Trending December 2023 # How To Update Router Firmware # Suggested January 2024 # Top 20 Popular

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Routers from different vendors may have different UIs, but the actual process for updating the firmware is more or less the same. You can normally use the router’s auto-update feature to update the firmware at the press of a button. For those who want to flash a specific firmware version, I’ve also covered the manual update steps.

A common query I hear regarding firmware updates is whether they’re even necessary. The industry’s usual outlook on firmware is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Firmware updates going wrong and bricking devices are a common occurrence, so it’s not something you do unless you have a specific reason to.

But the thing is, there are many scenarios where updating is actually necessary. You might be facing networking issues (possibly due to hardware causes). A new update might’ve patched a major vulnerability, or perhaps it introduced some new functionality. These are valid reasons to update.

However, if the new firmware has only fixed some minor bugs not relevant to you, updating isn’t really necessary. I recommend checking the firmware changelogs on the router manufacturer’s site to make the best decision in your specific case.

If you do decide to proceed with the update, please keep a few things in mind:

It’s important to ensure that the update completes smoothly. An interrupted firmware update can brick your device (sometimes permanently).

Use a wired connection for the update. A WiFi-connected device will work too, but it’s not ideal. This means using an Ethernet-connected PC is best. Phones, laptops with WiFi, or remote upgrading are possible but I don’t recommend them.

It’s best if your router and device have power backup to minimize the chances of interruption.

Check the router’s hardware version beforehand so that you download and flash the correct firmware version.

Finally, it’s best to wait a few weeks after an update is released to ensure any bugs get patched by the time you decide to update.

Most modern routers have an auto-update feature that’s useful for updating to the latest version with minimal effort on your part. I’ll demonstrate how you can use this from an Archer A7 router’s web interface. The steps will mostly apply to other routers as well.

Connect your PC to the router with an Ethernet cable.

Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.

Launch any web browser and enter the router’s IP address into the URL bar.

Enter the router’s login credentials. If you’ve never changed these, the default values can be found at the back of the router. You can also look it up online.

Go to System, Administration, Management, or a similar tab.

If you want to flash custom firmware like DD-WRT, or an older stock firmware version, you can use the manual update option as shown below.

Go to the router manufacturer’s site and find your router model.

Go to the Firmware tab on the Router Settings page.

Your router will stop working after a failed firmware update. But this doesn’t necessarily mean the device is permanently bricked. Check if the router’s LEDs are still working. If the LEDs don’t work and the device shows no signs of power, you’ll have to get it checked by a technician.

But if the LEDs are blinking with a different color like orange or red instead of the usual white/green, it means your router has entered the emergency mode. You can use the firmware restoration utility provided by your router manufacturer to flash the firmware again.

Even if the color doesn’t change, as long as the power LED at least lights up, that’s a good sign. In this case, you can try the firmware rescue first. If it doesn’t work, take the device to a repair center.

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How To Set Up Nordvpn On Your Router

It also means devices that don’t support VPNs (such as games consoles, or media streamers such as the Apple TV) can get the benefits of unblocking, and all devices – such as smart speakers, security cameras and other smart home gadgets – get that extra layer of security and privacy.

Not all routers support VPN connections, so you’ll need to check first if your does. You can either check with the manufacturer – often your internet service provider – or simply log into the router itself and have a look through the menus for VPN settings.

However, even if it does support VPN connections, NordVPN no longer supports L2TP/IPsec and PPTP connections, so if your router only supports those protocols, you’re out of luck. Instead, you’re looking for OpenVPN support.

Specifically, it needs to support OpenVPN as a client (rather than a server, though if server support is present, that’s ok). The best way to find out if it does is to search online for the make and model of your router. If you discover your router has ‘pass-through’ support for OpenVPN, that’s no good: this merely allows connections from devices and won’t block them.

Which router should I use with NordVPN?

If your current router was supplied by your ISP, chances are that it won’t support OpenVPN. And don’t forget, some mesh routers may support OpenVPN, too, not just single, standalone routers.

