NETGEAR R6400 v1

NETGEAR AC1750 dual band router on the Broadcom Northstar (BCM4708, 800 MHz) ARM platform. For the newer version with the BCM4708C0 at 1 GHz see the R6400 v2; it needs its own images.

The stock firmware and the bootloader only accept a factory image with the router's own board ID, and sysupgrade on the v1 refuses v2 images. If you are not sure which version you have, check the board ID (see Installation): a v2 reports U12H332T20_NETGEAR or U12H332T30_NETGEAR.

→ Install OpenWrt (generic explanation)

• Under stock firmware: enable telnet (debug page http://192.168.1.1/debug.htm on older firmware, otherwise a telnetenable tool) and run nvram get board_id.
• Under DD-WRT: run nvram get board_id.
• The v1 reports U12H332T00_NETGEAR. Anything else is not a v1: see the R6400 v2.

1. Connect a computer to a LAN port, open http://192.168.1.1 and log in.
2. Optional but recommended: ADVANCED > Administration > Backup Settings > Erase (factory defaults).
3. ADVANCED > Administration > Router Update, select openwrt-bcm53xx-generic-netgear_r6400-v1-squashfs.chk, Upload. Do not enable any reset option during the upload.
4. The router restarts into OpenWrt (power LED amber, then blinking white, then white). LuCI is at http://192.168.1.1, user root, no password.

Newer stock firmware may refuse third-party images; then use nmrpflash (see Recovery) with the OpenWrt .chk.

1. Reset the third-party firmware to defaults.
2. Go back to stock with nmrpflash and the stock NETGEAR firmware for the R6400 (see Recovery).
3. Reset the stock firmware to defaults, then follow “From stock firmware”.

Going through stock removes the third-party partitions and nvram leftovers.

→ generic.sysupgrade

Use the same .chk image with sysupgrade (LuCI: System > Backup / Flash Firmware, or sysupgrade on the command line).

nmrpflash (works when nothing else does):

1. Connect the computer directly to a LAN port.
2. Run nmrpflash -L to find the interface, then nmrpflash -i <interface> -f <image>.chk and power on the router.
3. The first attempt often ends in “Timeout while waiting for TFTP_UL_REQ”; run it again right away.
4. The image can be stock NETGEAR firmware (back to stock) or the OpenWrt v1 .chk.

TFTP (from the DD-WRT guides, not tested with OpenWrt): hold Reset while powering on until the power LED blinks, then tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put <image>.chk (the bootloader checks the board ID, so use the v1 image). With a serial console, interrupt CFE with Ctrl-C and run tftpd.

→ Basic configuration After flashing, proceed with this.
Set up your Internet connection, configure wireless, configure USB port, etc.

The switch uses DSA; each port is its own interface:

MAC addresses (from NVRAM): LAN et0macaddr, WAN et0macaddr + 1, 2.4 GHz pci/1/1/macaddr, 5 GHz pci/2/1/macaddr.

LEDs: power (white/amber), Internet (white/amber), 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, USB 1, USB 2, WPS, WiFi. The power LED is amber while booting, blinks white while OpenWrt starts and is white when it is up. The Internet LED shows the WAN link; the LAN port LEDs are driven by the switch.

Buttons: Reset, WPS, WiFi on/off (rfkill event).

→ failsafe_and_factory_reset

→ Serial port

4-pin header J252 on the main board (same header as on the R6400 v2), marked V G T R on the silkscreen (V = 3.3 V, do not connect; G = ground; T = router TX; R = router RX), 3.3 V TTL, 115200 8N1. The CFE prompt (Ctrl-C at power-on) offers tftpd for recovery.

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