All DrayTek routers have a facility to update the firmware on the router using a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) utility.
The DrayTek Firmware Upgrade Utility is a DrayTek specific TFTP utility designed for use with DrayTek routers, it can be found on the router's Manual / Router Tools CD and can be downloaded from the DrayTek UK Downloads page.
Because of the way that the router's TFTP facility works, this method will only work locally to the router, with a wired connection. The wireless integrated in the router is disabled when the router goes into TFTP mode.
The firmware upgrade procedure, once started, can take up to 5 minutes and the router will be effectively offline while performing the TFTP upgrade.
Prior to any firmware upgrade it is good practice to take a configuration backup.
Step 1. Download the firmware from the DrayTek UK Downloads page
Step 2. Extract the .zip file from that page to a location such as the Desktop so that it can be located to perform the firmware update with
Step 3. Open the Firmware Upgrade Utility, which may show this message, click OK to go through to the utility:
The Windows Firewall (and any other software firewalls on the computer) will need to either be disabled, or an exception will need to be configured for the Firmware Upgrade Utility. The application should also be "Run as Administrator" to work correctly, by right clicking the icon / application and selecting that option where present.
Step 4. Either enter the router's IP in the Router IP field or click the [...] button to the right of the Router IP field to select the router to update from a list of compatible detected DrayTek routers:
Step 5. Click the [...] button to the right of the Firmware File field to browse for the firmware files on the computer, this will default to showing the .all firmware files only, by default, which is ideal if the intention is to perform a normal firmware upgrade. Where the .rst firmware needs to be sent to the router, which will set it back to Factory Default settings, change the file type setting so that it shows to [*.*] so that the file can be located:
Step 6. Enter the router's Admin password in the Password: field
Step 7. When ready, click the Send button to start the upgrade procedure, this will put the router into TFTP mode; the router will be offline in this state and awaiting firmware:
Step 8. The Firmware Upgrade Utility will begin sending the firmware to the router, this will show a Sending bar to indicate the status of the update. If this fails or doesn't complete the Sending bar, check the Troubleshooting section at the end of this guide:
Step 9. Once the utility has finished sending the firmware, the Firmware Upgrade Utility will poll the router to check for activity:
Step 10. When the router is back online, the utility will give a notification of this and it will be possible to log in to the router's web interface
Step 11. The router will be running the new firmware version, which can be checked from [System Maintenance] - [System Status]
Troubleshooting
If the upgrade process shows this error message when attempting to send firmware then the utility has not been able to successfully send the firmware to the router:
If this occurs, try these steps which should allow the Firmware Upgrade Utility to send to the router successfully:
- Check that the Router IP address setting is correct and that the computer sending the firmware has an IP address on the same network as the router IP address
- Try to ping the Router IP from the computer
- Make sure that the password specified is correct, it needs to be the password for the router's Admin account
- Make sure that the firmware file is still present on the computer and that it is the correct one for the router model
- Do not send the firmware over a wireless connection, from another network or over the internet, TFTP mode turns off all router functions while awaiting the firmware file
- Connect the computer directly to the router's LAN ports
- Disable the Windows Firewall or any other software firewalls running on the computer
- Make sure that the Firmware Upgrade Utility has been started by right clicking on the icon / application and selecting "Run as Administrator"
- Try using a different computer if none of the above works
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