You may have to buy a new router from those we recommend if your current one is incompatible, or you could head to FlashRouters and buy a router which has special software on it that works with a companion app. That app allows you to log in with your NordVPN details, and also to manage the VPN settings more easily than in a web browser. You can get 20% off using the code NORDVPNROUTER at the checkout.

There’s also a list of the routers which NordVPN recommends.

Note that Asus routers have a built-in OpenVPN client, which makes them ideal for NordVPN.

How to configure your router for NordVPN

The exact method of configuring your router to work with NordVPN will differ depending on the manufacturer and potentially even the model.

So while we can’t provide a definitive step-by-step guide for your specific router, here are the general steps you need to follow. Also, note that you can find instructions for various routers on NordVPN’s website.

First, log into your router. This involves typing its IP address into your web browser. Then, to change settings you will need to enter the admin password. That’s usually on a sticker somewhere on the router itself. For more help, read our guide which explains exactly how to connect to your router.

Be sure to find the VPN client settings, not the server settings. Here’s how it looks on an Asus router:

Now add a profile, which will include your NordVPN username and password. You can find these in your NordVPN dashboard.

If there’s an option, select ‘auto reconnection’, which will re-establish the VPN connection if it drops for any reason.

Enter a name for the connection. You can call it NordVPN [country], where country is the location of the server you’ve chosen.

Of course, you haven’t chosen a country yet, but you can use this link to find the server that NordVPN recommends. Or, if you have a specific country in mind (to get around regional blocks, say) then choose one from the drop-down menu under ‘Adjust server preferences’.

Download the OpenVPN config files because as part of creating the VPN profile, you’ll need at least one of these. Preferably, use the UDP one.

Once that’s done, you should be able to save the configuration.

Then, you should see an option to ‘activate’ that profile or connect to the VPN.

How to connect to a different NordVPN server

Unfortunately, if you’re creating these profiles manually, you’ll need to make one for each server you want to use. In many cases, that will just be a local for for the best speeds, and perhaps one in another country (such as the USA) so you can watch US Netflix, for example.

Again, once these profiles are created you can log into your router and activate the profile for the country you want to appear to be in.

If you’re not already a NordVPN customer, you’ll find the latest deals for the best prices on its website.

How To Update Windows 10 To The Creators Update.

FThe latest update to Windows 10 – The Creators update can now be installed on your computer. It brings with it highly anticipated features and streamlining, things like Paint 3D, a proper night mode that reduces blue light output, plus the hugely anticipated gaming mode. If you aren’t in any rush, automatic rollout begins on the 11th of April, via standard Windows updating, however, if you would like to get it now, you can manually trigger the update.

How to Get Full Access and Permissions For Files and Folders on Windows 10.

Getting straight to business, there are three ways to go about downloading the Windows 10 Creators update. Installing it using the Windows Update Assistant, installing it using the standard Windows 10 update tool, and installing a fresh copy of Windows with the Creators update applied. You can pick which option you prefer below.

The first way you can install the update is to use the Windows update tool. The Assistant is a small downloadable .exe file released by Microsoft, that will check for the latest updates (based on your language, region and processor architecture) The best part about this is that you won’t have to wait until the Creators Update appears in the Windows Update area on your computer. You can download the tool below:

Windows 10 Update Assistant Download.

Note: You may have to wait a day or so before Windows will allow you to update to Creator’s. When I first started this step I had to wait 24hrs. The next morning it was ready to go. Be prepared for a long download and long installation process.

This is the second method and is the standard way in which Windows will get the Creators Update. The update should appear in your available updates from 11th of April onwards, if the date comes around and you do not see it, you can check manually by:

Clean Install Windows 10 With the Creators Update (11 April 2023)

Download Media Creation Tool for Windows 10

Once you have the tool downloaded, run it. First, you will be asked what you wish to do. There are a couple of options, you can use the update option Upgrade my computer now, which is another way of forcing an update to download. Or if you want to actually install a clean version of Windows, select the option to download an ISO image and create the installer on a USB stick or DVD.

The Media Creation Tool will download the latest version of Windows 10, which will include the Creators Update. Once you have created the installation media, boot your computer from the device you created the media on, either a disk or USB drive. Now all you have to do is go through the installation process for Windows 10. Once that has finished, you will have a brand new fresh install of Windows 10 with the Creators Update.

