reset button on your router, and DONT let go.

• At the same time connect the other end of the cable to any other port on your router.

• Still holding the reset button, connect your router to the power cord.

• …and STILL holding the reset button, keep pressing it more than 30seconds.

• Then release the reset button.

• By the time you doing so, you can see there is a reply from your router.

• Next, open up another command prompt on your testing computer.

• Through your command prompt, go to the location where you put your firmware. If you been following this tutorial it should be “c:\temp”
   
  

• Then type tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put <firmware>
  For our case we have “dd-wrt.v24_micro_generic.bin”, so we type:

  tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put dd-wrt.v24_micro_generic.bin

• You will see successful and your router will restart.

If everything goes well, you might see that your power LED light is brighter, wireless LED lights up, and your current port’s LED keep on blinking. CONGRATS! You just UNBRICK your router!

Tested on: WRT54GS V4, WRT54GS V7, and WRT54GL V1.1, if yours didn’t work; do and redo before asking questions. Thanks.

Read what others are saying: useful info for troubleshot.

The latest update is wireless support for WPA2, which is good since I’m using wireless network with WPA2.

My avatar playing with the prop, and more stuff at Spotlight.

You can also have whole bunch of news and streaming video/content from “News and More” and “Inside Xbox”

There is Zune in Music Marketplace and Video Marketplace.

You will have access for free content and video that you can buy from Zune. Oh and as usual Netflix for more movies.

Another useful addition is Last.Fm. However it is only available in the US. I do know they are still looking to bring this service worldwide, but no specific time-frame yet. Oh and Sky TV, which I don’t have the thumbnail here since it is only available in UK.

And more social stuff like Facebook.

..or Twitter.

Halo Waypoint joint the gang recently this month. It is basically a Halo portal which you can see bunch of video content and different milestones and achievement for your Halo.

And just release yesterday (as of this writing) was Halo Legend. It is basically a video episodes of Halo.

Let me remind you that all of these is still in “preview”, thus the final released might be different. As per mention by the team, they going to release this update somewhere end of this year. So if haven’t got the update, just hang in there.

Yup, I got Google Wave. I’m thinking to give 4 invites to anyone. So if you need one, please state your reason why you need an invitation.

Yea… for those who want to try out Office 2010, it will be available November 2009 next month. These includes first look at the exciting new features that had been added to server products such as SharePoint.

You can upload or edit your online document via SkyDrive.

Once a file was click you can either view, download or edit it online.

This is the example of Excel Web app

Another example is Powerpoint Web App

As mention, you can also create a new document online.

Give it a name.

And there goes the new document.

So what are you waiting for? Have a try!

I’ve been using MSE for almost 4 months now. I used to have Microsoft Live One Care and  installed it to 3 of my computers. It is one of the best subscription service that I ever paid. Period. However due to the decision made by Microsoft of discontinue it, I was invited to test “Morro” – a codename for MSE.

Unlike MLOC, MSE only focus on antivirus and malware. I guess Windows 7 comes with a more improve firewall and backup solution that they don’t have to focus much on that features.

Surprisingly, there is no annoying thing about MSE. Yea its going to be free, but I can’t find any problem with it. It works in the background. Light weight as if you don’t have anything running. Sometimes I check it just in case it is running.

As for the updates, so far I don’t encounter any error like what MLOC did. They update it almost everyday to once a week. MSE still in beta though.

But no worries, I got an e-mail by the team saying that they going to release the final version to the public in the coming weeks.

In fact viruses for mobile phone is not new. Microsoft them self also released alot of features, tools, and services to help us in a safe side. For instance, Microsoft Exchange 2007 which able to wipe your phone clean if you loss your phone. Or Microsoft My Phone, which let you backup your phone to the web and restore it later. Microsoft Live Mesh also a neat tools which let you sync you computer and phone and web or even Mac, so that you have access to all your files regardless different platform.

Now I just found the best software that can do almost all of the above and you don’t have to had Windows Mobile phone. Hello to… Flexilis [http://beta.flexilis.com]

It support different devices. It provides firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spam,backup/restore pictures-documents-videos-sounds-sms-contact-calls. 

Say you loss your phone, you can track it by clicking Locate. Or maybe you can’t remember where you put your phone or someone hide your phone, you can just click Scream and your phone will produce this annoying sound for you to figure out where it is. Or say your phone got stolen and you want to wipe out all the content, then click Nuke.

More screenshots….

After all of those features and testing it for a week, surprisingly my phone work as normal, no lag, and I really like it. But the best of all its FREE. So head over to Flexilis [http://beta.flexilis.com]