Xiaomi Mi Wifi Router 3 Review

The need for faster and faster bandwidth speeds has created something of an arms race with makers of WiFi devices, hiking speeds and cutting costs. The trickle-down effect is that you get more for less. As the cost comes down, what makes one brand different from another is not price but style and power.

In this article we look at the latest router from Xiaomi, the Mi Wifi Router 3, which has good looks and power in abundance.

Xiaomi have always had a highly evolved sense of style, and this stylish design sense permeates everything they make – leading edge technology which not only looks good but works well.

In the box you get the router itself, a power supply and a small tri-fold paper manual.

It’s a very attractive case, with its four upright aerials. It’s great to have functional equipment like this look appealing because it means you don’t have to hide it. It looks a bit like an Imperial Shuttle from Star Wars. The top is flat and featureless (apart from a discreet logo) and wedge-shaped. The bottom is curved and perforated for heat flow.

Everything about the build quality is solid, and the aerials snap up to attention with a satisfying and positive action. You can also lean them over or arrange them either for better signal or just for looks.

The unit has two Ethernet inputs and a port for the WAN, the connection to your modem. There is also a USB port for fitting a hard drive or USB stick.

One of the nice features of this router is it has a dedicated mobile app to administer its settings. This is handy as usually you have to use a browser on a computer to do router admin, but with this you can just do it on your phone.

As with remote admin, you also can manage router activity, block access for unknown users, etc. If an unknown user tries to join your network, the system will send a notification message to your phone. Access can be granted or closed, sending the user to the blacklist.

A slight downside is the app does suffer from a lack of back buttons, so when you fail to sign into the router, for some reason it’ll keep trying, and you can’t exit without quitting the app. Also, the documentation is thin, so if you want to do anything out of the ordinary, you’ll have to guess or look it up on the Internet, which although perfectly legitimate, is not ideal.

If you already have a WiFi aerial in the house but want to extend your coverage, then the unit can serve also as a repeater and a very high powered one at that.

Despite the lack of docs, this is a very good router. It’s powerful, it has four high gain antennas which can reach to every corner of the house, and it uses 802.11ac WiFi technology to triple the usual speeds. You can also have up to 126 devices connected at once, and that would be a challenge to fill up for even the most avid Internet of Things fan.

We tested the router in a normal suburban house, and it performed very well for coverage, noticeably better than standard WiFi. We didn’t map it out really accurately, but a casual stroll with a WiFi meter and a phone showed that in a few known dead spots the coverage was much better. Having four brand new high gain antennas really helps both the coverage and the gain of the signal.

Often domestic units have a limit to how many devices they can support, which is never usually stated on the box. You just know it when you lose your IP address on the network. But with every person in a family bringing at least three to six WiFi capable devices each to the home, it soon mounts up, and having 126 potential connections, the Xiaomi goes a long way to making sure you never run out.

At around $30, it’s a bargain.

Pros: Very stylish and solidly built. Looks like a tool and not a toy. Lots of device connections, high power coverage and beautifully fast. Very easy setup using the mobile app.

Cons: Drops a point for lack of supplied documentation. The mobile app gives you access to settings, and you can muddle through, but there’s no proper walkthrough.

Overall the Xiaomi Mi WiFi Router 3 is a great router with a generous speed boost and fills a lot of the dead spots in your home.

Phil South

Phil South has been writing about tech subjects for over 30 years. Starting out with Your Sinclair magazine in the 80s, and then MacUser and Computer Shopper. He’s designed user interfaces for groundbreaking music software, been the technical editor on film making and visual effects books for Elsevier, and helped create the MTE YouTube Channel. He lives and works in South Wales, UK.

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How To Update Your Pc’s Bios

BIOS stands for basic input and output system, and the BIOS chip initializes all the other devices in your PC, like the CPU, GPU, and motherboard chipset. But a few years ago, motherboard manufacturers—in partnership with Microsoft and Intel—introduced a replacement for traditional BIOS chips dubbed UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

Almost every motherboard shipping today has a UEFI chip rather than a BIOS chip (UEFI is a Windows 11 system requirement, in fact), but they both share the same core purpose: preparing the system to boot into the operating system. That said, most people still call the UEFI the “BIOS” because of the familiarity of the term.

New chip and motherboard platforms often receive numerous BIOS revisions early in their lifecycle, to work out bugs.

Your motherboard likely uses whatever firmware revision the motherboard manufacturer was on back when it was built. Over the lifespan of a motherboard, manufacturers release new firmware packages or BIOS updates that will enable support for new processors and memory, or solve commonly reported bugs. For years, the only real reason to update to a newer firmware revision, however, is to solve a bug in your UEFI or to swap in a CPU that’s newer than your motherboard.

Some people like to regularly check for and update their UEFI firmware packages just to stay up to date. At one time, this was considered a risky practice, given that the firmware updating process can potentially brick your motherboard in the same way that flashing a custom ROM on to Android phone can brick the device. It’s best not to update your UEFI firmware unless there is something specific that the updated firmware offers that you need.

That said, you probably want to stay on top of BIOS updates if you’re on a chip or motherboard platform that’s fresh out of the gates—witness those critical BIOS updates for AMD’s fresh AM5 motherboard platform mentioned above. Living on the bleeding edge often requires diligence.

Make sure you back up your critical data before attempting a BIOS update! These updates alter core aspects of your PC and its vital to have backups if anything goes wrong.

1. Find your current BIOS version: Before you upgrade your BIOS, make sure you’re actually installing a new version. The easiest way to find your BIOS version is to open up the System Information app by typing msinfo into the Windows search bar. In the window that opens, your BIOS version should show up on the right, under your processor speed. Record your version number and date, then compare it to the latest version available on your motherboard’s support page on the manufacturer’s website.

2. Enter the UEFI BIOS: When you boot up your PC, you’ll see text that informs you which button to press to enter the UEFI BIOS. Press it! (The exact button needed, and the design of every motherboard’s actual UEFI control panel differs, so these instructions will be more guideposts than step-by-step instructions.)

3. Boot into the UEFI control panel (when possible): Although not all motherboards offer this feature, on certain models you can boot into the UEFI control panel and use a built-in update utility to connect to the internet and flash the latest firmware from the manufacture’s server. This extremely nice feature makes updating to newer firmware revisions as painless as possible.

The process is a bit more involved for motherboards that don’t support this feature.

5. Download and unzip the BIOS update file

6. Transfer update file onto a USB flash drive

7. Reboot your computer into the UEFI control panel

8. Launch the UEFI’s firmware update tool or flashing tool and back up your PC’s existing firmware to your flash drive: This protects you in case something goes wrong.

9. Use the same UEFI utility to select the new firmware image you saved on the flash drive: Running the firmware update utility should take just a couple of minutes, but make sure not to shut off your PC during this process. This is critical.

10. Once the flashing process finishes, restart your computer: Your updated PC BIOS is ready to rock.

Some manufacturers offer utilities that can update your UEFI chip from directly inside Windows by running an .exe file, but we strongly recommend using one of the two methods above to avoid any problems.

Again, updating your PC’s BIOS can provide many benefits, but it’s important to understand the risks. Don’t touch it if there isn’t a clear, compelling reason to update your UEFI firmware. That said, if you want to drop in a newer CPU into an older motherboard, then it’s clear that a BIOS update lies in your future.

Updated at May 1, 2023 to reference AMD’s BIOS updates for AM5 motherboards.

Jpki1 Arabic Firmware For Galaxy S2

A new firmware for Galaxy S2, jpki1, just got released and while it’s not alone — there is another firmware called zcki2 — it’s still a good thing for those living in Arab nations since this one is specifically for them. So, hopefully you’ll have Arabic fonts, Arabic keyboard, Arabic languages, etc. already quite pre-installed in jpki1. If you’re installing this ROM for Arabic fonts, keyboard, etc let us know too whether it has them or not.

Even though S2’s predecessor phone, Galaxy S, has got an Android 2.3.5 based firmware leaked for it, the S2 is yet to get its share of Android 2.3.5 love. Yes, this means that jpki1 is based off Android 2.3.4, which isn’t a bad thing anyway, because hell lot of expensive android phones are still in line to taste the v2.3.4 of android OS. So, hats off to Samsung for outing the latest android builds sooner to its users.

Warning:

Warranty may be void of your device if you follow the procedures given on this page. You only are responsible for your device. We won�t be liable if any damage occurs to your device and/or its components.

Pre-Installation thoughts:

Drivers! — it’s important you’ve the proper drivers installed. Download links below:

If you have Samsung’s PC software Kies installed, un-install it first because it may interrupt the flashing process. If you’ve installed it for sake of drivers which otherwise weren’t working, make sure you exit the Kies completely before beginning the procedure below.

How To Install jpki1 on Galaxy S2 i9100 (for experienced users)

[error]This guide is applicable only for Samsung’s Galaxy S2 (S II) international version (i9100). Check your phone’s version in Settings – About Phone. The model number has to be “GT-i9100” for this firmware to be compatible with your phone. If it’s not GT-i9100, simply don’t try this ROM on your android handset — don’t even think about it if you care about your android device.[/error]Warranty may be void of your device if you follow the procedures given on this page. You only are responsible for your device. We won�t be liable if any damage occurs to your device and/or its components.

Well, it’s pretty easy if you’ve already had fun flashing using Odin a decent number of times. Download jpki1 (password: chúng tôi and install it using Odin 1.85 included in the firmware package itself. Put the *CODE* file in PDA tab, *Modem* file in Phone tab and *multi CSC* file in CSC tab. There is no .pit file here, so PIT Tab in odin will be blank and keep Re-Partition button un-ticked too. Hit Start!

If you didn’t get what was said above, don’t worry one bit, a guide for you is just below.

Step-By-Step Guide to Install jpki1

If this is your first time, you may want to see a video of out how a firmware is flashed using Odin software on a Windows PC. Well, the video given below is all you need. It shows installing the KG1 firmware on S2 and the procedure is very similar for KG6. If you like, you can watch the video first to see how it’s done and then do the actual flashing following the guide given below which is more than enough on its own too.

[youtube video_id=”lhiPl4HGNuo” width=”600″ height=”400″ /]

Extract the downloaded file ‘I9100JPKI1.rar’ to get these 4 files:

APBOOT_I9100JPKI1_CL566704_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5

CODE_I9100JPKI1_CL566704_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5

GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OJPKI1.tar.md5

MODEM_I9100XXKI1_REV_02_CL1058311.tar.md5

Disconnect your phone if it’s connected to PC. Switch Off your phone. Wait 5-6 seconds for vibration to confirm complete switch off.

Now, put the Galaxy S2 in Download Mode — press and hold these keys together: Volume_DOWN+Home+Power. This is required to install the jpki1 using Odin PC Software.

Open Odin (from step 3) — Odin3 chúng tôi Admin privileges would be required!

Connect your phone to PC now. You should get the message “Added! !” under the Odin’s message box in the bottom left. If you don’t get this message, than probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you’ve the drivers installed — if not, use the link(s) given above in the pre-installation thoughts heading above. If you still don’t get ‘Added’ message, try another USB port, or restart PC. You can also try installing the Kies software as a last resort, this should fix it.

Select these files in Odin at respective tabs:

Important! Make sure these 2 checkboxes are ticked: Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time. Since we’re NOT using any .pit file, Re-Partition checkbox needs to be UN-TICKED!

Double check everything said in step 8 and 9 above.

Now, hit the START button to begin the flashing process. When it finishes, your phone will automatically reboot — and you can unplug the cable then. Plus, you’ll get a PASS (with green background) message in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. If it’s red and with FAIL written over it, the process flashing process wasn’t successful. Try again, and take care to complete the whole process without any break whatsoever.

(Optional, of course) If you found this guide useful, share it with others too on webpages, forums, your Facebook/twitter/Google+ pages, etc. That would be helping us grow too!

[youtube video_id=”lhiPl4HGNuo” width=”600″ height=”400″ /]

That’s it. Follow our free email subscription service to get the daily free email alerts about new phones, firmwares and apps, etc. Locate the subscription box below.

For those interested, this is the log of flash process of jpki1:

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